Bellboy Case
It is essential to first have general understanding of the Terms Bellboy. This name is generally associated with a person whose task is to run errands and sometimes help guests with baggage in hotels. The Bellboy often connected with question; what happened to the dollar, is a case that has been used by scholars to explain and make their ideas more sellable and attractive to their readers and scholars in their scopes of study.
Three men of Italian decent also referred to as farmers by profession are said to have visited a foreign country and in the process the need to procure boarding facilities arose.
It was in that way that these three gentlemen found themselves in a hotel where they wanted to hire sleeping rooms. After a $30 agreement for the three men they agree amongst themselves that each should give $10. And so they did. Later the hotelier decides to charge twenty five dollars. It is here that we here the bellboy mentioned first as the story continues. The issues arise when the hotelier decides to refund back the excess five dollars back to the three gentlemen. Not knowing how to divide five dollars among three men he decides to keep two dollars for himself and give each-gentle man a dollar as a refund.
This is where after reading the story one notices the trick. One,after careful analysis of the story notices that a dollar will end-up being un-accounted for-thus posing the question of what happened to the dollar? The survey as presented is good since it provides readers with deep explanations of the field’s theory populated with daily cases. The case study here presents research marketing, the process of it and also explains the problem in its expository chapters. The general research work design is well reviewed, another plus for the use of the designed data collection forms and methodologies.
The authors employ Data collection and exemplary designs in their conclusion of the case-study besides conducting a clear interpretation of facts and analysis. Churchill and Dawn chose to concentrate abstractly on objective support systems and information operations and more specifically to helping information seekers recognize a task easily, put it in order and ask for the opinion of those empowered to make judgments. The appropriateness of the Bell boy case cannot be overemphasized in the way it is used by the authors as a central influence point on the report and generally all over the books.
Seemingly intended for grounding the foundations of marketing research, the Bellboy case-study encourages readers to think creatively beyond the scope. Maybe the greatest achievement by both Churchill Gilbert and Dawn Lacobucci lies in the simplicity of the case-study. Being a widely comprehended story, its understandability goes unquestioned. With good understanding, the interpretation follows with ease. On the same note the authors provide readers with a wide variety of professionalism which is exemplified using the Bellboy case-study.
In the author’s view, this is the best case scenario to give a reader a full comprehension of the subjects under discussion. Through the use of a highly comprehensible case-study, the authors take readers through nearly all stages of successful marketing and even more conveniently how to make them all work in practical marketing. Gilbert Churchill and Dawn Lucobbaci provide the reader with both theoretical and analytical works. The simplistic case-study, the Bell boy clearly indicates how the study gives basic ideas in some areas.
Here too, the marketing researcher is provided with all insight with the requirements of the mathematical skills for the market researcher. By being thorough in explanations of concepts and ideas-both simple and complex, the student or learner is saved from extremes of abstract assumptions and misleading generalizations. The Bellboy case though simplistic in appearance helps the learner to develop creativity and analytical skills which are greatly essential to a marketing research both academic and corporate.
Through the case-study the Bellboy the authors bring to focus articles across a broad range of marketing specialties, including consumer behavior, others such as retail tracking, merchandising, retailers and even analytics. The case study The Bellboy brings into clear focus high quality, theoretical and applied research in the areas of marketing and market research. The case study highlights academically oriented research work often focusing in on market orientation and even counter analysis.
The analysis provided by the authors provides tips which would provide marketing research-based debates on market topics such as customer retention methods, product comparison and customer satisfaction. The importance of this case study; the Bellboy, cannot be overemphasized as put across by the authors. In a general view, this case provides us with information, intelligence on competition and market research as well as industry trends. Therefore, this is a most appropriate case-study in terms of relevance and objectivity.
The text has undergone too much transition that some of original ideas may have acquired new dimensions. To a reader who is new, the case-study may be limiting in the sense that the additional ideas may not have existed in earlier editions. Across all the nine editions, there is a noticeable variation in the way the Bellboy Case is evaluated. This means therefore that a first time reader of a particular edition would miss out on ideas in another edition which he/she is not acquainted with. The Bellboy Case does not look very convincing with regard to some specific topics dealt with in the text.
There lacks direct relevance between the topic Role of Marketing and the selected case-study Bellboy. This particular limitation can be cited in several other sub-topics including: Problem Formulation, in the introductory part one. Descriptive and Causal Research Designs in Part two, Standardized Marketing Information in part three. Designing the Questionnaire or Observation Form and The Basics of Measurements all from part three. The simultaneous analysis of multiple variables in part five reveals some remote relevance to the Bellboy case study in part six of the text.
Other limitation besides the one of relevance is the overuse of the particular case-study. Though creative and at the same time entertainment, this particular problem of overuse leads to an adventurous reader to a limitation of scope when it comes variety. A good reader no doubt feels limited in the choice of examples used. To some readers the Bellboy Case of what happened to the dollar as given by Churchill and Dawn may appear frivolities and therefore fail to exude the necessary seriousness intended by the authors of the text.
In his review of the text, (Brown, 2005) is lf the opinion That being too specific in the use of the Bellboy Case Study limits the number of professionals who can use the book to mostly only trained researchers are opposed to a general readership or the business community. A reader may question the up-to-date coverage of topics intended by the authors with regards to the Bellboy Case Study. The new or later editions of the text which have expounded information on topic which include sample size issues, forecasted sales and the usefulness of the use of internet may end up confusing the readers as opposed to giving them guidelines.
Realizing the Bellboy Case as presented here one at guiltily feels the authors ought to have given several other case studies as a way of justifying their arguments on these topics. As it is a reader and especially one with market research background often feels grieved to only on idea of reference; Bellboy Case Study. At the beginning of the case study, makes a general assumption that most readers are acquainted with Bellboy story. This is generally a wrong assumption since quite to the contrary a good number of marketing research readers may have a problem getting acquainted with the case study.
Though this may seem like an easy to , as good authors they should have taken the trouble of classifying to the readers the over told story. Lacking in direct connection too is the relevance of the Bellboy Case to one of the topics given much emphasis. One generally get the opinion that the bellboy case being too general was put out of reference for some extensively covered references such as the use of the intensive in marketing research. The Bellboy Case Study as used in the text leaves the reader and especially a marketing research professional with some unclarified ideas about several of the covered topics.
For instance in the topics theoretical applied research in marketing and other areas such as consumer behavior. On the same note discussions on consumer profiles purchasers and retail consolidation effects should have benefited more from the Bellboy case study since one can almost draw direct connection after clearly analyzing the story. The problem here is that the authors delegated more emphasis on the expository parts of the discussion, leaving this latter one which is equally important shallowly covered. The same problem can be cited on other topics.
Such as the discussion on exhaling and analyzing product and market before action taking in market leadership. Weighing both the limitations and strengths of the Bellboy case as used by authors Gilbert A. Churchill and Dawn Lacobucci, one comes to the conclusion that only a good book can exude such a variation of opinionated reviews. Given that the Bellboy case is a fairly well comprehended story the world over, it becomes appropriate in the sense that the business community has a fallback reference point from which views and opinions can be drawn on practical market ideas and opinions.
Clearly, the role of marketing research is investigated extensively by the authors leaving a marketing researcher and especially a beginning on with little to grapple with if any. From tutors point of view the Bellboy case study provides a great teaching aid and resource in explaining marketing research and methodological foundations. The extensive treatment presents a high level in discussion professional codes of conduct and ethics on the part of both authors.
All the topics handled in the book presents on acceptable level of relevance to practical marketing an more so the manner in which the authors bring in the Bellboy case study to act as a fall back point of reference for the entire coverage. Most noticeable however are questions one cannot avoid after deciphering the case study especially as used to expound on the usefulness of the internet as a tool of marketing. The question of whether or not the product or service will work online is inevitable. The question of the type and volume of market (product and service) information to include also arises.
Coupled with this, the best venue for a product also poses an appropriate question to a market researcher. Finally on this topic the issue of how one should collect the returns – monetary or otherwise becomes paramount. The internet as such becomes an important tool of marketing according to Churchill and Dawn. Here, emphasis is mostly laid on marketing research and information intelligence and sourcing in the internet as tools of marketing. As to the limitations cited here about this particular text, they only remain weaknesses as far as the bellboy case-study is concerned.
Viewed in the light of another angle or perspective they could be strengths. It is also important to note here that both Churchill and Dawn have given marketing research and methodological foundations a new dimension and freshness often lacking in many other such texts dealing with especially marketing research. It is finally important to note that every thing has two sides and the strength or weakness only comes in when the pointer is focused on only one of the two sides. Reference Churchill/A. G. Locaabucci, D. (2004). Marketing Research: Methodological Foundation. London, Mason Publishers.
