CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Marketing of service products can be traced back to the 18” century when Jean Baptise Say rejected Adam Smith’s notion that immaterial products ate not wealth because they were not susceptible of conservation. Jean Baptize argued that activities  have utility and give satisfaction to the consumer, like !the doctors who cures the sick man, are productive and that agriculture, manufacturing and commerce should be traced on an equal basis. The acceptance of services as legitimate activities is reflected in (the current division of industry by economists into three main groups; primary, secondary and tertiary.                                  This research will focus mainly on the tertiary activities which refers to service and distributive trade.

Foote and Hate further classified service into three as follow

1 Tertiary; These include restaurants and holds, barber and beauty shops, laundry and dry cleaning establishments, home repair and maintenance.

2 Quarter nary: This includes transportation, commerce, communication, France and administration; the salient characteristics being that they facilitate and effectuate  (the division of labor

3 Quandary: This includes health care, education and recreation; the chief aspect of this sector being that services rendered are designed to change and improve the recipient in some way. Prior to the evolution of services, manufacturers of goods relied more or less entirely on the technical qualities of their products. we had a seller’s market, where manufacturers did not have to offer much in the form of services or other auxiliaries to their customers. They did not seek for the differentiate their offerings from those of their competitors in order to maintain market share and survive,in recent years, massive changes in policy, governance, structure we effect status of education have been taken place. Environmental changes, such as privatization, diversification, decentralization, internationalization and increased competition in education are common. These changes have an effect oh how educational institutions operate nowadays and they are seen as driving forces for the marketing of services products in educational sector.

Marketing of service products is an intangible product, impossible to touch see or feel. The evaluation of the service can be obtained by judging the service content and the service delivery system, fictional sector is one of the most important sector of economy. Many countries are now shifting their economy from manufacturing to services. Researchers and academicians are emphasizing their attention towards Studying services and importance of service offered to educational sector an important consideration since the recent years. Now institutions air trying to evaluate  the   services  provided  and  comparing  these  service  products  with competitors to determine status of competitive advantage. To be competitive, organizations evaluate quality of service offered to all the stakeholders. To see the service quality offered at the educational sector, service quality model given by Parasunnan et al (1988) is widely ace institutions operate nowadays and they are seen as driving forces for the marketing of services products in educational sector.

Marketing of service products is an intangible product, impossible to, see or feel. The evaluation of the service can be obtained by judging the service content and the service delivery system, fictional sector is one of the most important sector of economy. Many countries are now shifting their economy from manufacturing to services. Researchers and academicians are emphasizing their attention towards educational sector. Studying services and importance of service offered to educational sector is an important consideration since the recent years. Now institutions are trying to evaluate  the   services  provided  and  comparing  these  service  products  with competitors to determine status of competitive advantage. To be competitive Organizations evaluate quality of service offered to all the stakeholders. To see the service quality offered at the educational sector, service quality model given by Parasunnan et al (1988) is widely accept institutions operate nowadays and they are seen as driving forces for ‘he marketing of services products in educational sector.

Marketing of service products is an intangible product, impossible *o (quell, sec or feel. The evaluation of the service can be obtained by judging the service content and the service delivery system Llucational sector is one of the most important sector of economy. Many countries are now shifting their economy from manufacturing to services. Researchers and academicians are emphasizing their attention towards educational sector. Studying services and importance of service offered to educational sector is an important consideration since the recent years. Now institutions ate trying lo evaluating the services provided and comparing these privies products with competitors to determine status of competitive advantage. To be competitive, organizations evaluate quality of service offered lo all the stakeholders. To see the service quality offered at the educational sector, service quality model given by Parasurrnan in (1988) is widely accepted, service quality model is consists of five   dimensions   that  is  tangibles,   reliability,   responsiveness,   assurance empathy. Service is characterized by changing patterns of consumption as well as employment and output. Services are those separately identifiable, essentially intangible activities which provide want satisfaction and that, arc not necessarily tied to the sale of a product ‘ii other service. Marketing of service products is any activity or benefit that one party can offer lo another that is essentially intangible and does not result to ownership transfer of anything. Marketing of service products to educational sector fulfills the benefit junco with the help a set of tangible and intangible companies. where buyer of the service does not get any ownership. He may have tangible physicaldance to show for the service exchange transaction but Me fckial benefit :crude to purely intangible in nature. five   dimensions   that  is  tangibles,   reliability,   responsiveness,   assurance empathy. Service is  characterized by  changing patterns  of consumption  ns  well  as employment and output. Services are those separately identifiable, essentially intangible activities which provide want satisfaction and that, arc not necessarily tied to the sale of a product

‘ii other service.

Marketing of service products is any activity or benefit that one party can offer lo another that is essentially intangible and does not result to ownership transfer of Anything. Marketing of service products to educational sector fulfills the benefit with the help a set of tangible and intangible companies . who buyer of the service does not get any ownership. He may have tangible physical dance to show for the service exchange transaction but Me fckial benefit »:crude to purely intangible in nature. marketing of service products to educational sectors is characterized by the following:

Intangible: marketing of service product is intangible in the sense that it is possible to taste, feel, see, hear or smell services. Inseparability: this implies that services cannot be separated from the provider.

Heterogeneity:  services cannot be standardized even though standard may be used.

Perish ability: products rendered in an educational sector cannot be stored, this research work shows how the marketing of service products influences the quality of the education in the educational sector using Imo State University as a ;a>e study. This work also reveals how the marketing mix is applied ip educational services of our higher institutions of learning.