Services are described as intangible primarily because they ______.
Require high capital investment
Cannot be touched, stored, or owned before consumption
Have low variable cost
Are always inexpensive
Which of the following tactics best reduces perceived intangibility?
Limiting service availability
Raising the price significantly
Shortening opening hours
Offering tangible cues such as uniforms or certificates
Compared with goods, services are generally harder for buyers to evaluate **before** purchase because they are ______.
High in experience and credence qualities
Subject to taxes
Produced in factories
High in search qualities
Advertising a dentist’s use of advanced sterilization equipment primarily aims to ______.
Reduce heterogeneity
Provide tangible evidence of professionalism
Demonstrate inseparability
Increase perishability
Intangibility complicates patent protection because ______.
Services lack brand names
Demand is perfectly elastic
Processes are harder to codify and prove ownership
Pricing fluctuates
Adding downloadable user guides to a consulting package helps tangibilize the ______ element.
Core benefit
Augmented service
Pricing policy
Distribution channel
The term 'perceived risk' tends to be **higher** for intangible services because customers ______.
Always pay more
Receive physical warranties
Cannot inspect quality in advance
Face currency fluctuation
A strong brand name (e.g., Four Seasons) largely serves to ______ intangibility.
Exacerbate
Mitigate by signaling consistent quality
Alter inseparability
Eliminate perishability
Customers often rely on 'word‑of‑mouth' more heavily for services due to intangibility because WOM ______.
Is cheaper than advertising
Provides credible experiential evidence
Requires complex technology
Reduces perishability
Service intangibility implies that measurement of service quality must focus on ______.
Inventory turnover
Defect rates in physical products
Process and outcome indicators perceived by customers
Number of patents awarded
Starter
Solid effort—review the key concepts and try again for a higher score.
Competent
You understand the essentials; refine the nuances to excel.
Expert!
Outstanding—your grasp of this service concept is exemplary.
Grasping Intangibility vs. Tangibility Interview Questions will help you explain how unseen benefits differ from physical cues in service delivery. Start your prep with our services marketing interview question guide to cover the essentials of sensory perception. Then challenge yourself with the Service Innovation Stages MCQs, dive deeper into service traits using the IHIP Characteristics Deep Dive, and examine gaps through the Gap Model of Service Quality interview questions. Working through these focused practice sets will ensure you can discuss intangibility versus tangibility with clarity and confidence.
