The last thirty years have witnessed a steady increase in the contribution of the services sector to economic growth. In fact, the contribution of services to the economies of the USA—the first to be declared a service economy with the services sector contributing more than 50 per cent of the GDP—and other developed countries continues to grow even now. However, in recent times, even developing economies have come to rely on the services sector for economic growth. Organizations have come to realize that services—characterized by intangibility, perishability and variability—are different from goods; hence, their marketing requires the use of specifically formulated strategies. It is no surprise then that services marketing has evolved as a specialized branch of study. Present-day managers need this knowledge to effectively drive the growth of their organizations.

The second edition of Services Marketing, with an enhanced conceptual foundation, meets this requirement of students, managers and marketing professionals. This thoroughly revised and updated edition retains the best-loved features of the first edition, while improving on the pedagogy. The enhanced pedagogy and coverage in this edition in conjunction with the lucid and pithy style of the author make this book perfect for students of business administration, commerce and management.