People:

 the importance of employees as an element in the marketing mix is particularly evident in the service industries.

If you have had poor service in a shop or restaurant you may not be willing to go there again.  Research has should that there is an identifiable relationship between low staff turnover and repeat purchases.

Managing front-line workers eg cabin crew on aircraft who are the lowest in the organisational hierarchy but whose behaviour has most effect on customers is an important task for senior management. It involves corporate culture, job design and motivational issues.  People issues include:-

• Appearance
• Attitude
• Commitment
• Behaviour
• Professionalism
• Skills
• Numbers
• Discretion