The service package is defined as a bundle of goods and services

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Service managers have difficulty describing their product. This problem is partly a result  of the intangible nature of services, but it is the presence of the customer in the process that creates a concern for the total service experience. Consider the following examples. For a sit-down restaurant, atmosphere is just as important as the meal because many diners regard the occasion as a way to get together with friends. A customer’s opinion of a bank can be formed quickly on the basis of a teller’s cheerfulness or the length of the waiting line. The service package is defined as a bundle of goods and services with information that is provided in some environment. This bundle consists of five features as shown in Figure 2.1 in the shape of an onion with the service experience at the core.

1. .Supporting facility. The physical resources that must be in place before a service can be offered. Examples are a golf course, a ski lift, a hospital, and an airplane.
2. Facilitating goods. The material purchased or consumed by the buyer, or the items provided by the customer. Examples are golf clubs, skis, food items, replacement auto parts, legal documents, and medical supplies.
3. Information. Data that is available from the customer or provider to enable efficient and customized service. Examples include electronic patient medical records, airline Web site showing seats available on a flight, customer preferences from prior visits, GPS location of customer to dispatch a taxi, and Google map link on a hotel Web site.
4.  Explicit services. The benefits that are readily observable by the senses and that consist of the essential or intrinsic features of the service. Examples are the absence ofpain after a tooth is repaired, a smooth-running automobile after a tuneup, and the response time of a fire department.
5.  Implicit services. Psychological benefits that the customer may sense only vaguely, or the extrinsic features of the service. Examples are the status of a degree from an Ivy League school, the privacy of a loan office, and worry-free auto repair

All of these features are experienced by the customer and form the basis of his or her perception of the service. It is important that the service manager offer a total experience for the customer that is consistent with the desired service package. Take, for example, a budget hotel. The supporting facility is a concrete-block building with austere furnishings. Facilitating goods are reduced to the minimum of soap, towels, and tissue paper. Information on room availability is used to book a reservation. The explicit service is a comfortable bed in a clean room, and implicit services might include a friendly desk clerk and the security of a well-lighted parking area. Deviations from this service package, such as adding bellhops, would destroy the bargain image.

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