Business Studies HSC HSC Practice Question 2a – People, processes and physical evidence

CivicServe is a not-for-profit organisation that operates a “one-stop” community support hub. It provides short appointments with case workers, digital help (e.g., completing online forms), and referrals to partner agencies. Demand has risen sharply after a recent cost-of-living spike.

CivicServe’s board has approved a new marketing strategy to reposition the hub as “fast, respectful, and reliable support—without needing to explain your story twice”. The repositioning will be promoted through local search ads, posters at GP clinics, and a referral program with partner agencies.

Current service delivery has the following features:

• Customers can arrive as walk-ins or book online. Walk-ins take a numbered ticket and wait to be called.
• There are two queues: “General Support” and “Digital Help”. Staff sometimes move between queues depending on who is available.
• New volunteers complete a 2-hour induction, but there is no standard script for greeting, privacy checks, or explaining wait times.
• The waiting area has 18 seats. When full, some customers stand near the reception desk. A sign reads: “Please have your documents ready.”
• A recent survey (n = 120) showed:
• 46% agreed the service was “fast”.
• 71% agreed staff were “kind”.
• 38% agreed the service was “reliable/consistent”.
• 34% agreed “I understood what would happen next”.
• Mystery shopper notes report inconsistent privacy practices (sometimes names and issues are spoken aloud at the counter), and inconsistent rules about what counts as “urgent”.
• CivicServe has limited funds. It can spend up to \$12,000 once-off on changes to the physical environment and up to \$2,000 per month ongoing on staffing or systems.

CivicServe is considering two alternative operating models for the next 6 months:

Model A (Speed-first triage): a staff member does a 3-minute triage at arrival, assigns urgency, and directs customers to the correct queue. Booked customers still check in at reception.

Model B (Appointment-led): walk-ins are encouraged to book the next available slot on a tablet at reception. A small number of “emergency” walk-in slots remain each day.

The board is concerned that a marketing campaign could increase demand before the service experience matches the new positioning.