General ENGLISH Directions: Read the following passage integrated and consistent definition of carefully and answer the questions that service and quality. But this is not enough. follow. Certain words/phrases are To improve sales, one has to give a further printed in bold type to help you locate dimension to high-quality product or them while answering some of the service, so that the customer’s perception questions. of value increases. Enhancing the PASSAGE-I perceived value is the job of the marketing According to Hindu mythology, at man. the confluence of Ganga and Jamuna, near Most definitions of service or quality Allahabad, there is an invisible river, stop at “find out what your customers want Saraswati joining them making it a and give it to them”. Customer satisfaction confluence of three rivers (Triveni and meeting customers needs are two Sangam). Similarly, in marketing, besides different, but important goals. Most the synergistic effect of quality and marketers know far less about their service, there is another invisible factor customers’ wants, needs, fear, complaints, contributing to marketing success, which and expectations related to their offerings is difficult to see or define. This third than would be needed to reflect a sincere dimension may be termed as “Consumer commitment to customer orientation. A Perception” or “Caring for Consumer”. firm can gain customers at the expense of Most marketing men are aware that rivals in many ways – offering customers they should improve service and quality, a better mix of what they want is only one but are not all heading in the same of them. But this is only a short-term direction. There are confusing and strategy. Unfortunately, we can no longer conflicting ideas of what service or quality afford to merely satisfy the customer. To means within the marketing group, let win today, you have to delight and alone in the rest of the organisation. There astound your customers – with products is, therefore, a need to develop an and services that far exceed their expectations The customer perception add the third dimension to your selling concept moves beyond customer which no one can see or feel, but know satisfaction to customer delight when it from the results it brings. exceeds normal expectations. 1. The above passage seems to be You can objectively point to (a) a book review specifications, selection criteria, (b) foreword for a book equipment, facilities, support systems, and (c) an article the like to give clear, rational reasons why (d) preface of a book something didn’t live up to requirements (e) a report of a company on and expectations. But customer perception marketing is more intuitive and irrational. It is a 2. Which of the following is not true series of tiny gestures and insignificant about consumer perception? signals that make dealings with an (a) It’s study is not always with organisation a rare delight. reasoning It is often said that it is the little (b) Perceptions can be objectively things, or the little extra that count. Buck reported Rodgers, one of the key executives who (c) The concept means much more helped IBM become so dominant through than customer satisfaction service and quality focus, says ‘There’s (d) It is to go beyond the expecta- no way of quantifying how many tions of the customers customers are lost because of little human (e) It consists of many small gestures errors – not returning a phone call, being 3. According to the passage, quite a late for an appointment, failing to say number of customers are lost because “thank you”, taking an account for of which of the following reasons? granted. As far as I’m concerned, these (a) Poor mix of products things can be the difference between a (b) Little human errors by marketers very successful company and a failure’. (c) Poor demonstration of products Such gesture is small in itself, but like by marketers grains of sand, they accumulate to make (d) Poor quality mountains of success. (e) Poor service by marketers For people in marketing or sales, 4. According to Buck Rodgers, which service is an opportunity, not an of the following is the difference obligation. It is an opportunity for greater between a successful company and personal contact and productivity and for failure? greater profit for their companies, through (a) Not quantifying the loss due to satisfied and loyal customers. A salesman little human errors cannot be taught this, or forced to do this. (b) Spending more on quality But a company can build an environment (c) Not returning a phone call and culture that encourages, nurtures and (d) Little gestures to enhance rewards initiatives in this area. This will customer perception (e) Not having the proper balance (A) Organisations have a clear idea between service and quality about the meaning of quality and 5. According to the passage, when will service the Saraswati of marketing make its (B) Marketing people have a clear presence felt? idea about the meaning of quality (a) If new products are produced and service (b) If the quality of products is (a) Only A (b) OnlyB improved (c) Either A or B(d) Both A & B (c) If a company creates conducive (e) Neither A nor B climate for salesmen’s initiative 10. Which of the following has been (d) If marketers come together to termed in the passage as a short-term objectively define the Saraswati strategy? of marketing (a) To satisfy customers (e) If salesmen are taught the (b) Increasing the number of techniques in the area of the customers Saraswati of marketing. (c) Defining the Company’s 6. Which of the following in marketing objective has been compared with the river (d) Improving the quality of .the Saraswati? product (a) Quality (b) Service (e) To delight the customer (c) Market manager ANSWERS (d) Customers’ complaints 1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (c) (e) None of these 6. (e) 7. (e) 8. (a) 9. (e) 10. (a) 7. Which of the following is the meaning of “make mountains of PASSAGE-II success” as used in the passage? The forces that generate conditions (a) Project small gain as grand conducive to crime and riots are stronger success in urban communities than in rural areas. (b) Knowing the secret of success Urban living is more anonymous living. (c) One success leads to another It often releases the individual from (d) Climbing up the ladder community restraints more common in (e) None of these tradition-oriented societies. But more 8. Which of the following is same in freedom from constraints and controls meaning as the word ‘synergistic’ as also provides greater freedom to deviate. used in the passage? And, living in the more impersonalised, (a) Combined (b) Collective formally controlled urban society means (c) Qualitative (d) Total that regulatory orders of conduct are often (e) Superficial directed by distant bureaucrats. The police 9. Which of the following statements is/ are strangers executing these prescriptions are true according to the passage? on an anonymous set of subjects. Minor of the following? offences in small towns or villages are (a) They provide less freedom for the often handled without resorting to official individual in many circumstances police action. As disputable as such action (b) They have lower crime rates may seem to be, it results in fewer because of the moral teachings in recorded violations of the law compared schools to the big cities. Although perhaps causing (c) They provide inadequate some decision-difficulties for the police freedom for personal movements in small towns, formal and objective law and travel enforcement is not always acceptable to (d) They do not have adequate villagers. modern technology Urban areas with mass population, (e) They are ruled and controlled by greater wealth, more commercial distant bureaucrats establishments and more products of our 4. People live under more social control technology also provide more frequent in opportunities for theft. Victims are (a) formally controlled urban impersonalised , property is insured, societies consumer goods in more abundance are (b) the presence of the police vividly displayed and are more portable. authorities The crime rate increases despite formal (c) an anonymous form of living moral education given in schools. (d) non-traditional societies 1. According to the passage, all of the (e) None of these following contribute to higher crime 5. It can be inferred from the passage rates in urban areas except that urban crime can be controlled by (a) vivid display of consumer goods (a) greater emphasis on moral (b) higher standard of living education (c) urban impersonalised living (b) enforcement of law by distant (d) increasing population bureaucrats (e) inadequate police force (c) vivid display of expensive 2. Which of the following is a consumer goods characteristic of an urban setting? (d) making the expensive consumer (a) Unreported minor crimes goods less portable (b) Deviation from freedom (e) None of these (c) Less forceful social control 6. Which of the following statements is (d) Minimal opportunities of crime TRUE in the context of the passage? due to better law enforcement (a) The display of consumer goods (e) Fewer recorded violations of the is the main cause of crime law (b) Lack of personal contacts 3. The author’s view of ‘Traditional increases crimes in urban areas Societies’ is best expressed by which (c) Small communities have more minor crimes than in urban centres PASSAGE-III (d) Urban crimes cannot be Ask people what are the qualities prevented essential for a leader and they will say: (e) Police in urban areas settle minor enthusiasm, sense of humour, sincerity, disputes without official action eagerness to learn, dependability etc.