Service Separation

Abstract

This article traces the development of the concept of service separation within the field of services marketing. Pioneering research indicates that one of the characteristics distinguishing services from goods is inseparability, which denotes that production and consumption of the service occur simultaneously. More recently, however, some scholars observe that some services are separable, and contend that inseparability is not a satisfying descriptor of services in general. As service providers can often choose to provide separated and/or unseparated modes of services, it is important to understand the implications of service separation in theory and practice.