NATURE OF SERVICES There are five basic features of services.These features also distinguish them from goods and are known as the five Is of services. These are discussed as below: (i) Intangibility: Services are intangible, i.e., they cannot be touched. They are experiential in nature. One cannot taste a doctor’s treatment, or touch entertainment. One can only experience it. An important implication of this is that quality of the offer can often not be determined before consumption and, therefore, purchase. It is, therefore, important for the service providers that they consciously work on creating a desired service so that the customer undergoes a favourable experience. For example, treatment by a doctor should be a favourable experience. (ii) Inconsistency: The second important characteristic of services is inconsistency. Since there is no standard tangible product, services have to be performed exclusively each time. Different customers have different demands and expectations...