Impact of COVID-19 on Customer Service Practices in Tourism Industry: A Study on Travelodge Group

This research project analyses the impact of COVID-19 on customer service practices in the tourism industry, with a focus on Travelodge Group. The study aims to recommend strategies to improve customer service practices after the pandemic. The research methodology includes qualitative research type, inductive research approach, and thematic data analysis. The findings suggest that the pandemic has negatively impacted customer service practices in the tourism industry, and Travelodge Group has adopted digitalization to meet the impacts.

FOUNDATION YEAR
RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................3
Topic and organization................................................................................................................3
Introduction or background of research.......................................................................................3
Aim..............................................................................................................................................3
Objectives....................................................................................................................................3
Research issue..............................................................................................................................3
Research question........................................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.............................................................................4
Timeline.......................................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 3- LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................7
CHPATER 4- FINDINGS...............................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION-............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1
APPENDIX......................................................................................................................................2
Questionnaire...............................................................................................................................2

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION
Topic and organization
To analyse the impact of COVID-19 on customer service practices in tourism industry; A
study on Travelodge group.
Introduction or background of research.
Tourism industry is one of the leading progressive sectors in the world, that contribute to
increase GDP, in term of enhancing customer satisfaction level by providing the best
accommodation and other forms of tourism services. This sector has been affected from COVID-
19 factor, that lead to decrease organizations operational effectiveness (Mohanty and et.al.,
2022). The current research project will be based on Travelodge group, which falls under the
category of top 10 tourism organizations in the UK. The study will highlight the research
approaches used to collect information about impact of pandemic on customer service practice of
chosen organization.
Aim
The aim of current study is to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on consumer service
practice of Travelodge group.
Objectives
 To analyse impact of Covid 19 on tourism industry.
 To study customer service practices in Travelodge group.
 To analyse the impact of Covid-19 on customer service practices in Travelodge group
 To recommend strategies to Travelodge group to further improve customer service
practices after Pandemic.
Research issue.
The research issue is COVID-19 that affect customer service practices within organization
such as Travelodge and overall tourism industry adversely. This external factor has affected the
whole world and become a reason to decrease the customer service and other form of operational
efficiency of companies in chosen industry (Škare, Soriano and Porada-Rochoń, 2021). This
research issue will drive the attention of researcher toward conducting appropriate investigation
by using some specific and effective research approaches such as primary and secondary data
collection, inductive research approach, etc.

Research question.
 What is the impact of Covid 19 on tourism sector?
 What is customer service practices in Travelodge group?
 What are the impact of pandemic on customer service practices in Travelodge group?
CHAPTER 2- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research type-
Research will take initiative to select specific research type, among two such as
qualitative and quantitative (Hafidz and Elihami, 2021). They will choose qualitative research
type for purpose of collection and examining non-numerical data.
Research approach-
Scholar will select inductive research approach as it is suitable to conduct qualitative
investigation based on specific topic such as to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on customer
service operation of Travelodge group.
Research philosophy-
Interpretivism is one of those research philosophy approaches that researcher will
initiative to select in order to focus on collecting info about how and in which extent or manner
COVID-19 impact customer service practice.
Research design-
Researcher will initiative to select particular research design and that is descriptive,
which drive their attention toward gathering information related to pandemic that impact
customer service practices in Travelodge group.
Data collection-
Scholar will initiative to use secondary and primary data collection methods, that will
allow them to collect data by using varied sources such as publish articles, books, survey, etc.
Sampling-
In order to collect relevant data about topic, they will select simple random sampling and
gather information from 20 managers of Travelodge group.
Data analysis-
Thematic data analysis approach research will select to analyse the gather data and
specify how pandemic impact customer service practice of Travelodge group, that operate in
tourism sector.

Ethical consideration-
Research is accountable to conduct ethical practice in form of protecting personal details
of respondents.
Timeline
Activities Week
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Week
10
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Wee
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Research
topic
selection
Research
aim,
objective
s and
question
develop
ment
Drafting
research
proposal
Analysin
g
secondar
y sources
Selection
and
utilizatio
n of
research
methods

Designin
g
question
naire
Collectio
n of
primary
data via
question
naire
Drawing
conclusio
n
Collectin
g
feedback
Final
modifica
tion
accordin
g to
receive
feedback
Submissi
on

CHAPTER 3- LITERATURE REVIEW
According to, Ntounis and et.al., (2022) COVID-19 is one of those factors that put direct
impact on tourism industry and companies that has been working under this sector. It may affect
negatively in term of decreasing the customer service operations and practices effectiveness.
In the view of, Škare, Soriano and Porada-Rochoń, (2021) pandemic may put adverse
impact on customer service practice that has been conducted in field of tourism. It leads to
increase work pressure upon management and employees who are taking initiative to enhance
consumer satisfaction in term of providing better services to them.
Coccia, (2021) stated that customer service practice encompasses different terms that
affect tourism companies growth and services in effective manner. It may enable individual
candidate to provide overall details related to service or product that an organization plan to
offer.
Morris and et.al., (2021) define that quick response term include in concept of customer
service practice that affect target market satisfaction and retention level with an hotel that operate
under tourism sector.
According to, Villain and et.al., (2021) customer service practice may influence by
COVID-19 in positive manner as it enable individual employees to consider the target audience
concern and take better precaution that help to prevent spread of infection.
Khalid, Okafor and Burzynska, (2021) contradict that COVID- 19 put negative impact on
customer service in form of increasing work pressure that affect the way, individual candidate
perform their role in the workplace.
In the recent time, pandemic affect the whole world in negative manner, it leads to
decrease the effectiveness or efficiency of operational as well as functional practices that has
been conducted in a company of tourism sector (Jiao and Azimian, 2021). It creates number of
challenges and issues that impact customer service practice of hotels. It may affect negatively in
form of decreasing customer base.
CHPATER 4- FINDINGS
Theme 1

Interpretation
Majority of respondents are in favour of first option, which means they think that
COVID-19 pandemic put impact on customer service practice of company, in negative manner.
It may drive the attention of company and its administration toward considering this factor and
taking initiative to overcome its impact on any operation, which is essential and beneficial too in
varied manners. While, only two respondents are in favour of second option.
Theme 2

Interpretation-
Majority of respondents are in favour of first option that mean they believe that pandemic
lead to decrease operational effectiveness such as customer service practice that drive the
attention of Travelodge toward facing number of challenges. In the recent time, business
sustainability is important because it may enable companies to survive for longer. In case of
current statement, out of 20, 10 respondents thing that customer service practice has infected
negatively. On the other hand, 5 respondents think that pandemic decrease customer base, while
rest of the 5 believe that this factor increase work pressure on candidates.
Theme 3

Interpretation: Majority of the respondents have said that, the organization have adopted the
digitalization in context of solving the impacts of Pandemic over the customer services. Out of
20 employees 10 has assured the vote towards adopting digitalization. 5 have said that feedback
of the customers has been taken in consideration and remaining said that discount has been given
to the customers. Thus, on the basis of the majority it can be stated that, adopting digitalization
has been done in order to assure effective customers services.
Theme1 Impact of COVID over customer practice
It has been found from various studies that pandemic leads to decrease the effectiveness
of the customer service that has impacted the interaction among the customers and organization.
The lock-down has reduced the extent of visiting by the customers that often leads to reduce the
customer services and impacted the organization in negative manner (Škare, Soriano and Porada-
Rochoń, 2021).
Theme2 Major impact of COVID over the customer service
Findings have shown that there are various impacts has been arrived due to the pandemic
in regards to reducing the customer services in Travelodge. However, the major impact has been
faced in the operational activities of the organization. Same has been evaluated from the

secondary sources in this context. It has been reviewed that, pandemic has provided major
impact within reducing the operational effectiveness (Kumar and Nafi, 2020).
Theme3 Strategy of the organization in order to meet the impacts
It has been found from various studies that organization have mainly adopted the
digitalization and increases the awareness in regards to the new customer services that may lead
to attract the customers (Romagosa, 2020). Thus, digitalization has been proven effective in this
context as the customers are highly active over the social media. Thus, same has been analysed
with the primary research and same has been reviewed from the secondary sources.
CONCLUSION-
The final conclusion that has been arrived from the research is that, pandemic has assured
the impact over the customer services of the tourism industry. Earlier, the customers used to visit
the different places that leads to create the higher profit for the tourism organizations. However,
due to pandemic lock-down has been introduced that has impacted the visiting rate of the
customers and this has further impacted the customer services of the tourism organization. There
are large number of challenges has been created for the tourism industry in context of performing
the customer services. Thus, the pandemic has impacted the customer services to the higher
extent.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Coccia, M., 2021. The impact of first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in society:
comparative analysis to support control measures to cope with negative effects of future
infectious diseases. Environmental Research. 197. p.111099.
Hafidz, M. A. and Elihami, E., 2021. LEARNING THE NONFORMAL EDUCATION
THROUGH RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: A LITERATURE REVIEW. JURNAL
EDUKASI NONFORMAL. 2(1). pp.47-55.
Jiao, J. and Azimian, A., 2021. Exploring the factors affecting travel behaviors during the second
phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Transportation Letters. 13(5-6).
pp.331-343.
Khalid, U., Okafor, L. E. and Burzynska, K., 2021. Does the size of the tourism sector influence
the economic policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic?. Current Issues in Tourism.
24(19). pp.2801-2820.
Kumar, S. and Nafi, S.M., 2020. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on tourism: Recovery proposal
for future tourism. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, Year XIIII Vol. 33.
Mohanty, R and et.al., 2022. Impact of Influencer Market on Consumers of the Tourism
Industry. ECS Transactions. 107(1). p.12347.
Morris, E. J and et.al., 2021. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the detection and
management of colorectal cancer in England: a population-based study. The lancet
Gastroenterology & hepatology. 6(3). pp.199-208.
Ntounis, N and et.al., 2022. Tourism and Hospitality industry resilience during the Covid-19
pandemic: Evidence from England. Current Issues in Tourism. 25(1). pp.46-59.
Romagosa, F., 2020. The COVID-19 crisis: Opportunities for sustainable and proximity
tourism. Tourism Geographies. 22(3). pp.690-694.
Škare, M., Soriano, D. R. and Porada-Rochoń, M., 2021. Impact of COVID-19 on the travel and
tourism industry. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 163. p.120469.
Škare, M., Soriano, D. R. and Porada-Rochoń, M., 2021. Impact of COVID-19 on the travel and
tourism industry. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 163. p.120469.
Škare, M., Soriano, D.R. and Porada-Rochoń, M., 2021. Impact of COVID-19 on the travel and
tourism industry. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 163. p.120469.
Villain, P and et.al., 2021. Cross‐sectional survey of the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on
cancer screening programs in selected low‐and middle‐income countries: Study from
the IARC COVID‐19 impact study group. International Journal of Cancer. 149(1).
pp.97-107.
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APPENDIX
Questionnaire
 Does COVID-19 impact customer service practice of Travelodge?
◦ Yes
◦ No
 According to you what is the impact of COVID-19 on customer services practice of
company?
◦ Lead to decrease operational effectiveness
◦ Lead to decrease customer base
◦ Increase work pressure.
 What strategies does organization adopt to overcome pandemic impact on customer
service practice?
◦ Adopting digitalization
◦ Customer feedback consideration
◦ Discount to customers
2