Front-stage and Back-stage Functions in Service Organizations: A Case Study of The Grace Hotel

This essay discusses the importance of front-stage and back-stage functions in service organizations using The Grace Hotel as a case study. It also explores the significance of service encounters and managerial implications of service encounter. The essay provides a flow chart of front-stage and back-stage functions and explains the significance of service encounters in achieving organizational goals. The managerial implications of service encounter are also discussed in the essay.

Reflective Essay 1
Marketing

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Executive summary
Generally, the service organizations perform their operational activities with coordination of
“front-stage functions” and “back-stage functions”. The front-stage and back-stage functions
enable the service organizations to deliver and develop the products and services as requirement
of the customers. As well as, the service encounters such as remote, direct and indirect personal
encounters has significance in the service organizations to communicate with the customers in
professional manner. In this concern, the service organizations are recommended to have proper
front-stage flow chart, back-stage flow chart and service encounter to attain the organizational
goals and objectives in effective manner.

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Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Flow chart........................................................................................................................................4
Front-stage flow chart..................................................................................................................4
Back-stage flow chart...................................................................................................................5
Significance of the service encounter..............................................................................................6
Managerial implications of service encounter.................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The essay is outlining front-stage and back-stage functions in a service organization. "The Grace
Hotel" is considered to make understanding of these functions in services organizations in
practical manner. The hotel is situated in Sydney and providing hospitality services across
Australia. The essay is describing flow chart of these front-stage and back-stage of service
organization "The Grace Hotel" and explicating significance of the service encounter in
achieving the organizational goals and objectives. In addition, the essay is also determining the
managerial implication with considering flow chart services for diverse circumstances and
providing appropriate information to plan service flow in hospitality organizations.
Flow chart
Flow chart refers to systematic planning of delivering products and services to the end customer
and getting their feedback about these products and services. In a service organization, the flow
chart is designed as per the standard of the services, culture, expectations of the customers and
delivering service quality of its competitors (Dragga and Gong. 2018). In hotel industry, the term
services refer to understanding of needs and desires of the customers, procedure of delivering
services, analysis of the cost and limitations that are required by the organization to maintain the
quality standards. Therefore, it is essential for the services organizations to maintain the quality
standard of their services to be competitive in the associated industry (Xu et al., 2013). A sound
set up of flow chart of service organizations such as The Grace Hotel for front-stage and back-
stage is extremely helpful in preserving the practices of developing and offering information,
products and services to attain the internal objectives of the organization in professional manner.
Front-stage flow chart
The service organizations are using front-stage flow chart to manage their services as per the
international standards and convene the needs of the customers in effective manner. In my
concern, the front-stage flow chart contains the issues that are faced by the clients while taking
the services (Katzan and Katzan, 2015). The front-stage activities contain marketing, sales and
delivery process of the products and services. It is considered as a public world in which the
service organizations are operating their operational activities in effective manner (Flowers and
Edeki, 2013). I have analyzed that the major constituents of front-stage services are increasing
interaction with the customers to get detail about their expectations and communicate with the
back-stage department to provide the desired services. The front-stage flow chart of The Grace
Hotel contains services of making reservation, check-in elements, waiting area, planning and
functioning as well as manages check-out details in proper manner. These services are
maintained by the front-stage department of the service organization. In this hotel, my role is to
supervise and help the customers while providing services (Turner, 2014). I have analyzed that
the office members of The Grace Hotel are performing their responsibilities according the
determined standard and process to attain the goals and objectives of the organization in desired
manner.

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Figure 1 Front-stage flow chart
The above front-stage flow chart is determining that the service organizations are making the
business decisions based on information and details attained about the customers from the front-
stage department. Front-stage flow chart provides the direction to the department of back-stage
to develop the products and services as per the requirement of the customers. The front-stage
flow chart is helpful for the management of The Grace Hotel in arranging the required resources
and maintaining the services activities as per customer desires. Front-stage flow chart is helpful
in making effective business decisions for further achievements. In my concern, the service
organization can attain the goals and objectives in desired manner through establishing an
effective front-stage flow chart as well as the management can improve the satisfaction level of
the customers in effective manner with the help of front-stage flow chart.
Back-stage flow chart
The back-stage flow chart is used as a process of managing operational activities in internal
environment of the organization. The activities contained in back-stage flow chart are helpful for
the service organization in attaining the administrative purposes in straightforward manner.
Back-stage flow chart is playing an essential role in The Grace Hotel to execute the internal
operations and activities in effective manner. There are several activities that are accomplished
by back-stage department of The Grace Hotel. These activities are attending the calls of
customers and replying to customer mails in proper manner (Pretlow and Sobel, 2015). I have
analyzed that the activities included in back-stage flow chart are managed by the management in
proper manner. In addition, the back-stage flow chart is helpful for the service organization in
recommending about housekeeping activities, cleaning activities and post operational activities,
which are playing an essential role in maintaining the standard of the services and implementing

Reflective Essay 6
the organizational planning in proper manner. The information provided by the front-stage desk
enables the management to improve the quality of the services.
Figure 2: Back-stage flow chart
The above back-stage flow chart is determining that the service organizations can improve the
standard and quality of their services through managing the post operational activities and attain
the organizational objectives in effective manner.
Significance of the service encounter
It is essential for a service organization like The Grace Hotel to maintain the quality and standard
of the services to sustain long-term in the associated industry. I have analyzed that the service
organizations cannot operate their business operation in effective manner without maintaining
the quality of products and services (Seck and Philippe, 2013). In The Grace Hotel, the
management always has focus on the development of service encounter by anticipating the
tendencies and needs of the customers to gain the competitive advantages in the hospitality
industry. I have analyzed that proper communication between the organization and customers
has considerable impact on the standard and process of the service delivery, which are involving
different forms of service encounter with the top management and employees (Lee et al., 2017).
A service organization, like The Grace Hotel entails three types of service encounters that are
remote, direct and indirect encounter. The management is making decisions and arranging the
organizational resources through considering these encounters. In addition, these encounters are
also helpful for the management in planning of functions, assigning the roles and responsibilities
to the staff members to enhance the operational efficiencies and attain organizational objectives
in more professional manner (Lai et al., 2014). The service encounters of the organization are

Reflective Essay 7
good in terms of proper delivery of services and maintaining the quality standards of services but
the awkward demand of the customers and immoral behavior of the employees may create issues
in service encounters.
The Grace Hotel is using the direct, indirect and remote encounters to manage the services in
effective manner. As well as, the management of the hotel is also using these encounters in
delivery procedures for further development of the products and services. As per the analysis, it
is analyzed remote encounter is helpful for the service organizations as the customers can use net
banking and user friendly mechanisms to get the services from the service organization in
comfortable manner. In this service encounter, the quality of the products and services should be
experienced and customized to meet the expectations of the potential customers (Liao, 2014).
Apart from this, the indirect personal encounter engaged to telephonic communication, which
has more scope for the consistency in service delivery and avoid the errors in communication.
This encounter enables the management to communicate with the customers in better manner
and identifying their expectations from the organization. The Grace Hotel is giving priority to
this service encounter to know the needs of the potential customers and improve the quality of
existing products and services. Under the direct personal encounter, the organization
communicates face to face with the potential customers to deliver the services and know their
opinions about the delivery process and quality of the product (Keh et al., 2013). It is an effective
service encounter but time consuming process so that the service organizations consider it only
in critical situations. In this concern, the organizations and people come together through service
encounters to attain the goals and objectives of the organization. The service organizations can
identify the required improvements in their products and service and satisfy the customers in
more professional manner with the help of these service encounters.
Managerial implications of service encounter
In a service organization, the business activities are determined through the service encounter or
way of communication between the employees and customers. The level and process of
communication enables the service organizations to evaluate the expectations and potentials of
the customers of managing the effectiveness and quality of the delivering services (Liao, 2014).
The service standards and procedures of managing the services are determining that the service
organizations must have effective communication with their customers as it enables the
management to develop guidelines to improve capabilities of human resources (Seck and
Philippe, 2013). It is analyzed that the service encounter and proper monitoring of the service
process and operational activities have favorable impact on management effectiveness and brand
image of The Grace Hotel. In my concern, the effective listening to customers, providing
additional services and understanding their needs have productive impact on the business process
of a service organization. The Grace Hotel has a good brand image with offering quality services
however there is lack in service encounter approach, which is hampering its management
approach. In order to overcome the gaps in service encounters, the management of the
management should make better efforts to understand the demand and desires of the potential
customers (Wong, 2013). As well as, the employees have to be more responsible towards defined
role, extreme supportive and proficient in communicating with the employees to manage the
conflicting situations at the workplace. In my concern, the management of The Grace Hotel can
use front-stage and back-stage flow charts as well indirect personal and remote encounters to
communicate with the customers and improve the quality of services.

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Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the service organizations have to develop
and implement effective front-stage and back-stage flow charts to improve the level of their
services and attain the standards of coordination and communication in professional manner. It is
also analyzed that the service encounter must be followed by the service organizations to interact
with the customers and attain organizational objectives in effective manner.

Reflective Essay 9
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