Hospitality Industry's Customer Experience Management

The assignment emphasizes the need for companies in the hospitality industry to provide optimal quality of goods and services to customers. It highlights the significance of understanding various customer touchpoints as opportunities to create valuable experiences and engage with potential customers. Additionally, it discusses the importance of focusing on ECRM (Electronic Customer Relationship Management) to develop long-term relationships with customers through digital technology.

Managing Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Learning Outcome...........................................................................................................................1
P1: Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry...............................................................................1
P2: Various factors that influences customer engagement of different target group within
service sector are defined below.................................................................................................2
Learning Outcome 2 .......................................................................................................................4
P3: Consumer experience map for a selected service organization............................................4
P4: Customer touch point to create opportunity throughout the customer experience in
hospitality organisation...............................................................................................................5
Learning Outcome 3........................................................................................................................6
P5: Digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the service
sector...........................................................................................................................................6
Learning Outcome 4........................................................................................................................7
P6: Illustrate consumer service strategies in context to specific service sector.........................7
P7: Create & develop consumer experience in hospitality industry...........................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience management emphasize on interacting with customer in
order to meet the need as well as expectations of customer. Thus, connecting with
customer through digital technology helps the customer to remain satisfied as well as
loyal towards the company (Pravdic, 2013). For better understanding Thomas Cook
has been taken which is hospitality industry of UK, it provide wide range of services to
customer like travel services related to international and national tour, travel insurance,
restaurant facility and so on. This report cover following topics such as importance of
understanding preferences of customer within hospitality group and various factors that
engage the customer within service organisation, customer experience in Thomas Cook
organisation. Moreover, opportunity for customer experience within hospitality
organisation as well as use of digital technology that helps in managing the long term
customer relationship. Further, discussion is made on customer service strategy in
service sector and how it develop the experience of customer.
Learning Outcome
P1: Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry
The need as well as preferences of one customer differ from another due to
which it is next to impossible for the company to completely satisfy the need of all

customer through their one product. In that case company look for the customer centric
strategy known as target market. Within this strategy company segment the whole
market in various sub sets based on the similar type of liking, preferences and
purchasing power. Further, it becomes easier for the company to create strategy as well
as marketing mix based on the target market. In context to Thomas Cook which is large
global hospitality industry organises various trips for family, friends as well as couple
based on their preferences. Hence, understanding the need of target market helps the
company to gain long term sustainable advantage over other rivalries.
Importance of understanding the needs and preference of customer within
Thomas Cook hospitality industry is defined below:
 Although it is time taking for company to identify target market but once company
identify them they can make design marketing effort such as promotional
technique significantly (Pandža Bajs, 2012).
 Company can draft the appealing promotional technique for the target audience.
For instance, during the time of school vacations usually family plan to explore
new places in that case respective company craft the message for whole family.
P2: Various factors that influences customer engagement of different target group within
service sector are defined below
Customer engagement is a strategy adopted by business to keep their existing
as well as as potential customer encouraged by interacting, sharing and following the
feedback of customer. This helps the company to generate the loyalty of customer for
the product or services they are offering in national as well as within international
boundaries. Along with that they remain connected with their prospects through digital
technology such as email, text message or through any social group. This helps the
company to share any vital detail regarding the journey, amount and so on. Further,
such technique helps the company to eliminate the chances of customer dissonance by
maintaining the transparency between company and customer.
Factors that influence customer engagement of various target customer within
Travel and Tourism sector are defined below:
Various type of
customer
Different
needs of customer

Business
person
Convenient hotel
room as well as
mode of travelling
Suitable charging point
and ambience
Quality food as well
as Wi-Fi facility
Old age traveller Quick services as
well as cleanliness
Healthy food and clean
water to drink
Convenient mode of
transportation and
vital information
regarding stay and
food facility.
Hospital
patients guest
Availability of basic
amenities such as
clean room
Nutrition food and
medical facility
Information regarding
food intake such as
calorie or protein to
be taken.
Pleasant music Suitable charging point Beautiful view and
area to exercise
Sports person Healthy diet with
purified water
Internet access Activity area
The main priority of Thomas Cook is to make valuable experience to customer by
highly providing them convenience so whether it is related to travelling or stay. Thus,
some of its targetted visitor is defined below:
Business person: It involve the group of corporate people who plans to explore
various area. So the role of Thomas Cook is to satisfy them by providing better quality
services which helps to fulfil the desire, need and want of traveller. Some of the services
provided to business person are Wi-Fi facility, suitable charging points, laundry facility
as well as clean space to stay.
Old age traveller: These are the aged traveller who come from different places
to visit any new place such as holy places. Thus, Thomas Cook make sure they get
fresh or organic food, soothing music, purified water and so on.

Hospitality patients guest: It include those people who travel from one place to
another to get good medical help. As they are less energetic traveller so Thomas Cook
make sure make sure such people gets the quick facility such as they get the prescribed
diet, need not to wait in queue, always try to fulfil the wants of patient guest. Along with
that they get purified water as well as charging point.
Sports person: Sports person generally prefer adventures trip so Thomas Cook
ensure that they can get healthy diet, charging points, clean room to rest as well as
open area whether they can indulge into some recreational activities.
Learning Outcome 2
P3: Consumer experience map for a selected service organization
Customer experience mapping involve the various stages of customer journey
that helps in building up valuable experience of ultimate customer. Such experience
whether it is good or bad helps in making future decision as it include whole process
from buying product to accessing the customer services. Herein, Thomas Cook keeps
on modifying their existing strategy so that they can map effective customer
relationship. Along with that company provide training to their staff so that internal staff
can mange the customer effectively. As it reveal the insights regarding the changes due
to which company keeps on restructure its approaches, bring changes to enhance the
experience of an individual (BERHE, 2017).
Pre Tour During Tour Post Tour
Touchpoints Customer will go
through the website of
company to gain the
detail regarding tour
and tickets
At the time of
Journey tour guide
plays a significant
role to build up
valuable experience
of customer
Service sector
receives the
feedback as well
review of
customer posted
on different site
such as review
site or on the
website of

company
Thinking and feeling Here customer lack in
complete information
regarding the
package, printing
ticket and so on
(Guido, 2017).
Customer may feel
unhappy or weird
because they cannot
interact with local
people.
The overall
experience of
customer may be
delightful based
on the
convenience
provide by
company.
Ideas for improvement Customer must have
the option to print the
tickets or provide
them planning
checklist
Provide proper
training to the tour
guide and ensure
that they
communicate very
well with the
customer by
handling their
grievances
Provide them easy
album sharing
option
P4: Customer touch point to create opportunity throughout the customer experience in hospitality
organisation
Touchpoint refer to the time when the potential customer comes in contact of
company before, during or after the purchase of goods and services. It helps in crafting
the journey as well as experience of customer when it comes in contact of company
through various electronic platform such as website, email marketing and so on.
Therefore, these touchpoints acts as an opportunity for company because the better it
displays itself the better it will gain loyalty of customer, some of the touchpoints are
defined below:
Websites: It refer to the official site of company that contain the vital information
about the company in which it deals, detail information about trip, contact detail and so

on. It is accessed by the customer to directly contact the company or make the
comparison among various rivalries (Jain, 2017). Thus, it is a significant digital tool
which is used to convert the potential customer into loyal customer.
Social media: Social media is a community of alike people connected together.
It basically include Facebook, Instagram, twitter and so on. Selected company uses
these platform to upload the information, images, videos as well as feedback of people
who have already availed the facility of company. It is significant tool that helps the
customer to take action quickly without giving it much thoughts.
Email marketing or text messages: It is a medium to convey two way
communication between company's staff and traveller. Respective company makes the
use of such medium to take the bookings, provide them details information as well as
solve the customer issue. Moreover, email marketing is more formal way of
communication that gives the confirmation about booking. Therefore, the details of
contact are mentioned in the website of company (Bruce and Love, 2018).
Review sites: There are various review sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and so
on where the traveller post their personal experience regarding the company as well as
trip. Thomas Cook consider the review of customer from these sites and accordingly
they adopt the changes by considering the changing needs of customer. This helps the
company to strengthen their relationship with their existing customers.
Therefore, it is significant for company to track the touch points so that they can
gain real insights and optimise their content accordingly. Thus, Thomas Cook uses
Google Analytics to optimise the touchpoint for every customer effectively.
Learning Outcome 3
P5: Digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector
Digital technology include various tools such as computer, laptop, smart phone
and so on which is used to build valuable experience of customer through digital
platform. It helps to maintain long term relationship with customer by making the use of
innovative as well as advanced technology. Thus, with the expansion of digital platform
only those company survive which uses the advanced technology as most of the

dealings takes place thorough internet. In relation to Thomas Cook has adopted ECRM
(Electronic customer relationship management) technique to interact with their
customer, make dealings, handle their remedy and so on. For instance, if a customer
wants to reschedule their dates of journey then the staff of company will helps the
customer to do that by stating the amount deducted due to change in dates. Thus, it is
an effective technique that helps to engage the traffic and encourage them to take
action rapidly. This function has increase the reach of respective company due to which
they are able to conduct worldwide business with ease. Therefore, digital technology
such as search engine optimisation or email marketing that provide the company result
at real time due to which it become easier for selected company to adopt the changes
as per changing needs of customer (Aliyas, Shishebori, and Ramazani, 2016).
Thus, with the help of digital tool and technique selected company makes the use
of various programme as well as software to engage the customer, adopt changes in
future, makes strategy against existing as well as new competitor, work on the feedback
of customer and so on (Shea, 2016).
Opera Software: As Thomas Cook makes most of their dealings through online
source due to which company makes the use of Opera Software. It has more speed in
comparison to other browser such as Mozilla and are smaller in sizes. Much smaller in
size and it is popular for the being fast and stable. It works in Windows, iOS, macOS,
Android and so on.
ECRM hospitality software: Such software is designed by company to record
the data related to existing customer through data base management system. It helps
to identify the preferences of majority of customer along with that company gets the
chance to work on customer review as well as feedback.
Learning Outcome 4
P6: Illustrate consumer service strategies in context to specific service sector
Customer are the essential source of revenue to company due to which it is
significant for the company to provide valuable experience to customer. Thus, firm tend
to make effective strategy by building long term relationship with customer. Herein,
service sector strongly emphasize to make relationship with customer by fulfilling their

requirement such as booking their travel packages and provide them basic amenities.
Therefore, the strategy adopted by selected company to maintain customer service are
defined below (Al-Ahmad and Mohammad, 2012):
Seek the feedback of customer: Before delivering the services company
identify the need or preferences of customer. Along with that Thomas Cook which
comes under service secytor evaluate upcoming or changing needs of customer for
which they welcome the feedback as well as reviews of customer regarding the journey,
company, employee and so on. These feedback are received from email or helpline
number of company. Along with that company conduct the survey through telephone
and discuss them about the good or bad experiences of customer. Therefore, whole
collected data is gathered which gives the authentic insights about company. Like, what
are the core competency of company and where they need to improve to enhance their
customer base.
Deliver promise: To maximise the interest of customer service sector deliver
some promises regarding the services they will deliver to customer. Further, in order to
maintain the goodwill as well as trust of customer company need to fulfil its promises.
Like, Thomas Cook discuss all the expenditure in advance by assuring traveller they do
not have to charges any additional expenses. But while delivering the services if
selected company ask for more fund then their image will deteriorate in front of
customer. Thus, company must make sure they present only those promises that they
can fulfil (Reynolds, 2013).
Provide reward to loyal customers: If company follow its promises, seriously
works on the feedback of customer, bring changes as per preferences of customer then
they can generate the trust of various customers. Service sector includes various
customer who are loyal towards it thus company provide them various reward such as
sponsoring the stay of loyal customer provide them high offers or discounts. Therefore,
this helps the company to maintain the trust of loyal customer as well as encourage the
existing customer to become loyal for company.
P7: Create & develop consumer experience in hospitality industry
Company builds various strategy that help to persuade, compels as well as
directly impact the decision of client. The basis purpose of drawing customer strategy is

to engage the customer through digital tools. Further, based on the market research
Thomas Cook company identify the need of customer and take the informed decision to
carry out the business process smoothly. Thus, research and develop is an effective
strategy that helps the company to gain short term advantage over competitors. Once,
research is done and services are offered in market selected company consider the
constructive feedbacks of customer as it helps the company to make affirmative
decision in future. Moreover, selected company must design its content based on the
changes adopted by firm which helps the audience to remain aware about the additional
convenience they will receive from company. Therefore, such activities helps the
company to remain updated about changing preferences of customer and gain huge
customer base (TSEGAYE, 2017).
Recommendation
 Even if company makes effective planning then also they can experience some
issues at real situation in that case company need to fix the problem as soon as it
arrives. This helps to minimize the negative experience of customer towards
company.
 Along with that company must not maintain existing technology but also upgrade
innovation technology as it help to company take actions rapidly.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that a hospitality industry must provide
optimum quality of goods and services to customer. As it include various type of traveller such
as business people or youth which indicate that each group has its own preferences which
company must look to engage the customer. Moreover, company must consider customer
touchpoint which act as an opportunity and helps to draft valuable experience of potential
customer. Further, with the increase in number of internet user company must focus on ECRM
which is used to develop long term relationship with customer by connecting with them through
digital technology. Thus, travel and tourism industry enhances the experiences of customer to
achieve long term sustainable development.

REFERENCES
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