Managing the Customer Experience Introduction Introduction 1 MAIN BODY1 P5

Impact of Digital technology in managing customer experience and relationship to Ritz Hotel London 1 P6. The term customer experience management refers to the activity and actions taken by the industry in order to fulfil their satisfaction level that enhance the experience of guests with the company. Impact of Digital technology in managing customer experience and relationship to Ritz Hotel London Digital technology changes the way hotel operates that enable the company to meet satisfaction of consumer as well as enhancetheir engagement with the brand.

MANAGING THE
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
P5. Impact of Digital technology in managing customer experience and relationship to Ritz
Hotel London..............................................................................................................................1
P6. Illustrating customer service strategies.................................................................................3
P7. Development of consumer experience through customer service strategies........................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Success of an organisation is based on effective and strong consumer base that can build
up by successfully manage the experience of potential customer. The term customer experience
management refers to the activity and actions taken by the industry in order to fulfil their
satisfaction level that enhance the experience of guests with the company. The present study is
based on Ritz Hotel, is a five star, luxurious hotel located in London. The hotel opened in
England on 24th May 1906. This report is going to provide an understanding of impact of digital
technology that assist Ritz Hotel to manage customer relationship. Along with it, an application
of effective consumer experience management within the service sector business will be analyse
that aims to maximise guest engagement. For that purpose, the study will illustrate customer
service strategies and will demonstrate how these strategies develop and create customer
experience.
MAIN BODY
P5. Impact of Digital technology in managing customer experience and relationship to Ritz Hotel
London
Digital technology changes the way hotel operates that enable the company to meet
satisfaction of consumer as well as enhance their engagement with the brand.
CRM system
CRM system refers a technology that helps any type of organization to organize and
automate every facet of their customer interaction. The Ritz Hotel London is one of the best
known hotels. It also uses this system and in its system it includes customer services, marketing
and sales.
Types of CRM system: There are several CRM systems that can help the hotel and company in
increasing customers experience. Some types of CRM system are described as below:
 Operational: This system of The Ritz Hotel London concentrates on software
application. It brings all details of customers together such as purchase history, contact
information etc.
 Analytical: This type of system is good for the future in order to get and come up with
better and increasing sales. This system will look into customers' data from an analytical
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angle. The main feature of this system is it helps the company to create long term
strategies.
 Collaborative: This system of CRM, The Ritz Hotel, London focus on segregating its
external contacts like distributors & vendors and give all the necessary informations and
data to its customers via extranet (Malyshev and et.al., 2017).
Features of CRM system
There are various benefits of using CRM system. By using an effective customer
relationship management system, The Ritz Hotel, London can increase its brand image by
increasing customer experience. Some features are described as follows:
Customer satisfaction: It is the main feature and characteristic of using CRM system.
This system consists of wide range of informations that makes the company able to keep in touch
with customers and know all needs of them. By identifying needs of customers, The Ritz Hotel
can satisfy them.
Customer retention: An effective CRM system helps the company in developing and
creating strong relationship with customers. CRM software has variety of channels of
communication. By keeping in contact with them and satisfying their all needs, the hotel can
make them feel respected. Respected and loyal customers tend to stay with the company for the
long run.
Customer complaints: The preliminary aim of using CRM system is to identify needs o
customers and provide them whatever they want. CRM software speed up company's response to
customers inquiries by using ready-made E-mail templates.
Reason of improving digital technology
Digital technology is rapidly increasing as several companies are using digital technology
in order to build customers relationship. With the help of digital technology, The Ritz Hotel can
make their all functions easy such as sales, marketing, customers support and technical support.
For example, if customers have any doubt and problem related to products and services which
the hotel and company provide them, then a live collaborative chat make company and
customers able to click on a live customer service icon. It can save both customers' and
company's time. Customers can also get quick response from company which is beneficial for
both customers and the company. It increases customers loyalty which leads to sales and
profitability (Lipiäinen, 2015).
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Use of social media platform
Ritz Hotel London is technologically advanced and have used social media platform for
enhancing consumer experience and marketing the products and services. Email Marketing- Through email marketing, Ritz Hotel London can target consumers
individually with the new and existing products and services. This marketing strategy
help the company to enhance the awareness of the brand directly to the target consumers.
This platform is more personal than any other platform of marketing. Pay-per click Marketing- This is the most effective marketing platform to enhance
booking and reservation on the official website of the hotel (Kandampully, Zhang and
Bilgihan, 2015). In simple words it attracts user towards the website of the hotel. Display advertising- This is the most effective advertising technique of the hotel industry
that enable marketer to deliver specific information through audio and video content.
 Social media marketing- There are various social media platform such as Facebook,
Instagram, twitter that influence youngster towards the attractive packages and interior of
the hotel. Social media marketing is also effective to communicate with the potential
consumers as it allows two way communication.
Impact on Digital content
Digital content have intense impact on the whole industry and on the overall revenue and
productivity as well as on the brand image. Digital media is an advanced marketing platform that
enable hotel to reach its services and products to the wide range of audience. Various online
advertising techniques boost the sale and revenue of the hotel as it is more influence in the
today's market than traditional advertising. It is a huge revenue opportunity for the hotel as
digital digitalisation speed up the process of the hotel.
M3 Implication of digital technologies in managing customer experience to acquire and retain
customers
There are various technological tools used in CRM which helps to manage customer
experience, for example - CTI(Computer telephony integration) which is incorporated as
webpages that can now be equipped with call back buttons. When a customer clicks on these
buttons a window gets appeared in which the customers provides his or her phone number where
they can be reached for other service provisions or any queries. It helps the customers to
experience a quick responsive service offered by the companies. When customers receive quick
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responses for their problems or concerns they get attracted to the service provider and the
company can easily acquire or retain customers through this technology.
D3 Advantages and disadvantages of CRM
Advantages
 It allows for the consolidation of
customer related information or data
and basis of deep insights.
 Its increases the speed of sales
conversion procedure
 It helps in lowering time cost and
enhances productivity of the staff.
Disadvantages
 Customer experience may dis-improve
due to over-reliance of staff on
system.
 Data protection and security problems
with centralised data.
 Initial productivity cost and time of
implantation.
P6. Illustrating customer service strategies
Ritz Hotel London is one of the most leading hotels in London. Ritz is determined to
offer high value services to the potential guests. Customer experience is the key objective of the
hotel and with the star rating for building consistent services and products from birthdays,
weddings, conferences, etc., hotel aims and put their effort about creating positive guest
experience (Kim, Vogt and Knutson, 2015). Ritz Hotel develop various strategies in the context
of customer experience management that enable company to have proper understanding of the
potential guests and provide them best services according to their need and wants.
Assess the market needs- The very essential strategy has been developed and followed
by the hotel is identifying market need. Under this strategy, hotel segmented the consumer and
supplier into grouping that enabled them to serve the consumers more specifically. Under this
strategy hotel identified that the personalised services offer by the hotel is unique and the
marketing techniques help the company to attract new consumer easily.
Experience mapping- This strategy enabled company to construct detailed customer
experience map that help them in identifying perspective of consumers regarding the
effectiveness of the products and services of Ritz hotel and to capture the consideration of
consumers. It has been provided the hotel a strategic opportunity and an understanding each and
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every detail of the touch points through which the company developed innovative ideas that
enhance consumer experience.
Touch point analysis- Touch points are those point from which guests are able to reach
the hotel or being in contact with the products and services of hotel. Ritz Hotel identified the
points that guests come into contact with the brand, organisational structure, products and
services (Kuo, Chen and Tseng, 2017). Through touchpoint analysis, Ritz Hotel identified
possible opportunities and develop various strategies to make the touch points more effective.
The main touch points identified by the company in pre-stay, during the stay and after stay. The
major touch points are staff, social media, word of mouth, etc.
Apart from these there are various customer service management strategies that Ritz
should implement in the hotel.
1. Create a consumer service vision- It is very important to serve best to the consumer that
enhance their experience and engagement with the brand to establishing an infrastructure
that supports great customer service vision. Ritz Hotel should communicate the vision
amongst the employees of providing best services to the customer.
2. Assessing needs of consumers- If hotel is able to know what exactly consumer have
need and demand from the hotel, it will make them able to serve as per the need. As
discussed need, want and demand have thin line of difference. This strategy will help the
hotel to streamline the services that drive the experience of consumers.
3. Hire the right employees- For each and every activity in the Ritz Hotel, employees or
staff are key elements and it is essential for the Human resource team to hire the best
employees for the specific position with required skills (Lipiäinen, 2015). It will ensure
that the employees will utilise their skills and make effort to provide great services to the
consumers and that enhance engagement of the employees with the brand.
4. Set goals for customer services- Manager and leader of Ritz Hotel should set objectives
or target for consumer services. It is essential that goals should specific that contributes to
enhance the services and should be realistic. The consumer service goals will increase
consumer loyalty/retention and enhance guest satisfaction. The goal should be all about
what consumer want from the brand and should set a target time to achieve the objective.
5. Train on service skills- Ritz Hotel should train their staff to provide an excellent service.
For that purpose, hotel should conduct service skill training programs in which staff get
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to know the way to interact with the consumers, There are various customer service skills
such as; Empathy, consistency, provide them knowledge of work ethics. In the training,
employees should train regarding way of providing services smoothly, take actions on the
sudden demand of the consumers, manage the situation, etc.
6. Attend to negative reviews ASAP- This is very effective strategy that influence
consumer experience and perception towards the brand. The consumer service unit of the
hotel should respond to the negative comments towards the brand or its products and
services as soon as possible (Malyshev and et. al., 2017). If staff do not respond to the
negative comments or feedbacks put negative impact on consumer's mind and in opposed
if respond in proper way through apologize and ensure that the hotel take care of the
element, insert little marketing in the response of bad reviews will influence the guest to
think that the hotel and staff are responsible.
P7. Development of consumer experience through customer service strategies
The above six strategies are effective that able to create and develop consumer
experience in specific way that meet the needs of consumers and required business standard.
Strategies enable company to overcome their weaknesses and take advantage of the present
opportunity in the target market.
 As training make the process of delivering the services and products to the consumers
easy and effective that can accomplish the objective of the company to meet the need of
guests and provide them best services in order to enhance their loyalty and experience.
For example; staff of the hotel have to deal with various type of consumer including
different behaviour, some might be confused or annoying while other may have a lot of
questions. Training makes the staff able to identified the need of the consumers or able to
provide them suggestions that the confused guest can make choice. Along with it,
communication skills enable the employee to identify the needs of guests. The
understanding of work ethic provides an understanding of the way of taking actions and
making decisions that maintain business standard.
 The strategy of responding to the negative reviews on quick basis influence consumer
either existing or new. For example; Ritz Hotel is very active on social media on their
official website. Some from the guests comment negative feedback on the feedback
section. In return the service staff smoothly apologise that the staff do not meet the
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satisfaction level ensure the guest and ensure that they will try to improve the services.
Along with it, the hotel also highlights the element in the training session so that this will
not happen next time (Moro and Rita, 2018). This kind of small thing bring big difference
towards the brand image. As analysed the touch point of consumer experience map,
company should try to meet the consumer need so that the word of mouth promotes the
brand positively.
 All the activities and plan of action of the hotel aims at meeting the need of guests. The
need can identify by the hotel through mapping the consumer journey, analysing that the
products and services are able to satisfy consumer's need or not. Along with it, the hotel
analyse the need of consumer through doing survey. The need of consumer towards the
hotel is to get quality services at affordable range and the current need analysed by the
hotel are; personalised services, technological advancement that enable guest to check in
and out through smart devices. Hotel make their full effort to meet the need of consumers
and maintain the brand image and standard in the marketplace. The hotel is also
recommended bringing some innovation in their services and products that add value in
the services.
 The recruitment process is done by the HR department that aims to hire right employee
with right skills for the right position. The requirement of the hotel is to hire individual
who have advanced technical skills and innovative person so that they bring some
innovation in the hotel that meet the need of consumers.
 In the consumer service vision, staff are well known of their roles and responsibilities to
drive the experience of the guests through excellent services. In this strategy leadership
and management have great role to play. It is recommended to the hotel to conduct a
general meeting once a week and analyse the performance of the employees through
benchmarking and score-card.
 The goal or objective in terms of strategies has been settled by the hotel is smart and
realistic. The goal of Ritz hotel by the end of 2020 is to improve consumer satisfaction
rating by 15%. In their goal, Ritz should involve the effective consumer satisfaction
survey. The settled goal helped the company to boost the vision and provide the
employees a specific timeline in which they are required to accomplish the goal that
automatically achieve the vision.
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M4 Application of customer service strategies
Along with the above strategies for improving customer services Ritz hotel needs to create
referrals through incentive as customers are highly attracted towards incentives. Therefore, the
best way to gain referrals is to have customers refer the hotel to their family and friends & earn
incentive in return. Training must be provided to the front-line staff as the heart of the customer
service operation needs to rest with the front-line staff. The hotel should collect negative
feedbacks and make improvements accordingly to improve customers services effectively.
D4 Customer experience management in Ritz hotel
Ritz hotel can offer in-room digital assistants to the customers, more and more customers in
present digitalized market are turning to voice activated assistants to help with daily tasks. The
second element can be offering short term tech rentals to the customers, for example if a hotel
guest forgets their phone charger at home their trip could be very difficult. In order to offer a
better experience for hotel guests, Ritz hotel can rent out technology basics such as phone
chargers or batteries.
CONCLUSION
From the present study it has been summarised that technology changes the way hotel
deliver their services. There are various features of CRM system from which company working
with needs of consumers and consumer services that enabled the hotel to provide the best
services to the guests by understanding the needs. It also has been analysed that digital
technology is essential in building customer relationship with the brand. Although Ritz Hotel
implies strategies that assess the needs of market, map the consumer experience and analyse the
touch points but they also recommended consider other strategies that not only enhance
consumer experience but also increase consumer engagement.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. and Bilgihan, A., 2015. Customer loyalty: a review and future
directions with a special focus on the hospitality industry. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management. 27(3). pp.379-414.
Kim, M., Vogt, C. A. and Knutson, B. J., 2015. Relationships among customer satisfaction,
delight, and loyalty in the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism
Research. 39(2). pp.170-197.
Kuo, C. M., Chen, L. C. and Tseng, C. Y., 2017. Investigating an innovative service with
hospitality robots. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management. 29(5). pp.1305-1321.
Lipiäinen, H.S.M., 2015. CRM in the digital age: implementation of CRM in three contemporary
B2B firms. Journal of systems and information technology. 17(1). pp.2-19.
Malyshev, S. and et.al., 2017. System and method for intelligent data mapping, including
discovery, identification, correlation and exhibit of CRM related communication data.
U.S. Patent 9,563,878.
Moro, S. and Rita, P., 2018. Brand strategies in social media in hospitality and
tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 30(1). pp.343-
364.
Online
Customer Relationship Management. 2018. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.aptean.com/blog/definition-of-a-crm-system>.
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