Managing Customer Experience - Thomas Cook Group Sample Assignment

Managing Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1 ...........................................................................................................................................3
P1 ...........................................................................................................................................3
P2 ...........................................................................................................................................4
LO2 .................................................................................................................................................5
P3............................................................................................................................................5
P4............................................................................................................................................6
LO3 ...........................................................................................................................................7
P5 ..........................................................................................................................................7
LO4 ................................................................................................................................................9
P6 ...........................................................................................................................................9
P7..........................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
.......................................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Service industry is a business that does work for customer and occasionally provides
goods, but not involved in manufacturing. In simple terms, an industry made up of companies
that primarily earn revenue or income through providing intangible products and service. From
the past decades, one of the world's largest and booming industry is travel and tourism industry
which greatly contribute to global economy. Travel and tourism industry is a part of hospitality
industry whose main goal or aim is to provide effective services or products to customer in order
to increase their morale and satisfaction (Bowie, Buttle, Brookes, 2016). In context to Thomas
Cook Group, one of the famous British global travel company which is founded in the year of
1814. It is situated in London, UK which is diversified into varies products and service such as
airlines, package holidays, cruise line, hotels and resort, travel agencies etc. This report covers
importance of understanding the need and wants of targeted customer group for hospitality
industry and its influencing factors, customer experience map to create business opportunities,
impacts of digital technology in customer relationship management. Finally, effective customer
experience management within a service sector business to maximise customer engagement.
LO1
P1
Hospitality industry is a wide category of field within the service industry which includes
lodging, food & drink service, transportation, additional field within the tourism industry. Apart
from this it is one of the fastest growing industry in the world and it's scope is very massive and
huge (Cetin and Dincer, 2014). Furthermore, in hospitality industry customer are the heart of the
business growth and their main aim is to provide good atmosphere and satisfaction in order to
attain profitability. Hence, for obtaining high efficiency in business operation company should
identify or focus on three key elements i.e. needs, want and demand of customers. These there
elements are interlinked and it arises on the basis of requirements, willingness, demographic
aspect, socio-cultural aspect etc. which facilitate the company to identify the target customer
group and attain better positioning within market. Furthermore, target market helps the company
to identify to develop or create effective marketing communication which enable them to attain
or attract the attention of end user or customer in order to improve the productivity of company.
In relation to Thomas Cook Group, a world's best known name in travel and tourism industry

which owns airlines, hotels & restaurant, travel agencies. Along with this it is supported by
22,000 colleagues and operates from 16 countries. Furthermore, one of the reason behind the
success or sustainability of Thomas Cook Group within industry is due to its commitment to
consistently meet and exceed the expectation of customers. However, target market plays a vital
role in hospitality industry as it customer centric strategy as they are mainly focus on customer
need and wants and develop corrective course of action in order to achieve profit maximisation.
It also enable the Thomas Cook Group to identify the most profitable market segment as it
includes mass marketing, product differentiation, promotional tactics etc. Each consumers has
unique wants and needs and its keep on changing on random basis which effect the company's
productivity. In order to overcome this, company should have potentiality to identify customer
need and wants and also be able to decide which segment to target in order to acquire profit
maximisation and capture the market easily.
P2
In travel and tourism industry,customers are the plays a vital role for the growth and
expansion of company. In some cases firm finds difficulty or challenging to meet the
requirements or need of customer which influence the the
business operation (Clancy, et. al., 2017). Usually company companies applies adopt a strategy
called customer engagement which is about encouraging customer to interact and share their
experience regarding service which is provided by company. It is an important element for
company as it enable them to develop business communication or connection between external
stakeholders(consumer) and an company through different channel of correspondence. Highly
satisfied or engaged customer improve the productivity by promoting, buying and demonstrating
more loyalty. However, travel and tourism industry faces many challenges or factors which
impact directly on the enlargement of company and also in targeting different customer group.
Some of the factors which influence customer engagement of Thomas Cook Group company are
as follows:
 Physical environment : This factor is concerned with physical facilities and
surroundings of company which include physical accessibility, convenience,
security. Sometime tourism companies are considered as partially accessible
because regarding their facilities or areas do not comply with a ADA standard
(American with Disabilities Act) i.e. which effect the consumer behaviour. Along

with this customer mainly concern about security regarding the services and
facilities which becomes more challenging to gain competitive advantage in
market.
 Behaviour of employees: This factor is very common in tourism or service sector
as it consist attitude or behaviour of employees towards people which had great
influence on accomplishment of organisational goal (Edward and Sahadev, 2011).
Furthermore, the ability to handle or manage the conflicts or complex issue of
customers create positive or negative impact on company as well as the
productivity of Thomas Cook Group.
 Efficiency of service: This challenge is related to the quality of service provided by
company which effect the consumer engagement. Some services which involve in
this factor such as airline boarding or car rental are often complicated and takes far
longer than expected to wait. By this company's productivity and brand image got
impacted as well as the accomplishment of pre determined goal.
From the above discussed factor which drives the customer engagement and becomes a
challenging to Thomas Cook Group to gain competitive advantage and to capture the market
effectively and efficiently. Hence, company should analyse the threat or factors which effect its
growth and take corrective course of action in order to sustain in the market for a long term
basis.
LO2
P3
Customer experience map ismap is a collaborating way of allowing business to visually
represent complex customer interaction (Managing Customer Experience. 2018). It enable
business to identify their threat and analyse the opportunities in order to improve the overall
performance of company.

Figure 1: Customer Journey map, 2019
Source: Customer Journey map, 2019
Some of the factors on which customer experience is mapped by Thomas Cook Group
which is described below: It is also called as customer journey map as it is diagram which depict
the stages customers go through when interacting with a company, from buying products online
to accessing customer service on phone to airing grievances on social media. It contains various
stages as Thomas Cook implies in its business function are as follows:
Research and plan: It is the first and foremost step in customer experience map as
company conduct market research which enable them to know current and emerging trend as
well as customer demand or perception in order to attain high proficiency. However, Thomas
Cook analyse the customer demand and develops aan effective or impressive advisements on
several social media, posters etc. regarding their service that help them in acquiring customers'
attraction towards company. Effective advertisements help in attract large number of customers
or one can say advertisements create opportunities for organisations to capture a larger market
share. It is very essential for company to focus on the elements that encourage its target
customers to buy products and services offer by them.

Booking: After creating an attractive advisement, Thomas Cook provide the easy and
simple booking procedure for their service so that there will be no confusion or conflict
regarding brand choosing. Moreover, customers can get high satisfaction and they can clarify
their queries over Thomas Cook website which add value to customer as well as enlarge its
goodwill among competitors. It is very essential for company to have easy and convenient
process of booking as this increase the number of customers and at the same time help in provide
a positive experience to customers.
Customer experience: This is the process which Thomas Cook carries during their service
as they identify and evaluate customer interest, according to that they make all possible
modification in order to fulfil their demands. By this, Thomas Cook can improve their
performance and can gain competitive advantage efficacious. This is known as one of the most
significant stage of customer experience map as this is the stage in which customer consume the
products and service offer by company to fulfil their own requirements. Employees of
organisation play a significant role in this stage as these are the one who interact with customers
and provide specific services to them.
Check out and future engagement: It is the final stage in which Thomas Cooks collect
reviews or feedback from customer regarding their experience and implement effective decision
that help them to enlarge their productivity as well as enhancing customer satisfaction towards
company. In this company collect feedbacks from its customers in order to know about the
experience. This also help enterprise in identify the areas which require improvement in order to
offer a positive or better experience to customers.
Therefore, customer journey mapjourney map enable Thomas Cook to track customer
experience as well as allow them to develop impressive or productive strategy which add value
to customers and firms reputation.
Thomas Cook Customer Journey Experience Map
After reserving the room, Thomas Cook manager interact with its customer and gather the
essential information regarding their journey and also they takes confirmation from them and
ask about their arrival and departure timing.
Arrival at Hotel: Once after reaching at Hotel, customer waited for one hour for availability of

room.
Hotel's service towards customer were fantastic as they served free cocktails and snacks during
waiting at dining room which gives some relaxation.
Room Available: After waiting for one hour, hotel attendants informed us regarding room and
they took us to our destination. The next scenario was amazing as Thomas Cook hotel rooms
interior décor was just mind blowing and it has all kinds of facilities which satisfied our
demands.
Dinner: Hotel attendants behaviour and way of serving food was very professional and polite
and also there were various cuisines which was very tasty.
Hotel staff are very reliable as they were available whenever customer requires as well as
friendly in nature which improved our morale and created positive perception towards Thomas
Cook.
But, their room service were not up to mark as they takes long time to provide our lunch in
room.
Their checkout service was effective as they cleared all payments within a sort period of time
and it was easy procedure.
P4
Touch point are the interaction or communication of customer to services offered or
provided by company. These points enable the customers to figure out or find the experience of
the resources offered to it. Touch points can be included in customer experience map but

mapping cannot include in touch points. There are several touch points through which customer
can be influenced that are described below:
 Website: It is the initial component of touch point of customer through they come to
know about the services or facilities and quality of company. The data or information
about company is displayed on website (Kandampully, Zhang and Bilgihan, 2015).
Therefore, those information should be clear and accurate to the best of company's
knowledge in order to gain customer attention. If not so, the first experience of
customer will impact company's image and its productivity.
 Telephone: This is the another element of touch point in which customer collects or
gather information regarding company's facilities, products and services through
telephone. Therefore, the company should be very sensitive and polite in nature while
delivering the information over telephone. If not so it dissatisfy or create negative
attitude on customer mind towards company which effect its productivity and in goal
achievement.
 Employees attitude: It is the foremost factor in touch point of a customer towards
Thomas Cook Group as it concerned about the behaviour of employee towards
customer. If employees behaviour are rude and arrogant then it effect the satisfaction
level and morale of company which impact greatly on company's image (Leung and et.
al., 2011). Therefore company's should provide proper training or guidance to
employees and improve their communication skill in order to attain the business
opportunities and enrich the productivity.
 Efficient management: The management of Thomas Cook Group should be impressive
an effective in order to gain competitive advantage and capture the attraction of
customers. The services which is offered by company should be satisfactory and they
should be best in time management in order to accomplish the pre determined goal
effectively and efficiently.

LO3
P5
Customer Experience Map:
The travel and tourism industry is always relied on automation to provide customer
service and every company's main concern is providing high level of satisfaction to customers in
an effective way. Therefore, Thomas Cook adapts innovative or latest technology for their
business operation and function for providing positive perception among customers towards
company. Some of the digital technology which is applied by Thomas Cook to strengthening
their proficiency is mentioned below:
 Websites: It is one of the integral component in mapped or analysing the customer
experience. It helps the company to expand and grow faster in industry as well enable
them to create better relationship with customer (Garg, Rahman and Qureshi, 2014).
Therefore, company should develop or design in such a way that customer get attracted
and feel positive while visiting the website. The images of cuisine, airlines etc. which
will be display on websites should be authentic and clicked by professional photographer
so that customer will turn to customer rather than visitor on website.
 Review Sites: Once the customer visit the website after that they check the reviews about
company in order to gain the idea or information from the previous visited customers.
This step arise when customer get influenced or attract with the views of website. For
attaining high proficiency in reviews of website company should provide effective and
satisfactory services to customers so that they provide positive feedback for upcoming
customer. Reviews helps the customer to get the outline about services offered in
Thomas Cook Group. Thus, company should keep its attention on improving reviews of
its customers in order to create good brand image and managing customer experience.
 Telephone: It is also an important aspect of customer experience map in which customer
get the information about company through telephone (Grissemann and Stokburger-
Sauer, 2012). Once customer get satisfied with the reviews of company they will move
to next step i.e. gathering data about service through telephone. In this customer gain the
information regarding price, quality of service and physical environment which is
essential for customer to experience. However, Thomas Cook Group representatives

should provide accurate and reliable information with politely so that customer get
positive attitude towards company. By this firm can increase the profitability and add
value to brand image.
 Employees attitude: This factor plays a crucial role for the expansion and enlargement of
company as well as in customer experience map. The employees of Thomas Cook Group
should behave with polite and humble without harming the morale of customer. Apart
from this the employees should be knowledgable regarding the service and also have
effective communication skill in order to win the heart of customers and provide high
level of satisfaction to them.
Therefore, digital technology help Thomas Cook to anticipate customer need and allow them to
acquire best business process to serve its customers in order to enrich their efficiency or
profitability ratio.
It is also called as customer journey map as it is diagram which depict the stages
customers go through when interacting with a company, from buying products online to
accessing customer service on phone to airing grievances on social media. It contains
various stages as Thomas Cook implies in its business function are as follows:
Nail down your buyer persona: The initial step is to know the customers and while doing
this, keep in mind that it is not sufficient to have just one buyer persona. People at different
buying stages will behave differently and interact with business differently.
Understand buyers goals: IN this step, Thomas Cook has to identify the customer interest
in terms of quality of service, price, behaviour toward them in order to provide high level of
satisfaction.
Map out buyer touchpoints: In this touchpoint signifies any time customer comes into
contact with Thomas Cook brand before, during or after, they purchase something from
company. Thus, Thomas Cook should deliver best quality of service to customers.
Identify customer pain point: In this Thomas Cook should analyse the difficulties or
obstacles which customer faces and based on that they must implement effective strategic
decision to bring healthy relationship.
Prioritise and fix roadblocks: In this, Thomas cook should create awareness among
customers which enable them to enhance their productivity which add value to customers.

Update and improve: Finally, Thom,as Cook should gather feedback or reviews from its
customers and based on that make improvements in order to gain competitive advantage among
competitors.
LO4
P6
Thomas Cook Group should acquire some strategies by which they can improve their
overall performance and customer experience. Some of the strategies which enable the company
to enhance or improves its customer experience are as follows:
 Follow up the Post Booking: Customer service starts when they order or book any travel
trip or hotel room. The company should know the requirements and preference of
customer in terms of facility in accommodation, delivery service (Pizam, Shapoval and
Ellis, 2016). This enable the company to identify the customer need and can provide
effective service to them as per their demand. By this company can improve their
productivity can attain profit maximisation.
 Providing innovative technology: Technology is the key element in company's image and
in adding value to customer. However, company should provide innovative and latest
technology facility so that customer finds easy to gather information and can access the
services effectively. Along with this company should ensure the security on the usage of
internet which increase the morale of customers and improves the profitability of
company.
 Effective resolving method: There will be conflicts or disputes within customer regarding
services or facilities of company because each of them are from different culture and
have varies of perception. In that case company should be able to solve the conflicts
quickly and effectively in order to gain customer trust and faith towards them.
 Skilled and trained employees: TH employees of Thomas Cook Group should be properly
trained or directed with the company so that they can provide a better service to customer
which add value to company's image (Rogerson and Rogerson, 2013). Along with this
they should be knowledge regarding company so that customer can get accurate and true
information which improves the sanctification level of customer.

P7
Customer Audit Trail, Critical Observations:
Ambience and First Impressions:
Signage, Tariff Boards, Labelling, etc.:
Prices:
Range of Products:
Staff:
Time:
Supplementary Items:

Payment: In every organisation, one of the essential element which lead them to attain high
productivity and profitability is providing best experience to customer as it add values to
Thomas Cook brand image. Along with this, a positive customer experience not only
results in making them happy and satisfied but it also lead firm to additional revenue. In
present scenario, there is a high level of competition among market or companies in which
major aspect of this competition is to attain customer satisfaction which has gained the
importance of key element in functioning of business. Moreover, most of the population
prefers updated or latest technology which saves their time, money, energy. Due to this,
Thomas Cook takes initiative to analyse the current and emerging trend and based on that
they introduce innovative technology in order to enlarge their business operation and
function. Furthermore they provides the online booking facility for room and tour package
which help customer to get to know regarding various services which is facilitates by them
and it add value to Thomas Cook reputation. Along with this, it enable them to improve
their satisfaction level and create positive perception towards organisation.
Furthermore, Thomas Cook facilitates an effective conflict resolution method which is
also a another integral part of their business function. However, they allow their customer to
share views or opinions on social media or other sources about company's service and based on
that they take corrective course of action in order to improve overall performance of company.
By this activity, Thomas Cook's customer feel valued or respected and they will be highly
satisfied with company's brand service among competitors. Apart from this, in order to
accomplish organisational goal in productive manner firm requires a skilled or talented
workforce who put their full contribution towards the enlargement of Thomas Cook productivity.
Thus, Thomas Cook hires or recruit highly skilled or potential candidate who works dedicatedly
and behave professionally with customer which enhance their mental state. Therefore, customer
experience is considered as foundation for Thomas Cook growth and development as well as
delivering best service or product that enrich customer morale and add value to firm's brand
image among industry.
CONCLUSION
In the given report, it has been analysed that customer experience must be checked at
regular intervals in a travel and tourism industry. Thomas Cook Group should enhance its
facilities to impress clients and increasing sales of the company. This report explains requirement

of market segment. It also includes customer experience map that helps in building business
opportunities. This also includes consequence of digital technology in customer relationship
management and effective customer experience management.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bowie, D., Buttle, F., Brookes, M., 2016. Hospitality marketing. Routledge.
Cetin, G. and Dincer, F. I., 2014. Influence of customer experience on loyalty and word-of-
mouth in hospitality operations. Anatolia. 25(2). pp.181-194.
Clancy, M. ed., 2017. Slow Tourism, Food and Cities: Pace and the Search for the" Good Life".
Routledge.
Edward, M. and Sahadev, S., 2011. Role of switching costs in the service quality, perceived
value, customer satisfaction and customer retention linkage. Asia Pacific Journal of
Marketing and Logistics. 23(3). pp.327-345.
Garg, R., Rahman, Z. and Qureshi, M.N., 2014. Measuring customer experience in banks: scale
development and validation. Journal of Modelling in Management. 9(1). pp.87-117.
Grissemann, U.S. and Stokburger-Sauer, N.E., 2012. Customer co-creation of travel services:
The role of company support and customer satisfaction with the co-creation
performance. Tourism Management. 33(6). pp.1483-1492.
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.
Leung, D. and et. al., 2011. Asian wave in travel and tourism research. Journal of Travel &
Tourism Marketing. 28(2). pp.196-209.
Mowforth, M. and Munt, I., 2015. Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and
new tourism in the third world. Routledge.
Pizam, A., Shapoval, V. and Ellis, T., 2016. Customer satisfaction and its measurement in
hospitality enterprises: a revisit and update. International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management. 28(1). pp.2-35.
Rogerson, C. M. and Rogerson, J. M., 2013. African tourism scholarship: Trends in academic
journal publishing. African Journal for Physical Health Education, Recreation and
Dance. 19(Supplement 3). pp.1-8.
Torres, E. N., Fu, X. and Lehto, X., 2014. Examining key drivers of customer delight in a hotel
experience: A cross-cultural perspective. International Journal of Hospitality
Management. 36. pp.255-262.
Tsang, N. K. and Hsu, C. H., 2011. Thirty years of research on tourism and hospitality
management in China: A review and analysis of journal publications. International
Journal of Hospitality Management. 30(4). pp.886-896.
Online
Managing Customer Experience. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2015-0549?
journalCode=ijchm>.