Customer Experience Report: Analysis of Blues Kitchen's Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within the hospitality sector, using the Blues Kitchen restaurant group as a case study. It explores the value of understanding customer needs, preferences, and wants, and identifies factors that facilitate and encourage customer engagement across various target groups. The report includes a customer experience map for Blues Kitchen, examining touch points and their impact on customer experience. It also discusses the use of digital technology in managing customer experience and evaluates customer service strategies. The analysis covers topics such as customer engagement, customer journey mapping, and the impact of touchpoints on customer experience, providing insights into effective customer experience management practices within the hospitality industry.

Managing the
Customer Experience

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................2
P1. Value of comprehending needs, wants and preferences of target customer groups for
hospitality sector..........................................................................................................................2
P2. Factors facilitating and encouraging customer engagement of various target customer
groups..........................................................................................................................................4
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................5
P3. Customer experience map for Blues Kitchen........................................................................5
P4. Manner in which touch points create such opportunities throughout customer experience..6
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................7
P5. Use of digital technology in management of customer experience.......................................7
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................8
P6. Customer service strategies in relation to a certain service sector........................................8
P7. Customer service strategies create and develop experience..................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
1

INTRODUCTION
Customers are the main aspects of any organisation who identify needs and wants of
themselves and buy products and services. The experience of customers is consider as interaction
process which is used by entities manager in order to deliver best quality of products. For
instance, if company is providing products without knowing customer taste and experience then
it cannot expand its business and grow (Baldwin and Curley, 2020). In competitive business
environment experience is crucial factor that should be analysed by management of organisation
and render services accordingly. For management of organisation is very important that to
maintain good and healthy relationship with people so a business can be survive in competitive
marketplace. This report is based on The Blues kitchen that is restaurant group in greater
London. The customer care manager of such organization are playing important role who get
customer query and provide solution that can help to manage the profitability. This report covers
vales and needs of customers, map in relation to customer experience, digital technology
impacts. Moreover, this involves a discussion about effective customer experience management.
LO 1
P1. Value of comprehending needs, wants and preferences of target customer groups for
hospitality sector
In competitive environment, a business can grow by understanding needs, preference and wants
of targeted group that help to provide kind of products and services. As all knows, the choices
and needs of people are different, so it is the responsibility of management to build good
relationship with customers and provide products accordingly that helps to maintain the brand
loyalty (Dery and Sebastian, 2017). Customers are those people who creates value of
organisation in the eyesight of others. They are playing vital role in growing the business and
increasing productivity. Target group is consider as collection of people on which organisation is
require to focus on them and people needs in order to run a business and increase organisational
profitability. In other words, the subsets of overall market are company’s facility that attracts
people and provide them services accordingly. In Blues Kitchen restaurant, the marketing
manager are focusing on behavioural segmentation. The management are targeting between the
age group of 5 to 60 years people who have different needs and wants to get hotel services. In
this organisation, all business activities are operating by management by delivering best quality
2

of food items and delivering services that attracts customers and maintain the good performance
of business by creating value (Khan and Rahman, 2017). The importance of understanding
needs, preference and wants of target customer group in context to Blues Kitchen are as
mentioned.
Potential guests Needs, Wants and Preferences
Teenagers (5 to
18)
The management are targeting between the age group of 5 to 19 as they
wants music, dance floor, good and convenient location, better quality of
meal and entertainment activities that helps to attracts people and get food
services.
Family This means when family member are going to have dinner then they have
expectation of high quality of food products and services, time value,
proper response, peacefully environment, comfort and safe environment
as they are spending time and money.
Couples The marketing manager of Blues Kitchen are targeting on safe
environment, privacy place, romantic and attractive areas that can attracts
people to spend their precious time.
Business Class This is another targeting group which involves different facilities such as
proper check in/out, Wi-Fi connectivity, meeting of members who are
require friendly and business class environment.
Old Age People The management of Blues kitchen are also targeting old age people such as
more than 45 years and providing food and meal as per their diets. They
involves proper medical facilities, travelling facilities, wheel chair and
food safety that attracts customers to buy products.
From the mentioned table, it has defined that manager of Blues Kitchen are focusing on
needs and preference of targeted group which helps to deliver the kind of services. The customer
care is also playing important role as it handle the customer inquiry and respond them properly
which helps to deliver kind of product in food items.
3

P2. Factors facilitating and encouraging customer engagement of various target customer groups
Customer engagement is the business communication and connection process between
internal and external stakeholders. This is important for organisation to maintain the good
relations with customers so organisational productivity and profitability increases effectively.
The management of any business is required to understand the needs of people and then deliver
product so they feel good and take decision to buy more. In context to Blues Kitchen it is
important that to make sure high customer engagement for sustaining and maintaining
competitive position in competitive market. The customer care manager of such are organisation
are playing a vital role who analysing needs and interacts with people so best solution can be
provide to them and maintain good performance of their restaurants. There are various factors
that has impacted on customer engagement of targeted groups are mentioned below:
Proper understanding of customer needs –For customer engagement it is important
factor which states that a business concern and management should understand the needs and
wants of their targeted customers and develop effective relationship by filling their wants that
attracts them effectively. In context to Blues Kitchen restaurant, customer care manger keep
records of their all queries of customers and deliver food services as they wants by contacting
with food manager that provide them good experience (Kotarba, 2016).
Regular feedbacks from customers – This is another factor which is required to manage
by customers care manager in a organisation. This means manager should take feedback from
customers who have gotten the restaurant services. In context to Blues Kitchen, customer
manager is focusing on this factor by getting feedbacks from customers as they provide feedback
to clients that helps to bring improvements accordingly. This feedback encourages customers
that they have importance in restaurant and services are modified according to feedback that
maintain customer engagement effectively (Ebert, 2014).
Provide excellent customer experience – The another factor is customer experience that
should be good and better in order to deliver best quality of products and services. If customers is
having greater experience then it can manage the function and activities effectively. In context
to, Blues Kitchen restaurant customer managers are driving such force by providing good quality
of customer experience that helps to deliver best quality of products and services (Evans and
Cothrel, 2014).
4

LO 2
P3. Customer experience map for Blues Kitchen
Customer experience map – is consider as visual representation of experience in relation to
customers that helps to maintain a brand and long term relationship with customers. In other
words, customer journey map is a process which is used by a people in order to map customer
experience and deliver them best quality of services. This tool is used by all organisation to map
a journey of customers and attracts them to buy the products. The managers are responsible to
create and design a customer experience map that can helps to increase their organisational
productivity by giving great level of experience. The pints to be consider in customer experience
map are as defined:
Website – Theses are online aspects which is used by managers to deliver the right
information at right time. It is consider as touch point which is beneficial for customers to gather
the data of entire organisation and make decisions to buy them. As whenever customer goes to
outside then firstly checks the websites and online information that helps to take the decision
regarding buying the products and services. For instance, manager of Blues kitchen update their
all information regarding foods, cost, meal, type of food and other services on their websites that
help to make decision to buy the products and services (Følstad and Kvale, 2018).
Review sites – This is another ways through which customer are increasing their
experience and increase the profitability. For instance, customers are selecting best restaurant
and hotel by reviewing sites and rating of organisation then they decided to buy or not. In
context to Blues Kitchen, customers review sites of their restaurant that helps to take decision
easily and rate them by selecting best one. With the help of reviewing sites, customer feel easy
and smoothly in selection of restaurant.
Restaurant Environment – This touch point is related to restaurant environment that can
help to create the good value of customers and deliver them services accordingly. The customer
care of Blues Kitchen, try to understand behaviour of their clients and passengers and provide
them safe and peaceful environment which they wants. It helps customers to get excellent level
of customer experience and encourages them to buy the hotel services (Laming and Mason,
2014).
Restaurant Management – It is influencing factor that states if there is proper
management of restaurant then customer feel good and happy to place order and choose further
5

more. In Blues Kitchen restaurant, customer care keep this pint in mind and maintain the good
management by organising and managing the organisational function and customer needs that
helps to provide good level of experience (Hermans, 2015).
P4. Manner in which touch points create such opportunities throughout customer experience
Customer touch point are essential point that can attracts customers and maintain the good
performance of organisation. For organisation it is important that to consider those point and
factors which has affected organisation and increase the organisational productivity. For
example, customers are looking best restaurant and food services then they should have best
option which can deliver effective quality of food products and services. The manager of Blues
Kitchen should update their information inbox and grading system that can help to select quality
of products. If organisation is able to provide effective touch point then it can attracts larger
number of customers and deliver services(How to identify your customer touchpoints, 2020).
Descriptions of some customer touch point are as defined:
Before Purchase – This means when customers are going to purchase something then
they require before purchase services that are provided by management of restaurant that attracts
customers and make decision to buy the products and services. For instance, manager of Blues
Kitchen restaurant are updating their combo pack and different food menus on social media,
testimonials, community involvement word of mouth, direct marketing and advertising that help
to deliver kind of restaurant services.
During Purchase – This is also a touch pint which should be provided by organisation at
the time of availing products and services. herein, manager are playing important role who treat
customers in proper ways and give response that helps to attracts them and increase
organisational productivity. The manager of Blues Kitchen, are focusing on this point at the time
when they comes to have food and restaurant services. They understand the needs of their
customers and deliver different kind of services which attracts them and maintain the brand
loyalty (Hwang and Seo, 2016).
After Purchase – The next touch point is after purchase that means managers of
organisation should consider this point once customer has availed products and services
effectively. In Blues Kitchen restaurant, customer care providing feedback form, emailing
messages, billing and transaction emails. Moreover, managers provide discount and vouchers to
their regular customers for their encouragement that helps to maintain the high performance.
6

Therefore, above discussed touch points are creating great level of customer experience
that enhances organisational opportunities. This helps to deliver different type of products and
services in relation to restaurant and maintain the brand value (Khan and Rahman, 2017).
LO 3
P5. Use of digital technology in management of customer experience
Digital technology is important factor in competitive environment that uses to attracts,
designing organising managing and delivering the best quality of food and services. Organisation
is required to adopt the digital technology that can help to maintain the good relationship with
customers and maintain the good performance. Customer relationship management is consider as
a process and tool uses by companies to operate a business in effective manner and expand their
business by creating goodwill and updating information (Kotarba, 2016). If managers are able to
maintain the good customer relations by interacting and solving their problems then it can attain
the business goals in certain period of time. In context to Blues Kitchen, managers are using
digital technology such as card entry, online booking, placing order online, identifying
information and solve their queries if they have that all are possible through technology helps to
increase the effectiveness of business organisation. Moreover, this helps to interact people,
checking delivery time, payment online mode and feedback also that all are helping customers to
choose this one and increase the organisational goodwill. The advantages and disadvantages of
digital technology to maintain CRM for Blues kitchen restaurant are as defined:
Advantages
 Digital technology helps Blues Kitchen manager to maintain good relationship by sharing
and interacting with other through online mode.
 This helps to increase the number of customers and sale of restaurant by providing best
quality of food and services (Laming and Mason, 2014).
 Digital technology provides a better ways to customers and manager to share their
queries and booking online that helps to reserve the seat.
This helps to deliver the food in less time and improve distribution channels (Baldwin and
Curley, 2020).
Disadvantages
7

 It has some drawback also as to maintain the CRM can be expensive for Blues Kitchen
restaurant because to adopt new technology can be expensive for organisation.
 There is require training and development programme for employees who are working
from traditional method (Dery and Sebastian, 2017).
 The rate of employment are reducing due to introducing the new and digital technology.
LO 4
P6. Customer service strategies in relation to a certain service sector
The meaning of customer services is deal with customer needs and preference so products
and services are provided accordingly. For organization its important that to maintain good and
effective customer services so people get attracted positively and helps to maintain the good
performance of their business. For maintaining good customer services there is required to have
proper customer strategy and plans that can assist employees how to treat customers and
maintain good performance. Different strategies are used by Blues Kitchen restaurant in relation
to customer services that are as defined:
Training of Employees – According to this strategy, managers of organisation is required
to formulate strategies regarding training to employees which helps to accept the challenges and
run a business properly. If employees are properly trained and experienced then they can deliver
best products and customer services which helps to increase the experience of people and
encourages them to buy the products. In Blues Kitchen, managers are responsible to understand
the new trend and should be provided them training and development programme that helps to
manage the good performance and deliver best services (Ebert, 2014).
Infrastructural Development – This is another infrastructure strategy that is related to
infrastructure development which provide assistance to employees and management that it is
main factor that can help to deliver best customer experience. In Blues Kitchen, manager are
responsible to develop a proper and well infrastructure of their restaurants where all resources
are managed properly and increase customer experience (Evans and Cothrel, 2014).
P7. Customer service strategies create and develop experience
In Blues Kitchen restaurant manager are using different stages and strategies for the purpose
of creating and developing great level of experience that are as defined:
8

Assessing marketing needs – In this stage, manager of Blues Kitchen should analysis
the needs of their customers as what they wants to eat and drink at the time of getting products
and services. This helps to provide the food and products accordingly (Følstad and Kvale, 2018).
Experience mapping – This is proper strategy which is using by chosen restaurant as
they map the customer experience by offering pre purchase, during and after purchase services
(Hermans, 2015).
Identifying and designing the brand experience – This is another strategy which is
used by customer management of Blues Kitchen and helps to maintain the brand experience that
help to deliver kind of products and services effectively.
Structuring touch points – The next steps is required to perform for maintaining touch
points by getting feedbacks from customers, providing healthy environment, responding properly
and focusing of brand loyalty that attracts customers (Hwang and Seo, 2016).
Therefore, by using all strategies and plans Blues Kitchen is evaluating their performance and
deliver quality of products and services effectively that helps to maintain the good productivity.
CONCLUSION
From the aforementioned report, it has summarized that customer experience is
considered important to the accommodation industry in order to make them happy and satisfied
with the goods and services they provide according to their preferences and tastes. This helps to
achieve long-term longevity by providing premium services, atmosphere, pricing etc. Digital
technology aims to ensure an productive and secure relationship with consumers, and to address
challenges and requests. The various types of customer service approaches include user-specific
services, addressing customer issues, recruitment and personnel creation to reach vast numbers
of customers in an acceptable manner. This aids in business achievement and accomplishment of
goals.
9

REFERENCES
Books and journal
Baldwin, E. and Curley, M., 2020. Managing Innovation in the Digital World. In Managing
Innovation in the Digital World. De Gruyter.
Dery, K. and Sebastian, I. M., 2017. Managing Talent for Digital.
Ebert, C., 2014. Managing global software projects. In Software Project Management in a
Changing World. (pp. 223-246). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Evans, D. and Cothrel, J., 2014. Social customer experience: engage and retain customers
through social media. John Wiley & Sons.
Følstad, A. and Kvale, K., 2018. Customer journeys: a systematic literature review.
Hermans, O., 2015. Service integrated relationships (SIR): A strategic process framework for
managing the customer as a resource. Journal of Creating Value. 1(1). pp.119-129.
Hwang, J. and Seo, S., 2016. A critical review of research on customer experience
management. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Khan, I. and Rahman, Z., 2017. Development of a scale to measure hotel brand
experiences. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Kotarba, M., 2016. New factors inducing changes in the retail banking customer relationship
management (CRM) and their exploration by the FinTech industry. Foundations of
management. 8(1). pp.69-78.
Laming, C. and Mason, K., 2014. Customer experience—An analysis of the concept and its
performance in airline brands. Research in Transportation Business & Management. 10.
pp.15-25.
(Baldwin and Curley, 2020) (Dery and Sebastian, 2017) (Ebert, 2014) (Evans and Cothrel, 2014)
(Følstad and Kvale, 2018) (Hermans, 2015) (Hwang and Seo, 2016) (Khan and Rahman, 2017)
(Kotarba, 2016) (Laming and Mason, 2014)
10