Managing the Customer Experience

This report discusses the value and importance of understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences in the service sector industry. It explores the factors that drive and influence customer engagement, creates a customer experience map, and discusses how customer touch-points create business opportunities. It also examines the role of digital technology in managing the customer experience.

Managing the
Customer
Experience
1

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
TASK 1...........................................................................................................................................3
P1 Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of
target customer groups for a service sector industry...................................................................3
P2 Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different
target customer groups within a service sector organisation.......................................................4
TASK 2...........................................................................................................................................6
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation.......................6
P4 Discuss how the customer touch-points throughout the customer experience create business
opportunities for a selected service sector organisation..............................................................7
TASK 3...........................................................................................................................................8
P5 Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within
the service sector, providing specific examples of customer relationship management (CRM)
systems.........................................................................................................................................8
TASK 4...........................................................................................................................................9
P6 Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context..............................9
P7 Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience
in a way that meets the needs of the customer and required business standards.......................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
2

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience is very much important for an organisation to develop or build
effective kind of strategies and tactics in order to remain competitive. Customer experience is
the close relationship in between the customer and firm, in which firm put one of their best
efforts to persuade the experiences of them in proper manner. Best consumer experiences give
loyalty to employees and proved beneficial for organisation in order to gain competitive
advantage in positive manner. This report is based on the Hong Kong Buffet London which is an
expensive, set price traditional chinese Buffet to provide one of best food services to the
consumers. This report is based on the value and importance of needs, wants and preferences of
target customer group and different factors that drive and influence customer engagement by
targeting different consumers groups. Further it includes the customer experience map and their
touch points to gain potential opportunities in respective service sector. In addition to evaluate
the role of digital technology employed in consumer experiences by setting customer relationship
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management system. At last it includes the various strategies to give one of best consumer
experiences and role of strategies in creating and developing the customer experiences.
TASK 1
P1 Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for a service sector industry
Customers in an organization play a crucial and necessary part in an organization which can
either result in the growth or decline of the business (Batat, 2019. ). Therefore it becomes
necessary of any organization to have a complete understanding of what their customers' needs
and wants are and what kind of products do they prefer which not only helps in attracting new
customers but also maintaining a long-term relationship with them. This helps in developing an
effective stra tegy so that the products are manufactured in an effective manner. With respect to
Hong Kong Buffet London which is an expensive traditional Chinese Buffet brand operating in
the UK targetted towards youngsters and ones who prefer having innovative products. In order to
allure them, surveys should be conducted and then analysed in order to understand them in a
better way.
Prospective Customers Needs,wants and preferences
Young Adults
Inexpensive, pleasing location,
adventurous, snacks and free surprises
incorporated, tuneful evenings etc.
Families
Worth money and time, simple yet classic
surroundings, easy route, valet parking
etc.
Business/ Premium Class
Luxury services, digital check-ins and
check-outs, silent surroundings for
meetings, variety of cuisines offered,
quality and taste of food etc.
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From the points stated above, it can be clearly observed that different customers have different
needs and wants as well as different preferences. Keeping this in mind, strategies should be
developed and policies should be designed to grab attention of the customers. Just as youngsters
prefer going to places that are not heavy on the pocket and offer discounts on their products or
have offers running, live music etc., families and premium class people have different
preferences (Copacino, 2019.). Therefore, it is essential for companies to design and develop
policies in alignment to the target audience. This will not only help them in attracting more
customers but also help in maintaining a long-term relationship with them.
P2 Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups within a service sector organisation
If a company has a focusses on various customer segments, it becomes crucial for them to
develop strategies and policies that are customer-centric in order to accomplish and deliver
products up to the level of customers' expectations ( Das and Mishra, 2019). This is because
different customer segments will have distinct preferences. With respect to Hong Kong Buffet
London, the company focuses on different segments of customers who call for different services.
Major customers segments are as under-
 Young adults – Provisions required by them are inexpensive menu, pleasing ambience,
musical evenings, tasteful meals, adventurous and participative events.
 Families – Families have different requirements as compared to youngsters. They prefer
having easy routes to the places. Time and money play a key role in selection of a place.
Simple surroundings and valet parking are considered added advantage.
 Business/Premium Class – People in the luxury segment prefer going to places that
offer luxury services (Dewnarain, Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2019.). Digital means for
anything is considered, silent surroundings for meetings and the variety of cuisines
offered form the basis while selection of a place to go out for a meal.
Others factors are also described below:
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 Pricing strategy – Considering the company's current policies, it can be said that they
are carefully formulated and have chances of grabbing customers' attention (Ellis And
et.al ., 2019.). The number of foot falls in a day are indicative of that customers are like
visiting the place and that prices are not high and affordable by the customers.
 Ambience – This refers to the infrastructure of any restaurant or an outlet. This is an
important aspect to consider for Hong Kong Buffet London as having a good
infrastructure like wall paints, designs, lighting, furniture etc. will leave a positive
impression on the minds of people.
 Services offered – The company being spoken of here allows its customers to experience
a variety of products and services, hence customers are fully satisfied. Services offered
include music in background, variety of cuisines, free wifi, charging points, customer
support desk to name only a few. Advantage is customers are not charged for these
facilities and hence are happy with the experience.
 Food quality and services offered – Hong Kong Buffet London offers regular discounts
and makes changes in their services offered. Changes in food menu are also incorporated
at regular intervals. This not only helps in making the potential customers real customers
but also helps in making them more satisfied, building and maintain a long-term positive
relationship.
TASK 2
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation.
Customer experience map is proved beneficial for organisation that related with the
perception of consumers related to the products and services in an organisation. To engage
consumers there are several processes and activities that contributes in case of Hong Kong Buffet
London by acknowledging the consumer taste and preferences in positive manner in order to
compensate their needs. There are various processes by which an organisation can take proper
feedbacks from consumers such as websites, reviews and emails and many more attributes to
gain potential outcomes:
Websites:
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Websites are the first and foremost way in front of organisation to bring improvements in
products and services that increase the brand recognition in positive manner ( Goodman, 2019.).
In context of Hong Kong Buffet London they by sharing the pictures and images regarding the
products and services so that consumers can check or evaluate by visiting the restaurant and
accordingly provide reviews about experiences in order to remain competitive in marketplace.
Restaurant management:
In an organisation various kinds of works and activities performed by the organisation
and their management in order to the attain organisational goals and objectives in positive
manner. The higher authority of an organisation played different roles and responsibilities that
deliver value to enhance the brand image of the organisation ( Hollebeek, Srivastava and Chen,
2019). There are various activities that helps to give growth and survival such as desirable level
of cooking of food, purchasing of products, sales, serving and accounting of records and many
more. So it is very much important to focus on the quality of products of food, in context of
Hong Kong Buffet London it is possible to provide one of best service to the consumer base in
positive manner.
Restaurant staff:
In an organisation staff members plays very much crucial role as they remain always
connected with the consumers by knowing their taste and preferences in positive manner and put
one of their best efforts to achieve them. They communicate with their higher authority and they
after consulting with one another aimed to implement in positive manner. They primarily apply
at small level and then after reviewing the results apply at large scale in order to reap important
outcomes to remain always competitive in marketplace.
Restaurant environment:
The restaurant environment plays very much crucial role in the life of individual as well
as organisation as it attracts large no. of consumer base in positive manner (Koetz, 2019.). In
restaurant, employees interact with consumers and after taking feedbacks from them at specified
time interval so that they can bring and apply major changes in positive manner. In context of
Hong Kong Buffet London provide very much peaceful environment and full of sanity that
attract large no. of consumers towards them. Also they work on their service delivery system as
it always be unique and free from any kind of malnutrition. So in that regards it is very crucial
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for organisation to keep each and every aspect in perfect manner to remain always competitive
and sustainable in business environment.
P4 Discuss how the customer touch-points throughout the customer experience create business
opportunities for a selected service sector organisation.
Touch points refers to the specific points that give consumers great experience and give
some unformidable memories that find out rarely. Giving great touch points to consumers rely on
the performances of employees and scape and serving style of food with kinds of attributes. In
technological advancement world an organisation can take reviews of consumers with the help of
various sites and channels. This is the means which assists in interactions among individuals,
brands, products, clients as well as consumers are changed in context to its goods or services.
According to the consumer view points, this is associated with taking services from firms
that has effective reviews for its clients (Kumar and et.al., 2019.). Thus, this is essential for
Hong Kong Buffet London o perform as per its services as well as develop according to the
client preferences as well as choices. With developed services, the company will get effective
reviews as well as enhance more number of consumers. The staff contribution within firm is so
much essential for impressing clients positively. Such as, in respect of waiters role into company
like Hong Kong Buffet London who develops contacts with several consumers. Therefore, the
conversation scripts among waiter as well as consumers of respective organisation have been:
Hong Kong Buffet London they depict a conversation that are as follows:
Employee: Good After noon Ma'am.
Customer: Good Afternoon.
Employee: What would you want today. Ma'am?
Customer: I want to eat one French fries and Burger.
Employee: Wait for some time, it will be already soon.
Customer: Yes, Sure.
(After 10 Minutes approximately)
Staff member: your order is here, Ma’am.
Customer: Thank you. Cost of respective food?
Employee: only £40 Ma'am.
Customer: Here is your pay and tip.
Employees: Thank you, please visit again.
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TASK 3
P5 Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector, providing specific examples of customer relationship management (CRM)
systems.
Now a days, digital technology is enhancing and it has huge significance within company
with the assistance of which consumers satisfaction as well as its experiences is maximised. As
internet is also considered as the digital technologies so with the assistance of this firm can
facilitate services to its clients as well as develop their brand valuable (Lee, 2019.). With the
assistance of internet as well as another digital technology, this will be possible for Hong Kong
Buffet London to enhance its reach towards clients in order to find the requirements of
consumers from facilitating them a effective experiences from the services of firm. For
improving the consumer experiences, there are few ways of digitalisation which supports
improvement into consumer experiences:
Chatbot: This is considered as the new means with the assistance of which development into
consumers experiences is performed (Pappas, 2019). This performs as an helper that concentrates
upon facilitating directions as well as support to its clients through facilitating them support, by
message, websites, mobile application and many other device. It aids them to develop consumer
experiences and satisfaction.
Big data analysis: This is considered as an approach that is associated with asking consumers to
share its related information as well as another things with the assistance of which company can
facilitate accurate personalised offerings as well as discounts (McColl-Kennedy And et.al .,
2019). It also assists to render effective consumers experiences and retain them into company for
longer duration.
Internet of things: With the assistance of this particular tools, this is possible for firm to create
efficacious relationship with its clients so that organisation can maintain appropriate relation
with its clients like among real world as well as digital activities.
The Hong Kong Buffet London is performing its operation into Hospitality sector as
well as is mostly concentrated among managing good relationship with its clients fro ensuring
their efficacious development and growth. The means through which customer relationship
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management aids to make improvement in whole consumer experiences have been discussed
below:
 Gifts as well as greetings can also be sent to clients with the assistance of this particular
software.
 They additionally provided some products and services that enhance their level of
experience such as free delivery of services and taking feedback from them in order to
gain competitive advantage in positive manner.
TASK 4
P6 Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context.
In service sector consumer is very much important part of the market which helps in
making money by purchasing their products and services in proper manner (McColl-
Kennedy And et.al ., 2019). so it is very much important to build one of best strategies and
tactics in order to serve consumers in best manner by understand their behaviour an
purchasing patterns in order to remain always competitive in marketplace. Customer
loyalty is one of the most important way to measure or evaluate the growth and survival of
the business in order to gain potential outcomes. In context of Hong Kong Food Buffet
they they by conducting research and development on continuous basis take proper
feedbacks from consumers in order to deliver one of best services to them (Pearlson and
Saunders, 2019). They always believe in building strong relationship with consumers with
the help of deliver of utmost products as per their choice for that they framed various
strategies and tactics that are as follows:
Attention of guests:
For an organisation it is very much potential to attract the attention of consumers
in order to reach at large no. of consumer base in positive manner (Pearlson and Saunders,
2019). it can be only possible by while serving the best products as per the consumer
choice and preferences to gain potential outcomes . in context of Hong Kong food Buffet
they always focus on improvement in their performance by analysing competitors
strategies and tactics to remain always competitive in marketplace.
Delivery of promises:
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The another important step towards the gaining consumer loyalty is to make
promises from consumers so that they can easily can create a faith towards organisational
products and services and always remain willing to avail services from respective
organisation that only can be possible after the good faith (Lee, 2019.)
P7 Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a
way that meets the needs of the customer and required business standards.
Customer Audit Trail and Critical Observations
Name of hospitality business visited: Hong kong Food Buffet
Date and time of visit: 1th November, 2019
Environment and surroundings:
Attributes that most attract me
and give good experience.
Attributes that required some
modifications
What would I change if this
was my business?
Very light music and well
arranged.
The interior of restaurant
required some degree of
changes.
The things that required
changes are decor and
infrastructure.
Signage, Tariff Boards, Labelling, etc.:
Attributes that most attract me
and give good experience.
Attributes that required some
modifications
What would I change if this
was my business?
Information on products and
services they provided to their
consumers is very much
depictive as it give full
information.
Some food products repeated
again and again.
Bifurcate food in different
basis.
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Prices:
Attributes that most attract me
and give good experience.
Attributes that required some
modifications
What would I change if this
was my business?
Prices should be charged in
rational manner as it value
added.
In addition to basic pricing
they also charged some
additional cost and not able to
give justification for it.
Want to change the price
structure.
Range of Products:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Attributes that required some
modifications
What would I change if this
was my business?
Food items available of differ
culture.
Some food items are not fresh. Food should be baked in
proper manner.
Staff:
Attributes that most attract me
and give good experience.
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
Personnel are neat and clean
with polite behaviour.
Number of employees
comparatively less in no.
Needed to hire more
employees.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that good customer experiences plays very
crucial role for customers as well as organisation in order to build loyalty in heart of consumers.
To provide one of best consumer experiences it is very much important to understand their needs
and wants in proper manner and access the points that majorly liked by them to remain always
competitive in the marketplace. By mapping consumer experiences organisation can lead
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towards a specified path in order to gain potential outcomes in positive manner. To build one of
best consumer experience it is very essential to build strategies and tactics to give one of best
efforts to remain always competitive in business environment.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals:
Batat, W., 2019. Experiential Marketing: Consumer Behavior, Customer Experience and The
7Es. Routledge.
Copacino, W.C., 2019. Supply chain management: The basics and beyond. Routledge.
Das, S. and Mishra, M., 2019. The Impact of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Practices on Customer Satisfaction. In Business Governance and Society (pp. 43-54).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Dewnarain, S., Ramkissoon, H. and Mavondo, F., 2019. Social customer relationship
management: An integrated conceptual framework. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management. 28(2). pp.172-188.
Ellis, G.D. And et.al ., 2019. A theory of structured experience. Annals of Leisure Research.
22(1). pp.97-118.
Goodman, J., 2019. Strategic customer service: Managing the customer experience to increase
positive word of mouth, build loyalty, and maximize profits. Amacom.
Hollebeek, L.D., Srivastava, R.K. and Chen, T., 2019. SD logic–informed customer engagement:
integrative framework, revised fundamental propositions, and application to
CRM. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 47(1). pp.161-185.
Koetz, C., 2019. Managing the customer experience: a beauty retailer deploys all tactics. Journal
of Business Strategy. 40(1). pp.10-17.
Kumar, V. and et.al., 2019. Customer engagement in service. Journal of the Academy of
Marketing Science. 47(1). pp.138-160.
Lee, D., 2019. A model for designing healthcare service based on the patient
experience. International Journal of Healthcare Management. 12(3). pp.180-188.
McColl-Kennedy, J.R. And et.al ., 2019. Gaining customer experience insights that
matter. Journal of Service Research. 22(1). pp.8-26.
Pappas, N., 2019. The complexity of consumer experience formulation in the sharing
economy. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 77. pp.415-424.
Pearlson, K.E. and Saunders, C.S., 2019. Managing and using information systems: A strategic
approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Varnali, K., 2019. Understanding customer journey from the lenses of complexity theory. The
Service Industries Journal. 39(11-12). pp.820-835.
Zaki, M. and Neely, A., 2019. Customer experience analytics: dynamic customer-centric model.
In Handbook of Service Science, Volume II (pp. 207-233). Springer, Cham.
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