Managing the Customer Experience

This document discusses the value and importance of understanding customer needs in the hospitality industry. It explores the factors that drive and influence customer engagement in a service sector organization. It also provides insights on creating a customer experience map and how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience. Additionally, it illustrates customer service strategies in a specific service sector context.

Managing the Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry ..............................................................................1
Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups within a service sector organisation.................................................................2
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................3
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation ......................3
Discuss how the touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience in
your hospitality organisation........................................................................................................3
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................5
Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service .........................................................................................................................................5
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................6
Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context ..................................6
Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a
way that meet the needs of the customer and the required business standards............................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience is defined as product of an interaction between organisation and
customers that can help to increase the organisational productivity. In the changing environment,
needs of people are continuously changing where it is important to analyse the their needs and
provide the products and services accordingly. If the experience of customers is good then it will
be an opportunity for organisation to improve the brand image and get success in their business
by running it properly (Barwitz and Maas, 2018). Travel and tourism is defined as theory of
touring, business of attraction, accommodation, and entertaining tourists that can help to operate
a business. This report is based on Les Routiers that is travel and tourism company providing
travel guide books for eating out and hotels. This is best organisation that provides various
services and increase the customer value. This report covers needs and expectations of market
segment, customer experience map, impacts of digital technology, effective customer experience
management.
LO 1
Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry
Target customer group is explained that target market where organization has decided to
sale their products and services for the purpose of generating higher profitability. For all
organisation it is important to understand the needs, wants and preference of their target
customer group which can help to provide the quality of products and increase brand image. In
other words, customer group is the collection of people who are demanding variety of products
and supporting to give positive feedback. In context to Les Routiers, management is playing
important role as they understand what type of customers wants hotel and food services which
are providing by them that create the good value of organization and maintain the higher
performance (Biemans, 2018).
The targeted customers and their values along with needs and prefernce are as defined:
Types of targeted customers Needs Values and preference
Business Person This type of people are
demanding WiFi, and peace
The management of Les
Routiers create the value of
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full environment for
conducting meetings.
their business by providing
Meeting rooms and charging
points and telephones, menu in
three languages
College students Good taste of food, beverages
and time spending place with
their friends.
Les Routiers guides to their
customers where such services
are available.
Teenagers Easy to eat food, colouring
books and other attractive
services are demanding by
customers.
Good value for money, fun
food, meal served at pool side
which is guiding by chosen
organisation.
Therefore, Les Routiers is increase their organisational brand image by guiding variety of
products and services as different group of customers are demanding.
Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups within a service sector organisation
Customer engagement is the practices between customer and organization that helps to
fill the customers demand and increase the organisational productivity. The number of customers
are having different demand and wants that is required to fill as it develop the higher
performance in challenging environment. If organisation is providing variety of products and
services then it will be opportunity to attracts the large number of customers. Les Routiers is
using the customer engagement process by targeting different customers in travel and tourism
industry that helps to manage the good performance. The description of different factors which
influences customer engagement:
Understanding customer needs and expectation: For running a business and attracting
customers it is very important that to understand what customers wants and how they will be
satisfied. In context to Les Routiers, management understand the wants of their targeted
customers and guide them best hotel to stay and eating the food which helps to maintain higher
customer engagement (Pogorzelski, 2018).
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Get the customer feedback: For improving products and brand image customer
feedback is highly important as it states how customers will be more satisfied and how they
would attain higher profitability. In context to Les Routiers, front desk manager receive feedback
from customers that helps to bring the improvements and attain higher brand image.
Values the customers: Les Routiers is increasing value of their customers by welcoming
them, caring their wants and offering the better quality of travelling and food services which
influences the customer engagement (Ertekin, 2018).
LO 2
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation
Customer Experience Map: This is defined tool that uses to develop the organisational
performance by giving answers to all customers. Whenever customer is having different demand
then map is uses to fill them and improving the brand image. The management of Les Routiers
prepare a customer experience by offereing travelling guiding services which influences the
customers and maintain higher performance (Bijmolt, Krafft, Sese and Viswanathan, 2018).
Customer Phase Before During After
Customer Journey Customers analysis
their needs and find a
best restaurant
Best seat arrangement
and waiting for staff
To see the menu and
environment of best
staying place
Customer needs Herein, customers
identify their needs
and wants which they
wants to eat.
Menus and items are
ordered by
organisation
Get the proper
guidance and selection
of services.
Potential
opportunities
This attracts the
number of customers
by guiding the best
services to avail.
After analysing all
information customers
make buying decision.
This increases
customers and
organisation value by
developing
opportunities.
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Discuss how the touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience in
your hospitality organisation
Customer touchpoints is defined as activity and way of interaction between organisation
and customers that helps to increase organisational performance. It can be occurs anytime as if
customers are happy with products and services which are offering by organisation then it will be
consider as business opportunity which helps to retain them and increase the organizational
performance in changing environment. In context to Les Routiers, management are using
customer touch point for the purpose of developing opportunities that are as explained:
 Website : Les Routiers is providing complete travel guide and eating book to its
costumer. It connected to its costumer mainly through website and enable them to find
best hotels, restaurants and cafe prices at one place. Costumer were visiting their website
to check best hotels, cafe, restaurants price at affordable price at one place. Company
provides full information to their visitor about what they want to know and satisfied their
needs and wants. Through website anyone can see and compare the prices that
encourages costumer to connect with company.
 Costumer service centre – Les Routier gives full attention to their costumer and
maintain healthy relationship with them through service call which could be related to the
problems, feedback, queries or any other. This enhances the effective communication and
relations between costumer. Through continuous interaction with costumer develop sense
of trust and loyalty for company. This create good image in the eyes of costumer as they
are getting solution of their problems and giving feedback to them if they required.
Company must be able to established the long term relations with costumer which help
them in their growth progress (Zhu, Krikke and Caniels, 2018).
 E – mail – Les Routier is widely using e- mail to connect with costumer and giving day
to day update to them about their current offers and discounts. Company is using e- mail
for promotion and advertising activity and it is generally used by almost every company
for their promotion. It act as a reminder to costumer, this increase the attention of
costumer towards company and remember them in future. This generally called email
marketing that every company follow nowadays. Company should use this effectively
this will help in grab the attention of costumer and ensure continuous communication
with costumer (Shobeiri, Mazaheri and Laroche, 2018).
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LO 3
Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service
In business, new technology and innovation is very essential as it help to understand the
needs and wants of their customers and provide them kind of products and services which helps
to maintain higher productivity. Managing customer experience is the way of retaining people
and make them loyal towards brand that can help to increase the performance in challenging
environment. This is important for all organisation to bring the new technology and innovation in
their business time to time as it provide the greater experience to customer by removing their old
habits. The Les Routiers can use digital technology in their organisation as it provide the
information through online method, deliver proper guidance and 24/7 hours customer support
services which deliver higher level of customer experience and manage the higher performance
in changing environment. This also provide the good employability opportunity by managing all
activities and functions through adopting new technology and innovation. The management of
chosen organisation uses digital technology in their business as:
B2C sales: The aim of organisation is to increase the sales and performance so that
management of Les routiers uses digital technology for the purpose of making B2C sales. In this,
by using online mode management provide right guidance and suggestion regarding best hotel
and travelling agency to customers that solve their problem to find more and get confusion that
helps to increase sales by increasing number of customers (Lacoste, 2018).
Chatbots: Digital technology is uses by many organisation to provide the right
information and solve the customers query that increases business performance. In context to Les
Routiers, uses digital technology for introducing chatbots services which uses to solve the
customer query any time on screen by asking questions and getting instant answers.
Learn about customers: To know about customers is very important as it helps to know
their customers wants and how they can be satisfied effectively. In context to Les Routiers,
management uses new technology to learn about their regular customers which can help to
manage the all activities and performance in changing environment (Liu, van de Ven and Zhang,
2019).
Embrace Automation: Digital technology is also uses by companies for giving the
proper responds to customers and managing the all activities which helps to maintain higher
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sales. In context to Les Routiers, digital technology is uses by management for embrace
automation which maintain good performance by responding customers 24/7 hours.
Therefore, by using the digital technology Les Routiers is employing in changing
environment effectively by offering better quality of products and guiding services which attarcts
the large number of customers and attain the higher profitability.
LO 4
Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context
A customer service strategy is defined as planning and activity which formulated by
management in order to increase the organisational brand image and productivity. The customer
service strategy mainly uses to track, oversee and organize the all interactions in relation to
customers which supports to increase the higher performance and profitability. In context to Les
Routiers, management is responsible for all customer service strategy as they formulate effective
planning and implement in their organisation for the purpose of making profits.
Optimize agent training: This is effective strategy which uses by organisation for the
purpose of providing better products and services through agent. The management of Les
Routiers invest money in agent training programme to ensuring that their agents are empowered
and prepare to meet customers needs. This can help to increase the organizational performance
and profitability in travel and tourism industry by managing all activities.
Choose the right tools: This is another strategy which should be uses by management
for managing activities and filling the customer needs. The chosen organisation is using help
desk and call centre software for meeting customer and agents needs that provides higher
productivity and profitability (Carlson, Rahman, Voola and De Vries, 2018).
Personalize the experience: This strategy is useful for organization as it allows
management to identify segment of visitors with their specific needs and preference then create a
unique experience which helps to maintain the higher productivity and profitability. The
management of Les Routiers uses previous interaction such as phone, emails, social media, and
chats for solving customer query and managing the task effectively (Ribeiro and Prayag, 2019).
Offer Omni channel support: This strategy is relation to increase the sales and
performance in changing environment which maintains higher productivity. Omni channel is
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mainly uses by organization to reach the customers and developing the business effectively in
changing environment.
Employees empower make guests happy: For organization it is important taht their
customers will be happy and satisfied in travel and tourism industry. If customers are happy after
enjoying products and services then it will be opportunity for organization to develop their
businesss and attain good perfromance. In context to Les Routiers, management uses this
strategy for the purpose of making happy to guest by offering and guiding best hotel and food
industry (Makkar and Yap, 2020).
Therefore, by using all above mentioned stratgy in relation to customer service which
helps to manage the all activities and functions that increases sales and profitability by providing
proper guidance. The management understand the needs and wants of their customers as what
they wants and how they develop their business. By using effective stratgy in relation to
customer experience better services are providing to customers that make them happy and
satisfied.
Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a
way that meet the needs of the customer and the required business standards
For many organisation customer service strategies are transformed as a step of change in
their business according to changing environment which supports to manage the all activities and
performance. This is important for business industry to conduct a market research by engaging
with different target groups and make the decision of providing products which can help to
create the customer touch point and manage the all activities effectively in environment. This
helps to maintain the higher sales by satisfying the customers and developing a effective business
area. In context to Les Routiers, management is playing important role as they analysis various
approaches and strategies for know customer's expectation and attaining the higher profitability
by offering variety of products and services.
Customer Audit
Name of hospitality business visited:
Date and time of visit
Les Routiers
20 November, 2020.
Ambience and First Impressions
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Things that I observed, were
positive, or good?
Things that I observed, were
negative and bad?
What would I change if this
was my business ?
As a customers I analysed that
I needs a best hotel and eating
place so I visited many
websites. I observed that
interior of Les Routiers is
very good that attracts
customers.
I noticed that customers who
have availed services from
organization are not happy and
satisfied.
If this was my business then
surely I will bring the changes
as per customer demand.
Signage, Tariff Boards, Labelling etc.
Things that I observed, were
positive, or good?
Things that I observed, were
negative and bad?
What would I change if this
was my business ?
Various signage are having in
Les Routiers such as safety
measures, healthy food and
others that deliver best
experience.
I observed that proper tariff
board are not using by
organisation that create
problems to managing
customer experience.
As a manager of organisation I
will bring the change and
create a good label by
attracting number of
customers.
Range of services
Things that I observed, were
positive, or good?
Things that I observed, were
negative and bad?
What would I change if this
was my business ?
In Les Routiers, management
are providing travel guide
books for eating out and hotels
which maintain higher
performance and profitability.
Such organization is not
offering better services as
some customers are younger,
older, adult and business
person who wants different
services.
If I was manager then I will
understand the needs of
different group and maintain
the higher customer
satisfaction.
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From the above mentioned customer service strategies, it has defined that Les Routier can
adopt all strategies in their organization for managing good products and services (Das and
Mishra, 2019). This make feel good to customers and attain the higher performance in changing
environment. By optimizing agent training, employees of selected organization understand what
services customers wants and deliver them best options which increases the performance and
profitability.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that in current environment there are different
target customer groups are available who have different needs and preference that should be
consider by management and make efforts to provide. The customer journey involves different
ways of reaching the targeted customers and attain the higher profitability. Customer experience
map is the roadmap for developing the business opportunities by providing different types of
products and services. Moreover, digital technology is uses to make easy all workings in
business industries which helps to attaracts the large number of customers by providing
satisfaction. In business, there are different customer strategies which uses by organisation for
the purpose of developing better customer experience and attaining the higher profitability.
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REFERENCE
Books and Journal
Shobeiri, S., Mazaheri, E. and Laroche, M., 2018. Creating the right customer experience online:
The influence of culture. Journal of Marketing Communications. 24(3). pp.270-290.
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.
Makkar, M. and Yap, S. F., 2020. Managing hearts and minds: romanticizing Airbnb
experiences. Current Issues in Tourism, pp.1-20.
Ribeiro, M. A. and Prayag, G., 2019. Perceived quality and service experience: Mediating effects
of positive and negative emotions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management.
28(3). pp.285-305.
Carlson, J., Rahman, M., Voola, R. and De Vries, N., 2018. Customer engagement behaviours in
social media: capturing innovation opportunities. Journal of Services Marketing.
Liu, N., van de Ven, P. M. and Zhang, B., 2019. Managing appointment booking under customer
choices. Management Science. 65(9). pp.4280-4298.
Lacoste, S., 2018. From selling to managing strategic customers-a competency analysis. Journal
of Personal Selling & Sales Management. 38(1). pp.92-122.
Zhu, Q., Krikke, H. and Caniels, M. C., 2018. Supply chain integration: value creation through
managing inter-organizational learning. International Journal of Operations &
Production Management.
Bijmolt, T. H., Krafft, M., Sese, F. J. and Viswanathan, V., 2018. Multi-tier loyalty programs to
stimulate customer engagement. In Customer engagement marketing (pp. 119-139).
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Pogorzelski, J., 2018. Emotional Branding', Managing Brands in 4D.
Ertekin, N., 2018. Immediate and long‐term benefits of in‐store return experience. Production
and Operations Management. 27(1). pp.121-142.
Biemans, W., 2018. Managing innovation within networks (Vol. 7). Routledge.
Barwitz, N. and Maas, P., 2018. Understanding the Omnichannel customer journey: determinants
of interaction choice. Journal of interactive marketing. 43. pp.116-133.
Online
About Les Routiers. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Routiers>
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