Managing Customer Experience in the Hospitality Industry

This document discusses the value of understanding customer needs in the hospitality industry, factors influencing customer engagement, customer touch points, and the use of digital technology in managing customer experience. It also provides examples and strategies specific to the service sector.

MANAGING CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Learning Outcome...........................................................................................................................3
P1: Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry...............................................................................3
P2: Various factors that influences customer engagement of different target group within
service sector are defined below.................................................................................................4
Learning Outcome 2 .......................................................................................................................6
P3: Consumer experience map for a selected service organization............................................6
P4: Customer touch point to create opportunity throughout the customer experience in
hospitality organisation...............................................................................................................8
Learning Outcome 3........................................................................................................................9
P5: Digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the service
sector...........................................................................................................................................9
Learning Outcome 4......................................................................................................................10
P6: Illustrate consumer service strategies in context to specific service sector.......................10
P7: Create & develop consumer experience in hospitality industry.........................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
In present time, it has become vital for business organisations to manage
customer experiences so that they could stay in the market for a longer period of time.
Here, managing customer experience can be defined as practice, which helps
companies to interact with customers, as this aid in meeting the requirements in a
shorter span (Reynolds, 2013). Including this, it can be said that digital technology has
carried both positive and negative impacts upon business while developing the
relationship with consumers. In present context, firm which has been taken into
consideration i.e. Salut Restaurant, which is located in London, which offers customers
with different worldwide travelling services, insurance, restaurant as well as hotel
facilities to clients, as per the their requirements. Away with this, assignment will show
requirement of market segment within hospitality industry, create business opportunity
to build customer experience and customer touch points, Impact of digital media in
managing customer relationship, application of effective customer experience within
service sector to maximize engagement of customer.
Learning Outcome
P1: Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality industry
It is essential for the successful business to identify the emerging need, trend
and preferences of customer and serve them accordingly. Companies segment the
mass market or whole market into smaller segments based on interest, preference,
income and buying behaviours of people (Guido, 2017). Further, customer centric
strategy is adopted by company to make better contribution in order to satisfy the utility
of customer. In relation to Salut Restaurant, managers make plan for different target
market such as friends, family, official tour as well as couple on the basis of their
interest area. Like number of individuals may prefer adventurous trip whereas family
may prefer ethnic trip so respective company must take care of the preferences of
people. Therefore, analysing customer need and adopting changes on the basis of it
helps to attain long term sustainable benefit to the companies like Salut Restaurant.

In present context, number of benefits in regards to the Salut Restaurant, it has
been found that company receives them through identifying both needs of consumers
and trends along with values and all of these are presented underneath:
 Considering both the values and requirements of customers, Salut Restaurant
could easily sustain within the market for a longer period of time. But, it is also
necessary for the business organisation to make appropriate changes as per the
requirements of customers within their products and services offered by them
(TSEGAYE, 2017).
 With the help of understanding the buying behaviour and the values that
customers are carrying all company like Salut restaurant will become able to
develop ample number of strategies in regards to place like where services will
be offered as well as promotion tool to appeal the interest of target market.
 Including this, if the company like Salut restaurant focuses upon bringing
modifications within their promotional tools considering the upgraded technology
then it can easily be said that, it would help form in sustaining within the market
for a longer period of time.
P2: Various factors that influences customer engagement of different target group within
service sector
Service sector in present time is carrying a dynamic nature which impacts upon
both the operations and working of a business organisation that is dealing within this
type of sector. Therefore, it becomes vital for them to look into consumer engagement
so that they could sustain within the market for a longer period of time. Over the years,
there are ample number of examples that are present of the forms that has already
given to the trust of consumers through offering them with the best quality e services be
stronger requirements and also managing their interest through bringing modifications
within their products and services. If it is talked about Salut Restaurant, then the
company is basically dealing with customers considering online and offline markets, as
this led them to enhance the number if customers, where they cold produce strategies
tor binding the consumers with services offered by them. In today’s digital market many
business organisations has utilised ECRM technique to manage the relationship with
customers for a longer period of time (Bruce and Love, 2018).

Various type of
customer
Different
needs of customer
Family member Easy access of
internet
Availability of basic
amenities such as on-
site dining or room
service.
Healthy food as
well as laundry
facility
Middle and older
age adult group
traveller
Clean room,
pleasant music,
room services
Nutritious food and
purified water
Full service area
Business person Appropriate food
with availability of
music system and
more.
Facility of pick up and
drop off to Airport
Wi-Fi facility and
electronic gadget
charging sockets
Sports person Quick room and
house keeping
services
Internet access,
restaurant as well as
mini bar facility
Recreational facility
and fitness area
The priority of various clients of Salut Restaurant are stated below:
Family member: These are said to be the individuals who consists with different
age group having different requirement which is further the responsibility of company to
fulfil. Therefore, company must make sure they provide them essential amenities like
dining facility, room service, laundry and so on (Aliyas, Shishebori and Ramazani,
2016).
Business person: Individuals who seeks to travel from one position to another
for a business purpose, would expect from the customers to deal with the needs, that
they are having. It will be required by Salut Restaurant, to offer them with free Wi-Fi and
other related services to sustain within the market for a long period of time.

Learning Outcome 2
P3: Consumer experience map for a selected service organization
Customer experience mapping can effectively be defined as an approach, which
aid companies in gaining the best knowledge of what exactly the customers are looking
for (Pravdic, 2013). If it is talked about Salut Restaurant, then it would be required by
this restaurant to put efforts over the whole situation, what company is dealing with
while looking at the changes.
Pre Tour During Tour Post Tour
Touchpoints Consumers
basically looks
forward to have the
best food from all of
the areas where
they are visiting.
Just when all the
bookings in
regards to
restaurant gets
done like
reservation of the
table, this is
where actually the
individual which is
customer looks
forward to have
the experience.
This experience is
required by him or
her to be the best.
under the
situation, when a
a customer gets
the best
experience then
only he or she
would
recommend this
restaurant two
other individuals.
This is where it
is required by
bhai the
business
organisations to
take feedback
from them so
that appropriate
modifications
can be done in a
shorter span.

Thinking and feeling During this phase
customer does not
have any local
referral who can
exactly guide about
the tour. Along with
that lack of printing
ticket and
recommendation
that create
confusion while
making final
decision.
Initially traveller
may have
negative feeling
or might be
unhappy because
of communication
gap with local
resident
At this stage the
customer gains
happy as well as
delightful
experience when
they think about
the whole trip,
while discussing
it with other or
by going through
the album of trip.
P4: Customer touch point to create opportunity throughout the customer experience in
hospitality organisation
Customer touch point is said to be the phase where consumer directly comes
into contact with the business organisation and becomes a part of it after consuming or
using the products or services offered by them (Harmeling and et.al., 2017). This is
something which can be considered as the point where a company for the first time
interacts with the customer with the help of verbal or any other non verbal
communication system which can be digital technology. In Present context of Salut
Restaurant, company has ample number of ways through which it can grab opportunity
to build up relationships with customers through offering them the best experiences and
these are given underneath:
Websites: this could be understood with a good example of official website of
solute restaurant where all the details in regards to what services are being offered by
the business organisation and what tariff they are taking frim customers for their
services and many more other details in regards to the services offered by them. This
may consist with all the details in regards to customers whether they are new or existing
ones (BERHE, 2017).

Email marketing: Staff members within the marketing department of Salut
Restaurant, takes un use of this type of communication system, which would help firm in
sustaining and promoting products and services iffered by them. Here, This Restaurant
considers this as the best approach or strategy to consider, where the tool to share the
documents, data regarding booking of ticket, reservation in hotel, resolve the query of
customer and so on.
Social media: Social media in context of Salut Restaurant, would help company
in developing relationship with customers and with the public as well, where they can
grab the attention of them in a rightful manner (Al-Ahmad, and Mohammad, 2012).
Learning Outcome 3
P5: Digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector
If it is talked about Digital technology, this can be considered as something which has
helped business organisations to manage customer experience within the service
sector. Basically, the technology has adopted by most of the youth and public who likes
to visit new places and likes to enjoy food of different restaurants. There are a number
of gadgets like mobile phone, computer system and many other technology can
effectively be utilised by individuals in all over the world and this is not changed the
whole scenario for the business organisations to conduct businesses in all over the
world. Different number of products and services offered by business organisations has
started them selling among various websites and online stores. In the same way, if it is
talked about Salut Restaurant, then this organisation has also adopted digital
technology into consideration where they offer customers with home delivery services
where the customer could effectively give order on their online application, that they
have developed for profit maximisation (Wirtz and Jerger, 2016). Hence, these
technique help to identify the source from where the traffic emerges into the company
(Pandža Bajs, 2012).
Therefore, various digital tool, technique as well as programme are adopted by
respected company to build effective strategy for the customer as well as competitor,
bring changes based on the requirement of customer. Moreover, the constructive

feedback of company is analysed in order to achieve desirable result. Herne, some of
the software used by company are defined below:
ECRM hospitality software: This is being considered as the system software
which has been developed to maintain the data of all customer effectively. This helps to
manage long term relationship with customer by analysing the need of customer and
work accordingly to fulfil current as well as forecasted need. Therefore, it require the
use of digital platform to remain connected with customer and formulated effective
relationship with them (Shea, 2016).
Opera Software: Opera Software can be considered as the basic but advance
software that is being utilised by Salut Restaurant, so that online transactions can easily
be done and delivery process could not get into any sort of problem while offering
customers with the best experience. On the other hand, this application offers quick
result and works in different operating system whether it is macOS, Android or iOS.
Thus, because of it company prefer this in comparison to other software such as
chrome or Mozilla.
Learning Outcome 4
P6: Illustrate consumer service strategies in context to specific service sector
Over the years, consumers are said to be one of the vital most stakeholders for the
business organisations as they helps a firm in sustaining within the market. Therefore, it
can easily be said that for a organisation like Salut restaurant it has become important
for them to to offer the best quality food and services in regards to bettering there
experience towards the firm and keep them loyal towards it a longer period of time.
Good quality and hygienic food preparation kitchen, tasty combos of meals, and
ravelling packages, hotel bookings and many more are said to be some crucial
elements, that needed for firm to sustain in the market for a longer period of time:
Deliver promise: in present time, recognition is everything for a business
organisation which is dealing at service sector (Kumar and Reinartz, 2016). Therefore,
promising with the customers that for whatever they will be charged for the service they
will be provided by the company like Salut restaurant, will try it's level best to deliver the
best experience. Along with this, it is also required for this organisation to keep up the

promises in regards to transparency so that customers may not get cheated and deliver
the service with the appropriate and legal amount without application of any service
charge.
Seek feedback of customer: Feedback is said to be something which can help
the business organisations with in service sector to deal with number of issues that are
miscellaneous in nature and impacting upon companies profit margins. Therefore, if
Salut restaurant directly takes feedbacks from the customers then it can easily be said
that, it will help them in bringing right amount of modifications within the restaurant.
Through this, Restaurant will directly become able to deliver the best service to
consumers as per the requirements.
P7: Create & develop consumer experience in hospitality industry
Customers, basically plays an important role for every single business organisation,
where there experiences that has been experienced needs to be positive in nature for
them so that company could sustain for a longer period of time. Focusing upon
customers needs and requirements, it has become vital for business organisations to
develop strategies so that they could engage them with the organisation for a certain
period, where they can consider the digital tools and technologies. If it is talked about,
Salut Restaurant, Islington London, it is important for them to conduct research on a
regular basis so that beneficial strategies can easily be developed while focusing upon
both the customers needs and the profits that the company is going to get in your future
from the modifications that has been made. This can easily be done by Salut restaurant
through developing its research and development department much more effective
enough that could help form in in attending words short and long term goals that are
linked with customers experience and satisfaction (Jain, 2017). Along with this, it is also
important business organisation to keep on taking the feedback as well from the
customers so that to bring effective alterations within the restaurants so that
sustainability can be improved. In present context, there are a number of
recommendations that can be given to Salut Restaurant for the betterment of their
profitability and productivity in near future and these are given underneath:
Recommendation

 Customer service department can easily be considered as one of the
recommendation can be given to Salut Restaurant, which may aid them in
solving number of queries that customers can have at the table while having
brunch, breakfast, lunch and any other thing for ordering a food item with the
help of an application.
 It is also recommended to the organisation to make alterations within it’s
technology. with the help of this, best experience can easily be given to
customers.
 Another recommendation can be given to salute restaurant is, when it gets the
positive feedback from customers it is their responsibility to reply them with the
positivity. With the help of this, customer engagement can easily be improvised.
CONCLUSION
Considering the above information it can easily be said that change has become
must for business organisations that are dealing at both national and international level
within the hospitality industry. Adopting the change based on the requirements of the
customers and making a good investment could help forms in offering the best
experiences to customers. Including this, it is also summarised that, digital technology
and other type of techniques has been helping business firms to satisfy their customers.

REFERENCES
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