Managing the Customer Experience

This document provides insights into managing the customer experience in a restaurant setting. It discusses the value of understanding customer needs, factors that drive customer engagement, and the use of digital technology in managing customer experience. It also explores customer service strategies and provides recommendations for improving customer service.

Managing the customer
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1, LO2 & LO 3.........................................................................................................................1
Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups..................................................................................................................1
Different factors that drive and influence customer engagement................................2
Customer engagement factors..........................................................................................2
Different target customer groups’ needs..........................................................................3
Customer experience map.................................................................................................3
Customer touch-points at every stage..............................................................................5
Examine the activities and actions undertaken by customers......................................5
Analysing each of the customer touch points to influence the behaviour, responses
and actions of its customers..............................................................................................6
Describing how digital technology employed in managing the customer experience6
how digital technologies are employed in managing the customer experience........7
critical evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of CRM systems...............7
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................8
customer service strategies,..............................................................................................8
How customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience......8
Recommendations...............................................................................................................9
Evaluation of the delivery of customer service strategies and communication.......10
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Managing customer experience refers to that process through which company uses
to track, oversee and organize an interaction between customers so that they gain
better experience. The current study also provides deep understanding about how to
manage the customer and provide them better experience in a restaurant. The chosen
restaurant for this report is Barbary which is in London and provides best variety of food
products to their customers.
The report will describe the value and importance of customers and explore
different factors which may affect and engagement of customer at different target
customer group. Further, study presents customer experience map with different touch
points that helps to develop different business opportunities and describe different CRM
system that helps to provide better customer experience. Moreover, study provides
different customers service strategies and describe how customer service strategies
develop better customer experience to their customers.
LO 1, LO2 & LO 3
Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups
To identify the needs, wants and preference of target customer will help to
provide better range of quality products to their customers. On the other side, Barbary
also uses the same in order to reach at wide range of customers that helps to increases
restaurant's financial performance (Azad and Singh, 2019). Such that, by identifying the
customers will assist the business to provide products and services as per their need
and also, by focusing resources on the specific customer segments will help a small
business to serve better.
On the other side, identifying customer needs helps a restaurant to create a
stronger experience and as a result, it increases sales of a business as well. For
example, Barbary target customers are young age people and they actually need new
and innovative products, that is why company provides range of different products that
helps to satisfy the needs and also allow to create strong experience as well.
1

Different factors that drive and influence customer engagement
There are different factors which drive and influence customer engagement such
that:
Technology issue: many customers think that technology is not successful that
helps to keep customer engage but actually this factor assist to keep customer
retaining. Such that Barbary and many other restaurant uses social media in order to
keep in touch with their customers (Jain, Aagja and Bagdare, 2017). For instance,
restaurant provide best offers and post on social media to let people know about their
new offers. In this way, it helps to drive customer engagement.
Provide excellent services: By offering best variety of services will also drive
customer engagement. It includes provider proper attention to many customers such
that offer them mocktail at the time of entrance, take feedback while going. This activity
helps to keep customer engage and work as a driving factor. Moreover, by providing
better services will also helps to sustain the brand image of the company and also
develop further growth level option as well.
Understand customer expectations: For Barbary, it is quite essential to
understand the needs and wants of customers such that company should provide
services as per target market (Jain, Aagja and Bagdare, 2017). Like for young age
people, restaurant may offer Chinese products and as a result, it creates positive impact
upon customers as well. In the same way for every target customers, restaurant may
provide best variety of products that leads to increase customer engagement.
Customer engagement factors
It is analyzed that technological issue creates positive impact upon business as
well as customer on boarding strategies. For example, Barbary target customer group
are young age people whose age is in between 18-35 and by offering best discount
strategy and positing the same in social media (Facebook, twitter) will help to draw
attention of many customers towards it. On the other side, if restaurant provide best
services to their customers then it will also helps to increases sales and which creates
direct impact upon financial performance of the company. Thus, it also helps to grab
attention of many customers towards it (Jermsittiparsert, Sutduean and Sriyakul 2018).
2

For example, Barbary welcome their customers by offering complementary desert so
that it create positive impact upon customers.
In addition to this, through research, company also analyze customer needs and
want so that it helps to generate better sales and by offering the products and services
after analyzing customer needs will help them to attract wide range of customers.
Different target customer groups’ needs
For Barbary, the target customer group needs is depend upon the target market
such that, quoted restaurant target market are young generation people whose age is in
between 25-35 approximately and for them they provide free deserts and provide proper
assistance through one assistant, so that it will help the attract more range of customers
towards it (Jitsoonthornchaikul, 2018). Moreover, this age group wants that they get
best quality of products with best customer experience service so that it directly creates
positive impact upon business. On the other side, restaurant also target people whose
age is in between 50-70 and for them, they provide healthy and hygienic food that assist
to make them comfortable within a place.
Therefore, it is clearly evaluated that by analysing the needs and wants of
different customers, company may easily raise its overall brand image with increasing
sales revenue so that it will help to creates positive impact upon business.
Customer experience map
3

4

Customer touch-points at every stage
 At initial stage, Barbary restaurant must provide free desert to their customers so
that it will help to create positive impact upon customers.
 In the same way, assign one attendee who help may take an order without
wasting time.
 After that, in middle stage, offer a menu and try to provide speciality about the
restaurant this assist them to create positive impact.
 After order, leave them for some time so that they may easily enjoy the ambience
(Mahmoud, 2019).
 After having a dinner, ask them to have any mocktail so that it creates good
impression because customers only like to get good attention and friendly
environment.
 After that, ask to give feedback about the food and want improvement can be
done in order to look place more attractive. In the same way, also ask whether
they like food or not and also try to analyse did they like quality of food or not.
Examine the activities and actions undertaken by customers
Restaurant should provide best customers service experience to their customers
and at the time of taking feedback, make sure that Barbary address all loopholes. So
that when the same customer visit the restaurant for next time, they find new place so
that it creates positive impact upon them (Omondi and Odock, 2019). Moreover, during
the entire customer journey, customers analyse the environment of restaurant whether
they feel comfortable or not. Such that while, waiting, customer check ambience and
other facilities such as washroom, play area, etc. On the other side, if customer find the
area through online site and if they face any issue, then they will definitely complaint
about the same and it is the duty of manager to correct the information provided on
internet.
In addition to this, at the time of taking feedback, make sure that they might visit
website directly and also drop few rights lines on Facebook and Twitter so that other
may also know about new services offered by the company. Or if customer may feel any
issue with regards to ordering food they may consult and also provide suggestion for the
5

same (Rai and Ozuem, 2019). As a result, it generate better business opportunity option
in future.
Analysing each of the customer touch points to influence the behaviour, responses and
actions of its customers
When customer arrive, waiter greets them and this directly influence customer
behaviour and as a result, creates positive impact upon them. On the other side, when
they have to wait so long for their ordered food, it creates negative impact because
delay in customer service will definitely affect the customer in opposite way. Therefore,
Barbary have to provide best customer services such that it leads to attract wide range
of customers towards it (Sharma, 2018). Moreover, offering them a complementary
dessert will also leads to influence their behaviour in positive way and as a result, it also
leads to generate good and positive impact upon them. When customer finish their food
and at the time of taking feedback, if they complaint about anything, try to solve them
and take action instead of arguing. This strategy also creates good impact upon
customers and as a result, they also suggest other to visit for a once.
Describing how digital technology employed in managing the customer experience
Digital technology means interacting people at world wide by using advance
techniques. In the same way, Barbary also uses this advance technologies such that
social media, in which it post different advertisement which contain discount offers on
food products. This strategy helps to reach wide range of public in single way because
in this modern era, every individual uses social media and through this strategy,
company also get feedback so that it may helpful to take further options as well.
In addition to this, digital technology also track and diagnose potential high level
of problem and determine different ways through which customer may engage within
the working area. On the other side, hospital sector also artificial intelligence as a new
digital technique that further support conversation and also improve decision making
process as well (Weerasinghe and Warnakulasooriya, 2019). Not only this, it also
provide positive response to customer that also leads to satisfy their needs and wants
by providing better and improved quality of products. Currently, Barbary also uses
customer relationship management (CRM) systems in order to manage all company's
6

relationship as well as interaction within their customers. This digital technique helps
quoted restaurant to stay connected with customers and improve profitability as well.
how digital technologies are employed in managing the customer experience
As digital technologies creates positive impact upon the business such that it
target customer, CRM software gather customer media consumption and generate
results accordingly, through which company may easily analyse the target market. On
the other side, to increase customer experience and customer loyalty, company also
generate loyalty program. This information assist to create best experience for them and
extend target reach as well. Thus, it is evaluated that CRM determine customers and
manage all activities in order to improve customer engagement
in addition to this, Barbary provide discount offers on special meals and provide
combo offers to selected customers through CRM so that it will help to attract wide
range of customers which directly impact upon sales in positive manner. Further, quoted
restaurant also takes feedback from customers in order to improve or determine the
loopholes within a firm. In this situation, CRM also used such that through dashboards,
it review service execution and pinpoints area for improvement and as a result, it
generate improvement areas which may be improved by company in order to generate
better results. Therefore, it is further evaluated that CRM system helps the firm to
assess performance and then develop improvement strategies accordingly.
critical evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of CRM systems
Using CRM system by Barbary will help management to generate best customer
relationship with customer. Moreover, if company provides solution then it definitely use
CRM system in order to reach wide range of customers. It is so because this is a
system that helps to identify special needs at personal level. On the other side, using
this system will also help Barbary to reduce the total daily cost of company which
directly affect the productivity in positive way (Advantage and disadvantage of CRM,
2018). However, it is critically evaluated that using CRM in working area also eliminate
human element from the equation of a company and even it also generate more
security problems.
Moreover, company spend a huge amount to provide effective training system to
their employees because it is not easy to use this system as it is not easy to operate. In
7

addition to this, CRM system also uses remote internet connection in order to save
customer records and if the records are used by third party then it may affect the brand
recognition of the company in opposite way and as a result, company's goodwill also got
affected. Therefore, it is necessary for the firm to keep analysing its pros and cons and
ten develop better future opportunities for sustaining brand image at global level.
LO 4
customer service strategies,
Barbary uses best customer service strategies in order to generate best result
and attract wide range of customers such that:
 Provide proper ambience: The atmosphere of quoted restaurant is good and
effective such that it directly attract wide range of customers. There is proper
space for walk and even play area is different and proper arrangement of table
and chair that helps to attract customers (Yedeka and Johnson, 2018).
 Offer best price product/services: The restaurant offer wide range of food
products with reasonable price so that medium class and upper class people
may easily manage the same.
 Provide immediate customer response: Restaurant provide immediate
response to their customer and never delay. Such that it has around 50-60 staff
member who always provide best experience to their customer from their arrival
to end. Moreover, entire management keep providing best support to their
employees so that it will help to manage the entire work in better way.
 Offer complementary food items: Barbary also offer complementary and
supplementary items to their customers which includes cutlery, napkins and
condiments that helps to lay positive impact upon customers.
How customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience
As Barbary uses different customer service strategies that helps to provide best
customer experience to their customers such that it hire and train employees to
providing right skills, because by organizing training session to them will help to improve
skills which will further help to improve the customer service. However, it is clearly
defined to meet the business standards because when a restaurant provides best
customer experience to their customers then it will definitely help to sustain brand image
8

and attract wide range of customers towards it (Jain, Aagja and Bagdare, 2017). On the
other side, If quoted restaurant have right skills employees and enough confident or
possess excellent communication skills then they will never remain dissatisfied to their
customers.
In addition to this, make sure that the customer service representatives have also
enough knowledge of the products and services which a restaurant is offered. So that
they will not get back to the team in order to ask anything because it may creates
negative impact upon the customers. Moreover, Barbary may also track performance of
their customer representatives in order to ensure that they provide best services or not.
Therefore, it clearly reflect that by developing effective customer service strategies will
leads to provide better customer experience in such a ways that also leads to meet
business standards.
Recommendations
As Barbary uses best customer strategies to provide better customer experience,
but there are some loopholes which must be minimized in order to provide more better
experience such that :
 Provide effective training system to their employees related to every products so
that it will help to provide best customer experience. In the training, make sure
that company provide effective knowledge of every product so that they did not
get confused in front of customers while offering menu.
 Further, provide training related to employee empathy such that customer
interaction are emotional exchange and there is a need to share all good points
and also reduce the level of frustration among employees (Jermsittiparsert,
Sutduean and Sriyakul, 2018). Or company also provide training on service skills
so that it will not affect customers experience.
 It is also recommended to the firm to make sure that there is an effective
communication between staff members, especially in the case of shifts. Further,
ensure that there is a good communication between waiter and kitchen staff for
timely service. It will further help to provide exemplar customer service.
9

Evaluation of the delivery of customer service strategies and communication
It is to be evaluated that be delivering best customer strategies will helps to attract
wide range of customers towards Barbary. In the same time, if there is positive
communication between customers and staff will also consider another best
customer service strategy, because it will delivered best food and services without
delaying. Further, in order to develop quality centric customer experience, it is also
recommended to the firm that they may encourage customer interaction
(Jitsoonthornchaikul, 2018). Such that observe wait staff’s interact with customers
and in the same time identify improvement areas so that further training may be
provided in order to minimize issue.
In addition to this, it is also recommended to Barbary that it may use advance
technologies for providing great restaurant service, because in this modern era,
technology is playing an important role such that it may introduce POS system
which is cloud based and through this customers may easily make payments for
products and services. Even they may also make online restaurant reservation
using a single interface, in this way, quoted restaurant may easily maintain good
customer relationship using advance techniques into the working area.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above report it has been concluded that it is necessary for the
firm to determine the value and needs of their target customers and even, technology
factor, economic factor, social factors are also drive and influence the customer group
as well. Report further concluded that by providing best facilities to their customer will
also help to engaging customers and it will also help to creates business opportunities.
Study also concluded that by using best CRM system into Barbary will also leads to
manage customer experience and also concluded different customer service strategies
that meet the needs of customers and business standards as well.
10

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Azad, S. and Singh, U. S., 2019. A Study on the Effect of Pricing Strategy on Customer
Retention in Kurdistan. Int. J Sup. Chain. Mgt Vol. 8(1). p.98.
Jain, R., Aagja, J. and Bagdare, S., 2017. Customer experience–a review and research
agenda. Journal of Service Theory and Practice.27(3). pp.642-662.
Jain, R., Aagja, J. and Bagdare, S., 2017. Journal of Service Theory and
Practice. Practice. 27(3). pp.642-662.
Jermsittiparsert, K., Sutduean, J. and Sriyakul, T., 2018. Social Customer Relationship
Management Capabilities and Customer Relationship Performance: Moderating
Role of Social Media (face-book) usage among Indonesian firms. Opción.34(86).
pp.1257-1273.
Jitsoonthornchaikul, M., 2018. The Road to Customer Journey. TNI Journal of Business
Administration and Languages. 6(1). pp.53-57.
Mahmoud, M.A., 2019. Gender, E-Banking, and Customer Retention. Journal of Global
Marketing, pp.1-19.
Omondi, S.O. and Odock, S., 2019. Effect of Service Quality on Customer Retention at
Branded Night Clubs in Mombasa County, Kenya: A Pivotal, Core and Peripheral
Attributes Model Perspective. Journal of Marketing and Communication. 2(1).
pp.24-47.
Rai, D. and Ozuem, W., 2019. Exploring the relationship between online service failure,
recovery strategies and customer satisfaction.
Sharma, Y., 2018. How Customer Analytics and Digital Technologies Drive Banks to
Understand Consumer Awareness Towards Financial Inclusion. In Marketing
Techniques for Financial Inclusion and Development (pp. 66-85). IGI Global.
Weerasinghe, I. and Warnakulasooriya, B.N.F., 2019. Interactions in Virtual Customer
Environments (VCEs) toward Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A
Study of Tourist Hotels in Sri Lanka. International Review of Management and
Marketing.9(1). p.44.
Yedekar, N. and Johnson, K., 2018. Smart Customer Engagement using Social Media
and Data Analytics being Applied to UK Water/Wastewater Industry and its
11

applicability to other geographical markets. Proceedings of the Water
Environment Federation. 2018(15). pp.1805-1811.
Online
Advantage and disadvantage of CRM. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.softwaredoit.com/gb/crm-software-recommendation/advantages-of-
crm.html>.
12