Managing the Customer Experience : Crowne Plaza

Managing the Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
1 Why the Crowne Plaza carries out market segmentation and customer profiling activities to
determine its ‘target market’.......................................................................................................3
2 Examine different ways in which customers can be profiled, and how the wants, needs and
expectations of the ‘target market’ drive the products and services offer of Crowne Plaza.......4
3 Evaluate drivers of customer engagement across a range of different target customer groups
for Crowne Plaza.........................................................................................................................4
4 Conclude by reviewing the different strategies that are employed for on-boarding these
diverse customers........................................................................................................................5
LO 2- Customer Experience Map...................................................................................................5
1 Fully document of customer’s journey from first contact with Crowne Plaza to exit.............5
2 Identify all of the touch points when customers interact with the business............................6
LO 2- Customer Touch-points.......................................................................................................6
1 At a satisfactory level...............................................................................................................6
2 At a good level ........................................................................................................................7
3 At an advanced level................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience management refers to practices use by companies to track, oversee
and respond on basis of all customers and business interactions, so according to that companies
can exceed expectations of customers in order to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and
advocacy (Peppers and Rogers, 2016). Loyalty and satisfaction of customers get influenced by
their emotions and experiences that they share with the brand or company. This report is based
on Crowne Plaza, it is multinational chain of full hotel and resort services operating in approx 53
countries with more than 400 hotels. The respective hotel is established in 1983 and
headquartered in United Kingdom. It covers various topics such as importance and values of
target customers group, different factors that influence customer engagement, customer
experience map and business opportunities created by customer experiences on the perspective
of Crowne Plaza.
LO 1
1 Why the Crowne Plaza carries out market segmentation and customer profiling activities to
determine its ‘target market’
Market segmentation refers to process to dividing markets of potential customers of
organization into group or segment on the basis of different characteristics (Klaus and Maklan,
2013). Customer profiling is used by firm to identify its customers which help them in making
designing decision of concerning services.
These activities are carried out by Crowne Plaza to determine target market. Target
market is group of customers or companies who mostly interested in buying the respective
organization products and services. Their are several reasons why Crowne Plaza carries out
market segment and customer profiling to determine their target market:- Identify Customer's needs:- Through these activities Crowne Plaza can match its
customers need better and make strategy and plan according to that. Enhance profit:- Customers are price sensitive and by these activities Crowne Plaza can
design average price and subsequently increase profit.
 Retain Customers:- On the basis of these activities Crowne Plaza design different
strategies to retain their old customers and attract new customers.

Induction Pack
Introduction of the company:- www.crowneplaza.com
Company and its category location:- Crowne Plaza; Location:- China and Japan
Vision:- To be the first choice for guests, colleagues, shareholders and business partners.
Size:- Around 40,000 employees
Customer base:- Crowne Plaza found overall increase of 16% in revenue across all its
properties, a 10% lift in booking and a 5% increase in unique site visitors.
Role of Guest relations:-
 Greeting clients when they arrive.
 Coordinating check ins to assigned room
 Inform them about hotel facilities
2 Examine different ways in which customers can be profiled, and how the wants, needs and
expectations of the ‘target market’ drive the products and services offer of Crowne Plaza
Customer segmentation isinclude activities through which an organization can divide
customers or business market on the basis of relevant specific ways such as age, interest and
spending habits etc. for marketing (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). There are different ways through
which customers are profiled, their needs, wants and expectations of products and services
offered by Crowne Plaza, target market derive by respective company are describe below:-
Geographical:- Through this segmentation Crowne Plaza can Choose products and
services they want to offer specially for audiences in particular locations, targeted location of the
respective company are Chinese Chines and Japanese market.
Demographical:- It is segmentation of market which is based on certain characteristics
like age, gender, race, religions education, income etc. of the audience. This segmentation of
Crowne Plaza is based following character:
 Age- Target audience age group is 30 to 40 years.
 Income- They focus on audiences whose income level is 90,000.
 Education- Education of target audience is postgraduate.
Psychological:- Through this segment Crowne Plaza divide the market on basis of
lifestyle, values, social class and personality.

` Through all the above segmentation Crowne Plaza can identify appropriate wants, needs
and expectations of their target market or audience and according to that they can make products
and services of their organization that they offer to them.
3 Evaluate drivers of customer engagement across a range of different target customer groups for
Crowne Plaza.
Customer engagement is a form of business communication connection between
customers and an organization through different channels of correspondence. This
communication connection can be a reaction, interaction, effect overall experience of customers
which can be done through online or offline (Wilson, Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler2012). There
are various drivers of customers engagement some of the major drivers use by Crowne Plaza are
describe below:-
Active on social media:- The Crowne Plaza must be active on social media and respond
each and every inquiry of customers, which help them in analysing the values and needs of
customers and they can design strategy accordingly.
Create powerful content:- The respective company must frame some powerful content
because each line of content support and enhance the brand image and name. The content of the
company also attract customers and they fell connected.
Educate front desk team:- The Crowne Plaza must allows company sales team to
educate their front desk team so that they know how to develop relationship with customers or
clients (Silver, 2012).
4 Conclude by reviewing the different strategies that are employed for on-boarding these diverse
customers.
The above mention drivers of employee engagement which is used by Crowne Plaza help
company and management to attract and retain customers. It is also beneficial for company in
various manners such as- helps in understanding customers needs and expectations, respective
firm can discover factors which encourage customers involvement, by it Crowne Plaza enhance
their brand loyalty and reputation of company, through employees engagement respective firm
can reduce churn, increase retention and identify sell opportunities, through it company can
acquire new customers through strategies and word of mouth marketing etc.

LO 2- Customer Experience Map
1 Fully document of customer’s journey from first contact with Crowne Plaza to exit
Customer experience map refers to the visual representation of each and every experience
of customers with an organisation. It is helpful to know story of customers experience with an
organization from original engagement and into a long term relationship with hope (Homburg,
Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). The customer experience map of Crowne Plaza is described below:-
Customer experience map
1. Objective of map- The main objective of creating customer experience map for above
hotel is to assess the satisfaction level of customers (About customer experience map
steps. 2019).
2. Goals- The goal of above Crowne Plaza hotel is increasing attraction of more customers
towards their services. This map can help them in achieving their goals.
3. Touch points- The touch point of customers can be helpful for companies in increasing
awareness of brand towards customers. The touch point of above hotel can be achieved
by offering effective products and services as well as by loyalty of customers.
4. Actions- In this all those actions are listed which are related to interaction of customers
towards the brand. Eventually, this is important for above hotel to find out steps of their
customers to achieve their goals. As well as the elements are as follows such as: current
stats of customers, day in life etc.
5. Customers’ journey- This is as follows:
 Research and planning:- First customer visit Crowne Plaza website to know about
accommodation and other services and products they offer such as price according to
facilities, hotel services like gym, pool, garden etc.
 Booking and Pre Travel:- After getting satisfy with offer services customer will make
call at reception area to book their room according to requirement and by mail Crown
Plaza send E-tickets to their customers.
 During Travel:- At the date of booking customer arrived at Crowne Plaza and love
offered services such at comfortable beds, clean room, good room services, laundry
services, gym, open garden area, etc. They stay three days and two night, quality of food
is good of respective hotel and it is like by their customers.

 Post Travel:- When after three days customers are leaving their room staff of hotel ask
for feedback and behaviour of staff are very well all over journey. The package or price
of room offered by Crowne Plaza is affordable, that almost every income group can
afford it.
6. Make necessary changes- It is the last step of customer experience mapping in which as
per the performance necessary changes are done.
2 Identify all of the touch points when customers interact with the business.
Touch point are those points on which customers interact with the company on various
level at many places (Rose, Clark, Samouel and Hair, 2012). This interaction can be done by
both company as well as customers. It is necessary for company to do their marketing and
branding strategy to build their brand value and image. It is beneficial for customers as well to
get essential information. The touch point of customers with Crowne Plaza are mentioned
below:-
Purchase:- Customers can contact to Crowne Plaza when they want to do purchase or
book room or any services.
` Information Search:- customers can contact to the respective hotel when they want to
collect information about the hotel's product and services.
Feedback:- The customers can also get in touch with Crowne Plaza when they want to
give feedbacks of services and products, feedback can be positive or negative.
Quarries:- When there is any quarries occur customer will directly contact to the
respective company and it is duty of hotel to solve quarries of their customers.
LO 2- Customer Touch-points
1 At a satisfactory level
Customer touch point is brand point of customer which is from start to finish (Bagdare
and Jain, 2013). The customer touch- point help Crowne Plaza to create business opportunities,
which are mentioned below:-
 Through touch point Crowne Plaza understand their customers and make strategy and
plans accordingly which help respective firm in growth and through it they earn more
profit.

 Through appropriate customer touch point the respective company make their loyal
customer which do word of mouth marketing that help them to enhance their business.
 The effective customer touch point help Crowne Plaza to identify current needs and
wants of customers on basis of that respective company make strategies and plan which
enhance level of Crowne Plaza from its competitors and also increase its business.
2 At a good level
By analyzing and examine of activities and actions on the basis of each customer touch
point help Crowne Plaza to enhance their business like if some customer gives feedback that they
didn't like quality of food (Blázquez, 2014). In this case respective company first do evaluation
of all feedback and if it seems reasonable they make strategies and plan to get over it and this
improvement will help Crowne Plaza in enhancing their business. By doing this type of activities
the respective company increase their business.
3 At an advanced level
By enhancing quality services and taking corrective and appropriate actions on the basis
of customers review the Crowne Plaza can optimize each of their customer touch point which
influence behavior, responses and actions of their customers and enhance their experience which
help respective company in growth.
Way to create business opportunity:
Offering products and services- This is a way to increase the touch point of customers that is
related to providing more products and services to customers in an effective manner. Such as in
context of above hotel they can provide more effective products and services for create business
opportunity.
Increasing loyalty- It is related to satisfying customers need and demand so that they can become
loyal for organization. If above hotel will able tom make their customers loyal then it may lead to
business opportunity for them.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it is conclude that Crowne Plaza do its market segment on
basis of geographical, demo graphical and psychological segmentation, they adopt various
drivers of customers engagement which help them in enhancing their business. The respective
company also analysis customer experience map which include experience of customer from

starting to end. Crowne Plaza also evaluate their customer touch point to identify how it help to
increase the business.
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Peppers, D. and Rogers, M., 2016. Managing customer experience and relationships: A strategic
framework. John Wiley & Sons.
Klaus, P.P. and Maklan, S., 2013. Towards a better measure of customer
experience. International Journal of Market Research. 55(2). pp.227-246.
Lemon, K.N. and Verhoef, P.C., 2016. Understanding customer experience throughout the
customer journey. Journal of Marketing. 80(6). pp.69-96.

Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J. and Gremler, D.D., 2012. Services marketing:
Integrating customer focus across the firm (No. 2nd Eu). McGraw Hill.
Silver, A., 2012. System and method for managing restaurant customer data elements. U.S.
Patent 8,224,700.
Homburg, C., Jozić, D. and Kuehnl, C., 2017. Customer experience management: toward
implementing an evolving marketing concept. Journal of the Academy of Marketing
Science. 45(3). pp.377-401.
Rose, S., Clark, M., Samouel, P. and Hair, N., 2012. Online customer experience in e-retailing:
an empirical model of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Retailing. 88(2). pp.308-
322.
Bagdare, S. and Jain, R., 2013. Measuring retail customer experience. International Journal of
Retail & Distribution Management. 41(10). pp.790-804.
Blázquez, M., 2014. Fashion shopping in multichannel retail: The role of technology in
enhancing the customer experience. International Journal of Electronic
Commerce. 18(4). pp.97-116.
Online
About customer experience map steps. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://blog.hubspot.com/service/customer-journey-map>