Planning for Customer Experience in Hospitality Industry

This report discusses the importance of understanding customer needs in the hospitality industry, factors influencing customer engagement, creating a customer experience map, touch points in customer experience, the role of digital technology in managing customer experience, and customer service strategies in the hospitality industry. The case study focuses on Holiday Inn, a British-owned organization in the hospitality industry.

Planning for customer experience
Management

Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups for the hospitality 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.................................................................................................................................................5
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation...............................5
P4. Discuss how the touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience in
your hospitality organisation.............................................................................................................6
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................7
P5. Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector organisation, providing specific examples of customer relationship management
systems..............................................................................................................................................7
TASK 4.................................................................................................................................................8
P6. Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context....................................8
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Customer services can be describe as the services that is provide form company to
customers. It is essential for organisation to offer high quality customer services in order to
meet with the needs of customers (Homburg, Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). This will support in
developing strong relationship with customers and enhance loyal customer of business. This
report is based on Holiday Inn organisation. This is British owned organisation that is dealing
in hospitality industry. This company was established by Kemmons Wilson in 1952. Holiday
Inn organisation is offering its services in different areas such as America, Europe, Asia
Pacific, Africa. Headquarter of this organisation is located in Denham, United Kingdom. This
report will include importance of understanding customer needs and different factors are
determine that influence customer engagements. Customer experience map is created and
analysed how touch points create opportunity in customer experience. In this report impact
of digital technology in managing the customer experience is analysed. Apart from this
customer services strategy is also determined as well as identified the influence of customer
service strategies in meeting with customer needs and business standards.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
P1. Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and
preferences of target customer groups for the hospitality industry.
Hospitality industry is providing different types of products and services to its
customers and it is essential for organisation to develop products and services which is as per
need and want of customers. In this industry profit and loss is majorly dependent on customer
services provided by company. It is crucial for organisation to understand and determine the
needs, preference and wants of target customer in order to meet with their need and want.
This will assist respective organisation to accomplish business goals as well as develop
strong relationship with customers. Holiday Inn organisation is offering its products and
services to different types of customers. so it is essential for this company to evaluate the
needs and requirement of customers. The main value and importance of understanding target
customer needs, wants and preference for Holiday Inn organisation is mention below in
detail.

Developing strategies – It is crucial for organisation to understand the needs or requirement
of customers in order to develop business strategies (Fatma, 2014). Most of the strategies
and decision of respective company is dependent on the preference of customers. This will
lead to develop better and effective strategy for accomplishment of goals.
Meeting with expectations of customers – In order to meet with the needs and wants of
customers it is crucial for organisation to understand preference of targeted customer.
Holiday Inn organisation is dealing in hospitality sector and in order to full fill the
expectation of customers, company needs to evaluate the want of customers.
Increase customer loyalty – It is important for hospitality company to increase the loyalty of
customer and for this valuable for company to identify the exact need and wants of
customers. This will support in taking correct action for company as well as meeting full
filling the requirements of customer as well as increase their loyalty.
Quality of services – Identification of customer needs and preference is important for
providing quality of services to customers. This will support in taking better decision as well
as meeting with the requirements of customers. By determining the preference of targeted
customer organisation will be able to develop its services in order to offer high quality of
customer service and care to customers.
P2. Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of
different target customer groups within a service sector organisation.
Customer engagement refers the connection between organisation and its customers.
This can be describe as the way customer can interact with customer as well as provide high
quality services to customers. It is important for organisation to engage customers with the
activities and services of company (Nwokah and Gladson-Nwokah, 2013). This will lead to
assist in developing and creating strong relationship between organisation and its customers.
It is very crucial for Holiday Inn company to develop effective strategies and plan in order to
enhance customer engagement. This organisation is targeting different types of customer
groups and there are several factors that will lead to have influence over customer
engagement process. Different factors that will drive as well as influence customer
engagement of different groups of target customers in the services of Holiday Inn company is
explain below in detail.

Cultural factor – Target customer of Holiday Inn organisation is from different cultural
background and this can lead to have impact on behaviour or attitude of customers. Cultural
factors such as nation, religion, social class have affect on decision making process of
individual. This factor will lead to have influence of engagement of customer with the
organisation and its services.
Social factor – This factor includes family, friends, reference groups of individual customers.
All of these are crucial for individual and they have high power of influence over the
customer behaviour and decision. Status and role of individual customers will lead to have
impact on the customer engagement with the company.
Personal factor – There are several personal factor that have influence over the decision of
customer and influence on level of customer engagement. Personal factors includes age of
person, occupation, financial situation, life style and personality of customers (Bagdare and
Jain, 2013). These the personal factors that will drive the customer engagement in business
activities. Occupation and financial situation of customer will lead to have influence over the
level of engagement with Holiday Inn services.
Psychological factor – It consist of motivation, perception, experience, beliefs and various
other psychological aspects of individual. Perception of customer towards the services
offered by Holiday Inn organisation. If the experience of customer with this company is not
up to the mark then it can lead to negative influence over customer engagements.
TASK 2
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation.
Customer experience map can be describe as the visual representation of the way and
procedure that can be use be company in order to provide services to customers. Through this
map customers will go through in order to achieve the objective of organisation. It is essential
for organisation to develop and create an effective customer experience map for providing
hotel services to customers.
Develop objective of map – This is the first step of developing and creating customer
experience map. In this organisation will lead to set proper objective that is beneficial for
customer as well as organisation. Objective of Holiday Inn company is to attract more and
more customers as well as provide high quality services.

Highlight target customers – Holiday Inn company is targeting customers of different
market area. Potential customers of respective company are traveller, business employees,
customers of vacation and many more. Target customers will lead to boost the performance
of organisation.
Analyse touch points – This organisation has classified its customer touch points on the
basis of before purchase, during purchase and after sales purchase. Touch points such as
social media, website, phone and email marketing, staff services are crucial in meeting with
objective.
Determine various resources – There are several resources required by company in order to
successfully create and implement customer experience map (Popa and Barna, 2013). The
major resources that is required by Holiday Inn company is human resource, financial
resource and other raw materials.
Make required changes – It is important for company to develop and create and effective
backup plan. Customer experience map is one of the crucial process in providing high quality
services to customers. Holiday Inn company must be ready to make necessary changes as per
the preference and requirement of customer.
P4. Discuss how the touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer
experience in your hospitality organisation.
Touch points can be describe as the way or techniques through which potential
customers can connect with organisation. This will very useful in providing high quality
services to customer as well as understanding their need and requirements. Touch points are
very supportive in enhancing communication of customer with company. Through touch
point Holiday Inn company can assist its potential customers before, after and during the
purchase of services. Touch point are very essential now a days due to high competitive
market area. Holiday Inn company will be able to provide high quality services to its
customers as well as develop strong relationship with them. Touch point that is identified in
creation of customer experience map can be consider as advantage for respective organisation
as this can be consider as huge opportunity for company. There are different types of touch
points that will help company in enhancing customer experience of Holiday Inn company.
Touch points that will lead to create opportunity for respective organisation is mention below
in detail.

Before purchase touch points – In this different types of touch points are considered
by Holiday Inn company such as social media, advertising methods, marketing activities,
word of mouth, ratings and reviews of other customers. Any customer will look any of these
touch point in order to take purchase decision. These touch points will lead to attract more
and more customers towards organisation and influence decision making process of
customers. Opportunity that is created by these touch point includes enhance sales of Holiday
Inn company.
During purchase touch points – It is crucial for organisation to provide different
types of touch points to customers that will lead to enhance their value and services (Benzarti
and Mili, 2017). During purchase touch points includes website of Holiday Inn company,
promotional activities, catalogue of organisation, staff member of company that support in
offering customer care. These touch point of Holiday Inn company will lead to support in
enhancing overall services of company as well as enhance experience of customers.
After purchase touch points – There are different types of after sales touch points
offered by company. It is very important for company to provide after purchase services to
customer as this will lead to boost the relationship of customers with organisation. Touch
points such as billing, Marketing emails, support services, follow ups and so on will lead to
create effective relationship between Holiday Inn company and its customers. These touch
point will provide opportunity of enhance loyal customers.
TASK 3
P5. Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience
within the service sector organisation, providing specific examples of customer
relationship management systems.
Digital technology play crucial role in develop and enhance customer relationship.
This will support company in improving quality of services as well as meeting with the need
and want of customers. Digital technology will lead to provide new possible opportunity for
customers and help in effective decision making. There are different tools and technology
that is associated with customer services and helps in enhancing the overall experience of
customers. Digital technology can be describe as the technology that is associated with
integration of business activities as well as more updated technology. This will lead to
support in offering high quality services to customers in better and effective manner. It is

essential for Holiday Inn company to use new and updated technology in its business process.
Impact of digital technology on customer experience with the services sector organisation
like Holiday Inn company is mention below.
Personalized customer experience – Digital technology will provide opportunity to
Holiday Inn company for offering personalized customer experience as well as meeting with
the needs of customers. This will help in boosting the performance of company and create
strong relationship with organisation. personalised customer care will lead to develop strong
relationship with customers.
Provide information - This technology includes various sources that is significant in
offering providing information to larger number of customers (Rosenbaum, Otalora and
Ramírez, 2017). Digital technology include social networking sites, blogs, online article and
many other sources. All of these sources will support in providing information to customers.
For example customer relationship management system will help organisation in
providing high quality customer care to customers. With the support for digital technology
Holiday Inn company can collect information about customers. Holiday Inn company also
keep record of its customers and this information can be use as providing services to
customers as per their preference and requirements.
TASK 4
P6. Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context.
It is very important for organisation to develop and create strategies that will help in
providing effective customer services. Holiday Inn company is dealing in hospitality sector
which is very competitive sector and in order to attract more customer and enhance its
services respective organisation needs to develop better strategies. Customer service
strategies can be refer as those strategies that will support in providing high quality services
to customer as well as develop string relationship with customers. Different strategies that
can be used by respective company in order to provide high quality customer services in hotel
services are mention below in detail.
Seek feedback from customers – Holiday Inn organisation needs to seek customer
feedback as this will help in identifying the actual needs of customers. Through feedback
organisation and its staff member will be able to identify its strength as well as weakness.

This strategy can be implemented by company by provide feedback forms or direct
communication with customers.
Strengthen customer services team – This company needs to provide right and accurate
training to its employees as this will help in provide high quality services to customers.
Holiday Inn organisation needs to focus on strengthen its staff member as well as customer
service team (White, 2016). So that they can conduct business activates in more effective and
efficient manner. This strategy will help in meeting with the expectation of customer and
enhancing quality of services.
P7. 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.
It is essential for organisation to create and develop strong customer services as this
will lead to growth and development of business. Customer services strategies are very
crucial for organisation develop strong strategies in order to gain more benefits. These
strategies will lead to have direct impact on customer experience as well as support
organisation in meeting with the needs of wants of customers. Strategies that is developed by
company will also help in full filling the requirements of business standards. Importance of
effective customer services for Holiday Inn company as well as customers are mention
below.
This will help in reducing the cost of business as well as earning more profits. With
the support of strong strategies respective organisation will be able to save the cost of
business for attracting and influencing more customers.
Effective and strong customer services will assist in providing high quality services to
customers as well as satisfying the requirement of customers. Holiday Inn company needs to
focus on creating and developing strong strategies as this will help in enhancing the overall
experience of customers. This will help respective organisation in gaining competitive
advantage over other rival companies.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concludes that it is essential for organisation to
provide high quality services to customers in order to meet with the expectation of customers.
Customer services play crucial role in develop strong relationship with customer and

enhancing loyalty of customers. Organisation needs to understand the needs of customers as
well as determine all those factors that have impact on customer experience. It is essential
that company is creating customer experience map as this will help in achieving objectives
and providing high quality services to customers. There are several digital technology
techniques that can be used by company for enhancing its services and accomplishing goal.
Customer service strategies will lead to have significant impact on business and its customer
base.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
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practices in the UK and Nigeria aviation industry. Interdisciplinary Studies Journal, 3(2),
p.72.
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Rosenbaum, M.S., Otalora, M.L. and Ramírez, G.C., 2017. How to create a realistic customer
journey map. Business Horizons, 60(1), pp.143-150.
Peppers, D. and Rogers, M., 2016. Managing customer experience and relationships: A
strategic framework. John Wiley & Sons.
Liotou, E., Tsolkas, D., Passas, N. and Merakos, L., 2015. Quality of experience management
in mobile cellular networks: key issues and design challenges. IEEE Communications
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