Role of Supplementary Services and Challenges of Using Intermediaries in Service Setting

Running Head: SERVICE MARKETING 1
Service Management

SERVICE MARKETING 2
Answer 1: Role of Supplementary Services to differentiate service:
There are two types of services which are offered by a service organization i.e. core services and
supplementary services. Core service provides the outcomes which are expected by the
customers justifying the related nominal charges. Apart from this, supplementary services are the
additional services which facilitate the use of organization’s core service. Supplementary
services play an important role in the organization to differentiate its core services from its
competitors in the service industry. For this discussion, Ramada Resort, Accra is taken into
consideration. Ramada Resort Accra is a beachside resort that is situated at Teshie-Nungua in a
major city of Ghana-Accra. It is the perfect location that offers different types of hospitality
services like holding meetings and conferences, social and business functions (Ramada Resort,
Accra, 2018). After its establishment in the year 1999, the service organization has expanded its
services and infrastructure to have 180 rooms and chalets, two restaurants, three conference
rooms, a bar, a spa, a gym, swimming pool and salon. It has employed 91 employees who
contribute to the peaceful aura of relaxation for its guests and visitors.
Currently, Ramada Resort, Accra is operating its business as a 3-star hotel and offering both core
and supplementary services to its guests and clients. It is promoting its services by using a slogan
“stay close to nature” that indicates its mission to provides the guests with a peaceful
environment for relaxation and offer western services with the best of Ghanaian hospitality.
Primarily, this service company seeks for attracting the incentives, meetings, events, conferences
and targets the business travellers to stay at their rooms (Etzel, 2015). The core service at
Ramada Resort is accommodation or stay in hotel rooms and space for business meetings and
conferences. Under its core service, it offers different categories of rooms like single chalet,
double chalet, executive chalet, single standard room, double standard room, twin room and
family villas.
Apart from this, supplementary services of the resort include the below-given services:
 Bar and restaurants
 Salon, gym and spa
 Laundry services
 Free breakfast
 Free Parking
 Outdoor swimming pool
 Airport shuttle
 Children’s playground
 Fitness centre
 Business centre

SERVICE MARKETING 3
 Hot Tub
 In-room services like satellite
television, Air-conditioning,
International Direct Dialling
telephones
 Working area in room
 Private balcony
 Travel Guide
 Pick-up and Drop-in facilities
At Ramada Hotel, supplementary services play an important role in differentiating the core
services from its competitors. Inclusion of supplementary services facilitates and enhances the
core services of this hotel. Thus, the service company has two types of supplementary services
i.e. facilitating supplementary services and enhancing supplementary services (Ladhari and
Michaud, 2015). Facilitating supplementary services are the services which are required for
delivering the service to guests and they assist in using the core service. Enhancing
supplementary services add additional value to the customers. At Ramada Resort, facilitating
services are information, payment, billing and order taking whereas enhancing services include
hospitality, consultation and safekeeping. By offering supplementary services, Ramada Resort is
able to add more value to its core accommodation services (Xu, and Gursoy, 205).
Being a part of full service at Ramada, supplementary services play a beneficial role in
developing interest and awareness among guests about its hospitality services. Through these
services, the resort is able to attract more guests by offering different benefits and comforts. For
instance, under information service people can get the service details, room category and prices
of rooms, location and packages from its website http://www.ramadaresortaccra.com/rooms. The
payment facilities are very easy and convenient at this resort as they offer various options to
facilitate the customer bill payment like credit card, debit card, net banking and on-the counter
(Cvelbar, Grün and Dolnicar, 2017). It attracts the customers towards its services as they feel
very convenient and comfortable.
In addition to this, one of the primary supplementary services at Ramada is quality of its
hospitality services that can enhance or decrease the guest satisfaction. The resort ensures that
effective training is provided to its employees so that they can treat with their guests nicely. It
provides quality food and room services to each and every guest. It assists the organization in
affecting the guest perception positively and increasing their repeat intention to visit Ramada