Optimizing Customer Experience: A Study of Al Fresco Restaurant

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within the service sector, using Al Fresco Restaurant as a case study. It delves into understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences, exploring factors that drive customer engagement. The report includes a customer experience map for Al Fresco, highlighting touchpoints and business opportunities. It examines the role of digital technology and CRM systems in managing customer interactions and outlines customer service strategies to meet customer needs and business standards. The analysis emphasizes the importance of creating a positive customer journey to enhance loyalty and drive business growth for Al Fresco Restaurant.

Exploring how to
manage the customer
experience
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
Understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target customer groups..............................3
Various factors that drive and influence customer engagement..................................................5
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation............................6
Discuss how the customer touch-points throughout the customer experience create business
opportunities for a selected service sector organisation..............................................................8
Task 3...............................................................................................................................................9
Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector, providing specific examples of customer relationship management (CRM)
systems.........................................................................................................................................9
Task 4.............................................................................................................................................11
Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context.................................11
Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a
way that meets the needs of the customer and required business standards..............................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTION
Customer experience (CX) is extremely valuable to businesses. The interactions that a customer has with a
brand as a whole throughout all stages of the consumer journey are referred to as customer experience. It
encompasses everything about a company that influences a customer's feelings and views about it. That is why
providing a positive client experience is a major goal for every company. Customers that have a positive experience
with a company enhance revenue and reduce attrition (Dyankov, 2020). The Al Fresco Restaurant is the subject of
this assignment. It is a well-known restaurant that specializes on Italian cuisine and pizzas. It offers a variety of
services, including dine-in, no-contact delivery, and takeaway. It is a corporation situated in London. The needs and
wants of target consumer groups, as well as elements that can drive and impact customer involvement, will be
discussed in this assignment. Also creating a customer experience map is done. Furthermore, it will cover customer
touch points, allowing businesses to seize chances. The importance of digital technology in customer experience
management cannot be overstated. It will also establish customer service strategies that will be able to meet client
requests and wants.
TASK 1
Understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target customer groups.
Understanding the requirements, goals, and preferences of customers is critical for every company.
Consumer perceptions, whether conscious or subconscious, after consuming an organization's goods and services, as
a result of all encounters with employees, staff members (waiters, guards, chefs, and others) during his journey. It
exhibits a high level of client satisfaction while fostering a positive relationship with a specific brand. Customer
experience management entails not only providing excellent service, but also gaining a thorough understanding of
consumers' needs, wants, and preferences. In the case of Al Fresco Restaurant, when they have a thorough
understanding of their customers, they can provide them with the finest possible service and a tailored experience
(Vidili, 2021). It will keep them loyal to the company and allow for word-of-mouth advertising if they enjoy the
services, which is quite valuable to the restaurant.
.
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The term "needs" refers to a person's physical requirements for survival, such as food,
water, air, shelter, and sleep. Belonging, self-fulfillment, self-esteem, security, and a variety of
other emotional and social needs are all important for mental serenity and wellness. With the
inclusion of Al Fresco Restaurant, it is critical for them to understand their consumers' basic
needs in order to impact their purchasing decisions with the brand (Bonfanti, Vigolo and
Yfantidou, 2021). For example, a customer came into the restaurant requesting hot and cold
water, which is required by them.
Consumer desires establish desired options and preferences for certain methods of
meeting requirements. Buyers have a general need for certain goods, services, and even brands
from which they can fulfil their desires in a specific manner. Assume a restaurant patron is
thirsty and seeking a sweet and refreshing cocktail with a distinct flavour profile, such as a
"lemon mojito."
As a result, organisations must understand their consumers' requirements, wants, and
preferences in order to give higher levels of satisfaction with their services or products. It's vital
to remember that while requirements are usually basic, wants are fueled by social factors such as
when a person is inspired by another person, such as a celebrity or ideal person. It's also crucial
to recognise that various customers have distinct desires and interests. In addition, Al Fresco can
offer light on the development of marketing strategies by knowing the demands and wishes of
their clients. As a result, societal and commercial factors can affect and stimulate consumer
demands and desires.
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Target market- It identifies a defined group of customers to whom the organisation should
market (Pekovic and Rolland, 2020). The corporation divides its clients into several categories
into which they can focus their efforts and energy in order to create and sustain relationships
with the target customers. In the case of Al Fresco, they divide markets into many groups, such
as:
• Demographic: This includes information such as income, age, marital status, gender, status,
education, religion, and family life.
• Behaviour: This refers to the advantages derived from the goods and services, as well as
consumer loyalty to the brand, usage factors, and so on.
• Pschographics: This term refers to values, attitudes, beliefs, hobbies, and lifestyles, among
other things.
Various factors that drive and influence customer engagement.
Customer engagement refers to the emotional connection that exists between a customer
and a brand. When a consumer is strongly engaged with a brand, they are more likely to buy
more products and services, promote more on their behalf, and demonstrate brand loyalty
(González-Mansilla, Berenguer-Contr, and Serra-Cantallops, 2019). It is critical for the
organisation to give buyers with a high-quality customer experience.
In the case of Al Fresco Restaurant, the more customers interact with the company, the
greater the beneficial influence on customer loyalty. To improve consumer engagement, the
chosen organisation must engage in a variety of techniques. The brand-new customer onboarding
plan is a successful strategy that is chosen by the brand-new customer.
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Brand on boarding: It refers to the consumer journey that a customer goes through from
the beginning to the end in order to use an offering. It includes several client encounters and
involvement with the goal of increasing customer satisfaction and encouraging a long-term
relationship (Manthiou, 2020). With relation to Al Fresco Restaurant, there are five effective
customer engagement tactics that may be implemented, including asking questions, getting to
know the customer, identifying issues, ensuring a seamless sales handoff, and establishing long-
term objectives.
The following are two major variables that can help a brand's client engagement:
 Go above and beyond what they expect: The chosen company concentrates on the brand
and consumer loyalty in order to establish and create consumer engagement in an
organisation. Consumers are curious in what that particular brand offers and how it
differs from other brands. Organizations identify the products and services that may best
meet their needs, as well as those that go above and beyond. If a restaurant, for example,
delivers services on time or ahead of schedule, it creates an impression that exceeds client
expectations.
Task 2
Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation
The customer experience map can be defined as a set of factors comprises of various
elements that tend to be effective and vital for providing and delivering a high quality products
and services for the customers of a firm. It is essential and vital for the Al Fresco Restaurant to
create and make efficient use of the customer experience map to ensure that it focus and
emphasis on all the vital customer journey touchpoints that a customer could or does have
expected from an organisation along with leading an effective interactions and focus on elements
that take place at each touchpoint (Pour, Hosseinzadeh and Mansouri, 2021). Thus, the main aim
and focus of creating Customer experience maps by the service sector organisation tend to
include many benefits for the overall health and success of a service sector business. Therefore,
it is also essential and vital for the Al Fresco Restaurant that it must conduct effective customer
experience map to ensure improved success and effective business performance for this service
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sector organisation. Along with this, a customer’s experience map also helps and supports in
looking further at creating an improved brand image by the way of meeting all the touch points
of customer’s experience along with encouraging the large number of channels to effective
interact and communicate with the customers. Beside this, Al Fresco Restaurant is having its
business operations within the hospitality industry thus, it has become much more important and
vital for this organisation to meet all the requirements and satisfaction level of its customers
(Youniss, 2021). The customer experience map in context of the Al Fresco Restaurant has been
provided below along with this discussion about its all vital elements and touchpoints which
support better quality services for the customers:
 Research- This element of customer experience map comprises of leading out effective
market research to have better underdoing about the key expectation and wants of the
customers. In context of the, Al Fresco Restaurant it has been analysed that use of various
marketing research tools has been made to get a better glimpse of the current market
trends and wants and needs of customers.
 Booking- The next step of the consumer experience map comprise of the making of the
booking by the customers based on their analysis and review about the service quality of
the Al Fresco Restaurant (Lo, 2020).
 Pre arrival and check in- This stage of customer experience map comprises of reviewing
he confirmation of booking which Is vital to have a string relationship with the customer
by Al Fresco Restaurant.
 Customer experience- It forms out the main and most vital stage of the customer
experience map that consists of proving effective services and improved facility to
customers by the Al Fresco Restaurant. A clean and tidy rooms along with proper
function of all machines and systems along with healthy and tasty food are some key
aspects and elements that are made by Al Fresco Restaurant to enhance the overall
experience level of customers. Further, meeting of the customer touch points that
comprises of the brand promise, brand story, innovation, purchase moment, and better
quality product and service also tend to support the improved consumer experience for
the customers of Al Fresco Restaurant.
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 Check Out- It is the final stage of the customer experience man and customer will check
out from Al Fresco Restaurant at this point after getting satisfied with the services of the
Al Fresco Restaurant (Quach and et. al., 2020).
Discuss how the customer touch-points throughout the customer experience create business
opportunities for a selected service sector organisation
The customer touch points comprise of the key aspects and elements that plays a vital role
in enhancing the success and productivity level of the organisation through meeting the set
expectations and needs of the customers. Further, effectively analysing and reviewing the
customer touch points comprises of the effectively meeting the customer needs and demands
therefore improved business opportunity for the organisation. It has been seen and analysed that
the customer touch points create enhanced business opportunity for the Al Fresco Restaurant
through ensuring effective market research to determine and review the main customers’ needs
and expectation along with it also help in setting the customer touchpoints (Dyankov, 2020).
Along with this regular market research also supports and lades to efficient grabbing of the
prevailing opportunity within the business environment of the Al Fresco Restaurant along with
eliminating the risk of threats through supporting formulation of more effective business strategy
and tactics. Beside this, the implication and use of the customer experience map also supports a
better underdoing about the nature and trends of market which supports creation of effective
customer journey map to have improved result and higher business performance. The customers
journey map of the Al Fresco Restaurant has been provided as below that is supporting and
emphasising ion meeting and maximizing the efficiency of customer touch point to have higher
growth opportunity and success through meeting of the needs and wants of customers.
Customer Journey map
a rising risk and threat of increasing competition is being faced by hospitality industry
that is also creating many issues and challenges for Al Fresco Restaurant. Thus having and
setting an effective customer journey map has become vital to meet and fulfil all the expectation
level of the customers along with supporting effective service quality
 Set target- This step comprises of setting efficient target and objective by the Al Fresco
Restaurant which comprises of having higher profitability level and success rate (How To
Make A Customer Journey Map In 7 Steps, 2020).
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 Create byer personas- It includes a specific customer segment that Al Fresco Restaurant
wants to target based on their background, demographic, lifestyle and personality level.
At present, the Al Fresco Restaurant is aiming to target young people along with family
customers to have enhanced success and business productivity (Vidili, 2021).
 Identify motivations and pain points- The motivation for the customers of Al Fresco
Restaurant comprises of providing a safe and healthy arear along with tasty and healthier
food products. Ineffective communication can be taken as main pain point for Al Fresco
Restaurant.
 Maximize touchpoints- After identifying the motivations the next step is focusing more
on the customer’s touch points which consists of the brand promise, brand story,
innovation, purchase moment, and consumer experience to enhance the service quality
and experience level of customers.
Based on above customer journey map it has been analysed and seen that setting target
customers is vital to ensure that all the needs and expectation of a specific group has been
effectively meet by Al Fresco Restaurant which leads to enhanced growth opportunity. Further,
creating buyer personas also support leading to enhanced information about buyers so that an
improved level of quality service can be provided to them along with having better implication
and analysis of customer’s touch points (Bonfanti, Vigolo and Yfantidou, 2021). Beside this, it
has been also analysed that making of the higher investing in customer touch points by Al Fresco
Restaurant will helps in increasing the overall customer experiences as well as significant meet
with the demand of customers. Further, the meeting of the set customer touch points comprises
of brand promise, brand story, innovation, purchase moment, and consumer experience would
provide opportunity to develop strong and effective relationship with potential customers. Thus,
setting and meeting of customers touch points leads to improved growth opportunity for the Al
Fresco Restaurant by the way of increasing sales and profitability level along with building
improved relationship with the customer based on effective communication and interaction level
(Pekovic and Rolland, 2020).
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Task 3
Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience within the
service sector, providing specific examples of customer relationship management (CRM)
systems.
It has been analysed and seen that Digital technology has transformed the consumer habits
through leading enhanced use of the Mobile devices, apps, machine learning, automation and
much more that allow customers to get and thus ensures a more effective and better management
of customer experience by the business organisation. Further, it has been analysed and seen that
the Digital technology tend to provide a better channel and platform for the Al Fresco Restaurant
which helps this business to effectively understand about the customers' problems, aspirations,
and expectations level along with facilitating a much quicker resolution and providing tailor-
made solutions according to personal expectations of the customers (Manthiou, 2020). Thus, a
review can be made that a vital and significant role is being played by the digital technology in
managing the customer experience within the service sector along with supporting and leading
out an improved customer relationship management (CRM) systems within the Al Fresco
Restaurant. Further, the concept of the Customer relationship management (CRM) comprises of
making use of the efficient technology by the Al Fresco Restaurant for effectively managing it’s
all company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. Further, the
goal of making use of the CRM systems and digital technology comprises of the having the
improvement within the business relationship along with ensuring that the companies stay
connected to customers and also helps in streamlining the processes, and improve the overall
profitability level. Along with this, the main importance and benefits of making use of the digital
technology in managing the customer experience within the service sector has been provided
below in context of the Al Fresco Restaurant:
 Provide a multichannel experience- The main benefit and advantage of making use of
the digital technology by the Al Fresco Restaurant comprises of the fact that it supports
and leads to a multichannel experience for its customers. The use of digital channels
leads to better incorporation of the mobile features and the real-time sharing of photos
and videos in order to provide more contextual information to the customers of Al
Fresco Restaurant thus supports and leads to better and more positive customer
relationship (Popli and Rishi, 2021).
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 Supports efficient use of the chat bots- the use of digital technology supports the use of
Chat bots which provides the latest revolution in the business landscape and leads to AI-
powered chat bots to effectively handle the customer service functions. Use of these
virtual assistants by the Al Fresco Restaurant is vital in fulfilling the customer’s demand
and supports getting instant service support from a business. Along with this, Chat bots
are easy to deploy for a business and can provide instant support via voice, mobile app,
instant messaging, SMS, or website (How these 5 technologies are improving the
customer experience journey, 2017). Thus, these chat bots tend to promise quick
response times, customer queries are handled efficiently, improving customer
satisfaction and experience within the Al Fresco Restaurant which leads to creation of
improved customer management relation system to have higher productivity and
performance level.
 Big data analytics- It has been analysed and seen that the digital technology tend to
support the better use and implication of the big data analytics within Al Fresco
Restaurant which supports growing businesses in a conveniently way by the way of
supporting and leading the effective gathering and collection of the useful insights into
consumer preferences and behaviours that help them provide personalised services.
Along with this, the use of digital technology also supports and leads to the improved
nature of personalisation for the Al Fresco Restaurant which helps this business to build
a loyal customer base and improve revenues over the long term (Lecoeuvre, Turner and
Kuppelwieser, 2021).
Task 4
Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context
Customer service strategy tend to comprises of the action plan and vital tactics that are
being adopted and used by the Al Fresco Restaurant to provide high quality service and meeting
the expectation level of customers. Having efficient customer service strategy helps the Al
Fresco Restaurant to have better review and analysis of the customers’ needs to enhance the
overall performance and success level of the business. The main customer service strategies at
are illustrated and adopted by the Al Fresco Restaurant to offer better quality service and
handling and meeting the expectation of the consumer are listed and discussed as below:
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 Regular Communication and feedback- It is vital and essential for the Al Fresco
Restaurant to have effective and regular communication with the customers which is an
effective customer service strategy that supports better reviews and analysis of the
customer’s needs. Along with this, taking regular feedback also helps in meeting the
expectation level of customers through supporting accurate communication and
interaction level to ensure meeting of their expectation through providing high quality
services (Reddipalli, 2020).
 Personalised customer experience and services- Another effective customer service
strategy comprises of providing of the personalised customer experience to customers as
it ensures significant and effective meeting of all the specific customer needs and
expectation level. The Al Fresco Restaurant is providing tailored and customized
personalised experience to its customers through developing constant interaction to
ensure that the needs and requirements of all customers are meet in effective manner.
Further, meeting of personalised needs would also creates an improved level of brad
image and positive impact of Al Fresco Restaurant in the minds of customers that ensures
higher productivity and success level for this firm.
 Making use of IoT- Numerous research and reviews had reflected that the businesses
will be the greatest beneficiaries and adopters of IoT solutions in modern times which has
also become a vital customer service strategy for business organisation now a day. It has
been seen that making use of IoT solutions by the Al Fresco Restaurant helps the
businesses lower down its operational costs, and increase productivity and expansion
thus, businesses are actively adopting such solutions to engage customers with delightful
experiences. Beside this, it has been also observed that IoT solutions also enable the Al
Fresco Restaurant to deploy effective promotional campaigns across different platform
through a relationship between digital and real world activities that tend to have a great
potential and positive impact in attracting the consumers towards a business service or
product and also ensures meeting of their expectation level (Pleyers and Poncin, 2020).
Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a
way that meets the needs of the customer and required business standards.
It has been analysed and reviewed that the creation of the customer service strategy and
developing the customer experience supports an efficient way that meets the needs of the
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customer and required business standards. The factors that is presenting the vital and positive
role of creating customer service strategies in developing and meeting customer experiencing
along with supporting effective ways for Al Fresco Restaurant that meets the needs of the
customer and required business standards are listed and provided as below:
Increase in revenues- It has been seen that creating of the high quality customer service
strategy that comprises of effective communication and regular feedback ensures increase revue
for Al Fresco Restaurant by the way of enhancing satisfaction level of the customers. Leading
effective communication and interaction ensures better awareness about the customers’ needs
and wants and personalised customers service strategy ensures their effective implication there
for attract and cater interest of larger number of customer that results in form of increased
revenue for Al Fresco Restaurant (Waqas, Hamzah and Salleh, 2021).
Develop positive brand reputation- Another vital role of creating and developing effective
customer services by the Al Fresco Restaurant comprises of the fact that it supports a more
effective development of positive brand image based on moth of words of customers whose
expectation and satisfaction level are dually meet at Al Fresco Restaurant. Further, it has been
seen that effective customers service strategy creates a positive mind set on the customers leads
and also ensures improved marketing through serving personalised needs thus, creates and leads
to better brand reputation for the Al Fresco Restaurant.
Retain customers- Effectively meeting of the customers’ needs and expectation level
ensures and leads to creation of positive zeal and enhance the loyalty level of customers which
ensures higher retention rate of customers for Al Fresco Restaurant. Along with this, offering
personalised customer service by the Al Fresco Restaurant also creates a sense of higher
importance and reflects improved commitment level of the firms which directs and motivates
customer to come back for the availing the services of Al Fresco Restaurant. Therefore, creation
of effective customer services strategy and meeting of customer expectation by the Al Fresco
Restaurant leads to an effective way to ensure improved business standards and higher
performance and success level (Quach and et. al., 2020).
Conclusion
On the basis of above report, a conclusion can be made that it is important and vital for a
company to successfully and effectively meets the expectation level of customer along with
properly managing the customer’s services. Further, it has been summarised that various
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advantages and benefits that are enjoyed by a firm through meeting of set customer expectation.
Along with this, a conclusion about the role of customer experience and journey map in
enhancing the service quality level and identifying and meeting the customer needs has been also
evaluated. Finally, a conclusion is made that digital technology supports improved customer
management along with the benefits of customer service strategy in leading higher revenue and
retention of customers.
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