Managing Customer Experience in the Hospitality Industry: Cox & Kings

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within Cox & Kings, a prominent player in the hospitality industry. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and wants, identifying target markets, and the factors influencing customer engagement, such as privacy concerns, economic conditions, and social factors. The report then details the creation of a customer experience map for Cox & Kings, outlining various touchpoints and their impact on business opportunities. Furthermore, it examines the role of digital technology in customer relationship management and its influence on business expansion and customer retention. Finally, the report evaluates customer service strategies, providing recommendations for enhancing customer experience and meeting customer expectations in the competitive hospitality sector.

Managing customer
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................1
The values and importance of understanding needs and wants of target customers group....1
Different factors are drive and influences customers engagement of different target customer
group.......................................................................................................................................2
LO2..................................................................................................................................................3
Create customers experience map for the Cox & kings.........................................................3
Customers touch point are create the business opportunities.................................................5
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
The impact on digital technology on the customer’s relationships management...................6
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................8
Customer service strategies, evaluation and recommendations.............................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields. It includes event planning, theme
park, transportation and so on. Customer experience is the process which company uses to track,
oversee and organize every interaction between a customer and organisation through the
customer’s experience (Cook, 2017). That is played an important role in hospitality industry.
Present study is based on the “Cox & kings”. That has operations spread across 22 countries and
4 continents. Study lays emphasis on the values and importance of understanding needs, wants
and target customers group and different factors that are drive and influence customer
engagement of different target. Report will cover the customer experience map for services
sector and discuss how touch point create such opportunities by customers experience. Report
will show the digital technology is employed in managing customers experience within the
organisation. It also highlights the customers service strategy in the service's sector context and
how that help to create and develop the customer experience in way to meet the needs and wants
of customers.
LO1
The values and importance of understanding needs and wants of target customers group.
Needs and wants of the customers are very basic terms in the marketing and also in target
customers. Identify the target market helps to Cox & kings develop effective marketing
communication strategies. A target market is set of individual sharing similar needs or wants to
the Cox & kings hope to serve. Those are as follows:
Focus on potential
The Cox & kings manager are not able to reach out each and every customers time to
time. For that manager can identify and analysis the needs and wants of customers because by
that they able to understand their target market and make focus on potential customers. That is
help to improve profit and productivity of the company with the help of customers (Diffley,
McCole and Carvajal-Trujillo, 2018).
Reach to the right audience
Identify the target market is help to reach the right audience and customers. Like as the
customer’s experience manager of Cox and kings is important to understand the needs and wants
of customers then they are serves this services to the customers and build trust towards them and
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it is very important. Most of the time customers want the unique and different services from the
company. In that case company have to give and provide this and by this customers are happy.
This make the best and effective customers experience of customers towards the Cox & kings
tour and travel company.
So that it is very important to understand the needs and wants of customers. This help to
make best experience and build trust of customers. Customers are satisfied by this and improve
profits and productivity of the company.
Different factors are drive and influences customers engagement of different target customer
group.
Customers engagement is a business communication between the customers and brand.
Highly engaged customers are support to build brand image at the marketplace and also help to
make the effective and valuable. It is important component for the company which is customers
engagement. There are various factors which influences the customer’s engagement of target
group of peoples. Those are as follows:
Privacy concerns
Privacy concern always influences the customer engagement because customers wants
safety and privacy concerns at the times of the travel (Homburg, Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). In that
as the customers experience manager of Cox & kings have taken care of the customer privacy
and safe concerns. They have to give and private safety to their customer’s according to their
needs and wants. In the absence of privacy customers are affecting and influence the target
customers. This help to build trust of customers towards the Cox & kings and improve its
productivity in high manner.
Economic factor
Economic factors are influence the customer’s satisfaction and engagement. That is
influences highly and that give negative impact on the customers. in that case customers
experience manager of the Cox & kings have to make planning according to the economic
conditions. That is holds true and especially for the purchases of the package of holidays. A
positive economic condition is making customers more confident and willing for purchases
(Kandampully, Zhang and Jaakkola, 2018).
Social factor
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Social factor includes the lifestyle of peoples. That are affect and influences the customer
engagement at different age group of people because of every age group have their own lifestyle
and wants at the time of travel. For that customer experience manager have to satisfied to every
age group peoples as per their needs and class. Middles class families are not afforded high
expenses. In that they are had to give best services to the customers and that are help to make the
long relations with the customers.
Those are help to make the effective and valuable for the company. Those factors are
influences the customer's engagement at different target customer.
LO2
Create customers experience map for the Cox & kings.
Customers experience mapping is essential and foremost for the tour and travel industry.
it is helpful and beneficial for marketer of the company to evaluate their services and the gain
experience. They are providing the potential customers.
Basis Research Decision
making
Pre
purchase
services
and
channels
Bookings In room Post
purchase
services
and
channels
Customers
engagement
Custo
mers
activit
y
Online
advertise
ment,
magazine
s and
newspape
rs
At this stage
customers
are taking
And make
decisions
about which
is best and
fits about
from the
various
options. For
At this
stage
customers
are ask and
FAQs or
queries
related to
their
booking
and
location.
After
selecting
best one
options they
are books
their flight,
rooms cabs
according to
their budget
prices and
range, and
At that
they are
experienc
e and
enjoy the
services
(Kumar,
Rajan,
Gupta
and Dalla
Pozza,
The
behaviour
of
customers
and all
their
activities
experience
the product
and
services.
At this, customers
are engaged with
the company and
give reviews and
feedbacks to
manager. Those are
help to make
changes according
to the customer’s
needs and wants.
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that they are
compare
various tour
and travel
sector
company.
also done
payment
either online
or offline.
2019). Customers
satisfied by
the services
then it are
help to
build
loyalty
towards the
company.
Touch
point
Social
media
and mail
Id
Websites Tour and
ticket
detail page
(Lemon
and
Verhoef,
2016)
Booking by
the
wholesalers
and online
and their
payment
mode online
and modern
booking
system.
Customers
are payment
by the
online by
the mobile
app and
company
sites.
Website
call tour
guide
Agency
and staff
Websites visiting
and social media.
Feelin
gs and
point
of
At that
customer
s are
heard
There are
not
comparable
because of
The
service's
department
not
The process
of booking
is easy but I
face some
Rooms
are clean
and
comforta
Experience
and
feelings are
some
I am very
impressed by the
social media
updates.
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view about the
company
in good
manner
and also
check
review
on the
official
websites.
That are
presentab
le that are
attracted
to me and
customer
s as well.
tools and
techniques
are not
available for
that.
respond
kindly and
they are
not
cooperative
difficulties
in the
bookings
and from
the smart
devices
(Customer
journey
map, 2017).
ble.
Other
services
and
facilities
are also
goods
which are
provided
by the
company.
services are
goods and
fine.
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Customers touch point are create the business opportunities.
Customer touch point is creating the opportunities for the business and also for industry.
That is as follows:
Websites
It is one of the important touch points for the guest and customers and also for the
company. That affect to brand image and goodwill of company most of the customers are
checked and analyses companies information gets from the company's official websites and
online resources. The information is attractive and presentable then customers are attracted
towards the company regarding their services and prices. By that this helps to enhance the
business opportunities (Shi and et.al., 2018).
Staff and sales team
Staff and sales team most important for the business and also for attracting customers by
providing effective and valuable services. At that customers are being touched with the staff
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Illustration 1: Customers journey map
(source: Customer journey map, 2017)

from the point they finalise bookings for the Cox & kings. It is essential for industry to hire and
select eligible candidates and staff for company. Those are created and increased opportunities
for business.
Social media
It helps the company to attract the customers and it is very important for the company.
Nowadays people are very attracted and active on social media. By that they are get updates for
products and services which are provided by the company. By this social media is helps to
increase the business opportunities for the company and also build and enhanced customer's trust
and loyalty (So and et. al., 2016).
LO 3
The impact on digital technology on the customer’s relationships management
Customer’s relation management
For expanding the new business and also developing the structure and skills of the Cox
and kings its important to adopt the new digital technology which help the company for
expanding and growth of the business. it also expands the structure ad operations of the business
and it also rely on the business tools for the availability of the customers in the Cox and kings. It
also retains the base of the customers and also brings out the solutions of the customers relation
management. The main aim and focus of the CRM are to providing the best services and
specialized, such as travel and tourism. It is more useful and significant for the Cox and kings.
For growing in the travel industry, it specializes the base and structure of the travel and tourism
It includes some needs and functions which meet their precise;
Digital assistant provides a great customer knowledge: -
Nowadays more and more consumers are turning to the digital technology; from it
activated the voice for assisting the employees with every day. In this new technology it’s easy
for Cox and kings for working because of new technology it easier the work and lower the
burden of the work. for taking the best experience it’s easy for both the organization and
customers because its helps them for getting the best experience because it concerns for keeping
them truly experiences and also get in touch with the customers (Sota, Chaudhry and Srivastava,
2019).
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For example, in this cox and king it provides the new technology to the customers such as
it provides the facility of the voice-assisted where customers can easily tell everything which is
related to the services such as ordered anything, relate to some issues and problems regarding to
their services which can attract and retain the new and existing customers by providing them new
technology services.
Customer database
From customers database it is very useful for the Cox and kings for collecting the data
and information which helps the organization for generate their interest and providing the offers
of the Cox and kings. Customer relation management gives business the database of the
customers which enables both employees and agents for tracking the information which is
related to the customers and clients. These types of database include the information such as the
addresses, name, phone numbers, financial information’s, previous booking in the hotel,
communication etc. from uses of this information Cox and kings can easily follow the needs and
demand of the customers more effectively. It can also understand the history and easily provide
the personalized services to the customers.
For example, Cox and kings has a feature of the customer database where it collects the
information and data about customers such as e-mail, phone numbers where it can send all the
information regarding discounts and offers.
Boucher’s management
Nowadays people use the technology in all the areas for their lives, and also include the
planning of the travelling. Despite the uses of the digital technology travel Boucher’s is one of
the main and important part of the travelling it is an effective marketing tool of the Cox and
kings because from this it delivers the information about the services of the Cox and kings in
easy ways (Venkatesan, 2017). Customer relation management provides a software tool and
feature which helps the employees for letting know the services about the Cox and kings to the
customers. It also assigns the agents and agencies for managing the orders of the company and
Boucher’s.
For example, Cox and kings provides a facility of the Boucher’s to their customers so that they
can remember the place and also visit that place because it delivers the information about hotel
and lunge's.
Complaint management
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It is a type of feature where customers can easily give the numbers to the Cox and kings
by their experiences. There are so many times when complaint and issues of the customers can
overlook and fall through the cracks. Cox and kings can specific relate to the customer service
relation which allows the services of the companies for handling the issues and complaints of the
customers. From assigning the agents it can track the strategies implemented, complaints, issue
resolution. Al the information gets stored in the CRM database which tracked by the agents then
implement on the issues which can satisfied the needs of the customers and help the Cox and
kings for tracking the recurrent issues which can determine the long-term solutions for the
customers in the travel industry (Diffley, 2018).
For example, cox and kings make a complaint facility which manages by the assistant where
customers can share their problems and issues regarding to the services and customer relation
management can implement on that for giving them satisfaction about the services.
Additional features
In the time of digital technology there are so many additional features which can be
provided by the Cox and kings such as customer relation management help the companies for
getting the new customers and retain customers, it also enhances the productivity. Cox and kings
manage the operations and structure of their own form the additional features of the company
such as the support of the multiple agents, stay connected with the customers, it also supported
when customers’ needs it and always connected with the customers through the communication.
For example, cox and kings provide the facility of the additional features such as it supports
multiple agents, for stay connected with the customers where it can fill the demand and needs of
the customers for satisfying them.
LO 4
Customer service strategies, evaluation and recommendations.
Customers are very important for each and every business and needs to be top priority for
any organization. In order to be competitive and successful it is very essential for Cox and Kings
to provide effective services to their customers. In the present era, consumers do not just buy
services or products, their buying decisions revolve around purchasing an experience and an
idea. There are various strategies related to customer services which can be used by Cox and
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Kings to increase customer satisfaction by improving customer experience (Homburg, 2017).
These strategies are described as below –
1. Seeking feedback from customers – For providing the best services to the customers it is
important to understand their needs, experience and pain points. In order to know this
information, the company can use various strategies such as telephone survey, feedback via
emails. Other than this Cox and Kings can develop is customer complaint system to gather any
issues related to their services. It can help the company to resolve the issues by eliminating
negative experience points and improving the services with the help of feedbacks or reviews
collected.
Recommendation – Cox and Kings can use different channels such as live chats, phone and
tickets to take feedback from their customers 24/7.
2. Using CRM platforms – Many organizations in tourism sector face difficulty in maintaining
coordination among the departments or employees. Using smart CRM system can assist the
organization to ensure each and every department is on the same page eliminating any confusion.
It can be very effective in providing high quality services to the customers. The CRM system can
help organization to know the needs of their customers in a better way which can be used to boost
customer satisfaction (Kandampully, 2018).
Recommendation – Many CRM platforms are available for mobile devices, computers and
other devices which can be used by Cox and Kings managers in order to manage their customers
from anywhere all around the world.
3. Leverage multi-channel servicing – Most of the people nowadays prefer to buy products or
services which are available on multiple channels. These channels include social media, mobile
devices, self service etc. It provides ease to the customers in checking the products or services
from their home; it also helps in reducing the gap between the service provider and the consumer.
Customers can also provide feedbacks or review easily through these channels which are
beneficial for improvement of services and customer satisfaction.
Recommendation – Cox and Kings can use the power of social media to eliminate the gap
between the company and its customers by improving the response times on social media queries
and providing effective solutions to the customers.
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Effective customer service strategies can assist Cox and Kings to build trust, gain
customer loyalty, improve brand awareness, attract new customers and rive sales through higher
customer service standards.
CONCLUSION
Customers experience term refer to the perceptions of the customer. it makes good
relationship with customers is good for the results of the brand and through customers interacts
with the brand. It means managing the customers through online and offline and provide them all
the facility and services. This report will conclude the needs and expectations of the market
segments for the service industry and also the map of the customer experience map for creating
the opportunities of business and optimize the touch points of the customers. Furthermore, it will
conclude the impact of the digital technology in customer relation management and also it
applies the effective customers experience management within a service sector for maximizing
the customer’s engagement to the organization.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cook, S., 2017. Measuring customer service effectiveness. Routledge.
Diffley, S., McCole, P. and Carvajal-Trujillo, E., 2018. Examining social customer relationship
management among Irish hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 30(2), pp.1072-1091.
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.
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. and Jaakkola, E., 2018. Customer experience management in
hospitality: A literature synthesis, new understanding and research agenda. International
Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 30(1). pp.21-56.
Kumar, V., Rajan, B., Gupta, S. and Dalla Pozza, I., 2019. Customer engagement in service.
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 47(1), pp.138-160.
Lemon, K. N. and Verhoef, P. C., 2016. Understanding customer experience throughout the
customer journey. Journal of Marketing. 80(6). pp.69-96.
Shi and et.al., 2018. The impact of perceived online service quality on swift guanxi: implications
for customer repurchase intention. Internet Research, 28(2), pp.432-455.
So and et. al., 2016. The role of customer engagement in building consumer loyalty to tourism
brands. Journal of Travel Research. 55(1). pp.64-78.
Sota, S., Chaudhry, H. and Srivastava, M.K., 2019. Customer relationship management research
in hospitality industry: a review and classification. Journal of Hospitality Marketing &
Management, pp.1-26.
Venkatesan, R., 2017. Executing on a customer engagement strategy.
ONLINE
Customer journey map. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.sailthru.com/marketing-blog/written-customer-journey-mapping-need-to-
know/>
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