Customer Experience Management Strategies for Hilton Hotels Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within Hilton Hotels. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences across various target groups, followed by an exploration of factors that drive and influence customer engagement. The report then delves into customer on-boarding strategies and the creation of a customer experience map, highlighting key touchpoints and business opportunities. Furthermore, it examines the role of digital technology, including CRM systems, in managing customer experience. Finally, the report illustrates customer service strategies, providing recommendations for improvement and concluding with a review of Hilton's approach to customer engagement and satisfaction.

Managing customer
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Value and importance of understanding needs, wants and preferences of target customer
groups for Hilton.........................................................................................................................1
P2. Exploring different factors that drives and influence customer engagement of different
target customer groups within Hilton..........................................................................................2
M1. Reviewing customer engagement factors determining customer on-boarding strategies for
different target customer groups within Hilton...........................................................................3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................3
P3. Creating customer experience map for Hilton......................................................................3
P4. Customer touchpoints throughout customer experience creating business opportunities....5
M2. Creating detailed customer experience map........................................................................6
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
P5. Examining digital technology employed in managing customer experience with examples
of CRM........................................................................................................................................6
M3. Evaluating digital technologies employed in managing experience that are changing
CRM systems to acquire and retain customers...........................................................................7
LO 4.................................................................................................................................................7
P6. Illustrating customer service strategy in Hilton....................................................................7
P7. Demonstrating customer service strategies and customer experience that meets needs of
customers.....................................................................................................................................8
M4. Reviewing application of customer service strategies of Hilton and recommendations for
improvement...............................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The term customer experience is defined as integral part in terms of customer relationship
management and it is very significant to every type of business (Baker, 2016). In this report,
Hilton has been taken into consideration. It is a global trend and leading hospitality industry that
was founded by Conard Hilton.
Thus, in the following report, various target group customers has been discussed. Hence,
various factors that influences the engagement of customers has also been discussed. Further,
customer experience map has created and touchpoints has been discussed. In addition to this, this
report also highlights on the digital technology that manages the customer experience with help
of an example of CRM system.
LO 1
P1. Value and importance of understanding needs, wants and preferences of target customer
groups for Hilton.
Understanding the needs and preference of customers plays very important role either in
terms of selling product or offering service to them (Bilgihan, 2016). Hilton can only satisfy the
customers desires if the company can understand the needs and requirements of them in clear
manner. Thus, it is discussed as per the below table-
Customer type Needs and wants
Business person Wi-Fi
Nappy changing
facilities
Pool side service
Mobile telephone
charging points
Crayons and colouring
books.
Meeting Rooms
Couple on a first date Terrible customer
service
Bottle warmers
Candlelight
No garlic in the dishes
Soft Music
Unpleasant smell from
the drains.
College student Space to work Wi-Fi Unpleasant smells
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Pool side service Over-priced poor
quality food
from Drains
Comfortable sofas to
sit on
Further, Hilton can also offer the business person with pick and drop service. This will
help them in easily go for the meeting wherever and whenever they have to go. This helps the
business person to reach the place without any kind of trouble.
For couples they can provide with complimentary gifts that may attract them towards the
particular hotel. They must also treat couple with great respect by offering them with special
dates on the poolside with romantic arrangements.
In addition to this, for college students, the cited company can offer with appreciation
like bottle of water, small pack of mints or a puzzle. This attracts the college students towards
the brand as they are visiting with their college group of friends.
P2. Exploring different factors that drives and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups within Hilton.
The term customer engagement refers to as the communication connection of business
between external customer or brand with the help of various channels (Homburg, Jozić and
Kuehnl, 2017). Thus, the connection that occurs is based on reaction, interaction, effect and
overall customer experience that takes place either online or offline. Thus, the factors that may
drive the customer engagement towards Hilton is discussed as per below context-
 Being Available all the times- nowadays, there is extreme trend of Social media, so
customers expect from the particular brand to remain available 24*7. Therefore, the cited
company must try to remain connected to each and every customers. This will help in
engaging large volume of people towards Hilton.
 Changing Social Conversations- Hilton must change their way of conveying of social
media. They must use them as the consumers wants to use. Therefore, the cited hotel can
engage customers towards the brand by inspiring them in order to advocate on their
behalf. It has been found in research that customers use social media to remain connected
with family and friends or follow the trends or products.
 Listening to people- as people gives feedback to the brand for the product they are
offering. The feedback that is received may be either positive or negative. Negative
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feedback may help the company to make changes accordingly as it is the most important
drivers for a change and engaging the customers towards the brand.
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M1. Reviewing customer engagement factors determining customer on-boarding strategies for
different target customer groups within Hilton.
Customer on-boarding is that term that is used in order to describe the process entirely
that the users go through from start of their journey in terms of customers (Jain, Aagja and
Bagdare, 2017). The customer engagement factors that determines customer on-boarding
strategies within Hilton has been discussed as per below context-
 Be unique- the company or a hotel can be unique as they can share their stories to the
customers. They can give some good examples with help of their stories. This might
attract large number of customers towards the brand.
 Keep it simple- The major obstacle that is faced during the on boarding experience is
simply due to information that is overloaded. This will help customers to select the
service or product easily.
 Communicate- communication is very essential that leads the brand towards success. On
the process of On boarding, the communication must be good and consistent. This is the
one that either makes or breaks the relationship with the customer. The brand must
remain with them during initial stages right from engagement and also has to make them
know that they are valued and the company is always available for them.
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 Gathering data- The cited company Hilton has to gather data in terms of customers that
will help them in easily go through the process of on-boarding and also beyond it. The
data that has to be gathered includes buying tendencies of customers, customers fairs in
overall market etc.
LO 2
P3. Creating customer experience map for Hilton.
The term experience mapping is termed as the process that helps in capturing and also in
communicating complex customer interactions in strategic way (Kandampully, Zhang and
Jaakkola, 2018). Thus, the mapping activity leads in building knowledge and agreement and also
in building smooth customer experience. Thus, this has been further discussed with help of
below context-
 Websites- Nowadays, people are more connected with their phone. They prefer online
shopping. Therefore, Hilton must design the website in such way that it may leads in
attracting large number of customers towards the brand. They must also mention the
offers or discounts on products and services that they are offering. They must post good
and innovative image of their brand and their price. This will help customers to compare
the brand easily and select the best one.
 Review sites- it is the website where the comments regarding particular brand is being
posted in a positive or negative way. This helps the company to gather the negative ones
and accordingly bring changes in the company. The company must provide the feedback
section in the review sites that will assist the company in terms of change that has to be
undertaken. Positive reviews helps in attracting large number of customers.
 Text messages- the company can share their special promotions through text messages as
this is the easy way to reach to the customers. This helps the customers to be feel as they
are valued and can attract their attention by using exclusive element. As people are
always connected to their phone, so it becomes easy to reach the message in terms of
hotel to people.
 E-mails- today the interactions are increasing through online services or social media.
Customers also prefer to visit the brand for which they find easy advertisements and
promotions. So Hilton hotel must try to share their business information, their price
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related to product and services via email. This will attract customers easily without any
effort.
 Paper mail- sometimes inbox gets overloaded so it is not sure that the individual get the
information or mail sent by Hilton. So paper mail is also the best option. Company must
maintain all the information on the paper. Thus, many people may not even sort mails
daily. So paper mail plays the best role in grabbing the focus of customers towards the
brand.
 Telephone- this also plays important role in order to attract the customers. Hilton must
select try to contact people and offer their services on phone. The voice that get
transmitted must be calm and sweet and stress free. Person may use telephone in order to
know the booking status of the brand. The cited company must try to resolve all the
queries and try to pull them towards Hilton.
 Restaurant Environment- environment of the restaurant also plays vital role to engage
the customers. Hilton must try to keep the environment positive with beautiful interiors
and soft music. It will increase the customers focus towards the brand and they will share
their views with their friends and families. This way environment of restaurant helps in
attracting huge customers.
 Restaurant Staff- Staffs that are involved must use sweet and innocent language and
must try to solve all service or product related queries. This leads towards high level of
customer loyalty base as they feel valued.
 Restaurant Management- Management of a particular hotel must be proper. The service
that is offered must be correct way. They must try to keep everyone happy by offering
products and services on time.
P4. Customer touchpoints throughout customer experience creating business opportunities.
Customer touchpoints are defined as point of brand that comes in contact with customers
right from start to end (Klaus, 2014). There are some touchpoints that are included has been
discussed as per below context-
 Interactive website- the cited company can easily reach to their guests with the help of
websites. They can tell them more about the upcoming features. Hilton hotel can make
most of the website by making the option of searching more visible. They can also use
vibrant colours that may help guest to stay longer.
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 The good old SMS- SMS acts as the most effective channel touchpoints in the Hilton.
The company can easily enhance and uplift the standards of experience of customers by
sending them relevant message.
Interaction between waiter and customer
Waiter: Welcome sir, please have a seat.
Customer: Thank you.
Waiter: How can I help you?
Customer: Can I see the menu card please?
Waiter: Sure sir.
Customer: can you please let me know about the famous dish in non veg of this restaurant?
Waiter: Roasted spicy chicken is the best one we serve.
Customer: Get that one for me. Meanwhile, can I get one magazine?
Waiter: Sure sir. Here it is.
M2. Creating detailed customer experience map.
The customer journey map different stages as per the following-
 Travel idea
 Research
 Booking/Purchase
 Stay at hotel
 Post stay
In the above stages Hilton communicates in different manner with their potential
customers and also has different goals during all this stages (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Thus, it
becomes important for hotel in order to get more insight about the journey consist of in terms of
customer experience. Thus, it becomes important in order to have good customer journey
mapping strategy as it enables in identifying expectations and also the desires of individual
customers. It will also help in providing with appropriate services and also the products at every
stage of the journey of customer.
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