Analysis of Customer Experience Management: Imperial Hotel Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within the hospitality industry, using Imperial Hotel as a case study. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences, and explores various factors that drive and influence customer engagement across different target customer groups, including families, business travelers, couples, and backpackers. The report then delves into the creation and application of a customer experience map, detailing the customer journey from initial discovery to check-out, and highlighting key touchpoints. It also examines the role of digital technology in managing customer experience, and analyzes effective customer service strategies. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of these strategies in meeting customer needs and business standards, providing a holistic view of customer experience management within the hotel industry.

Managing Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Values and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target
customer group.............................................................................................................................1
P2. Different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups within a service sector organisation.................................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................7
P3. A customer experience map...................................................................................................7
P4. Touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience ......................9
LO 3...............................................................................................................................................10
P5. Examining the way in which digital technology is employed in managing customer
experience..................................................................................................................................10
LO4................................................................................................................................................11
P6. Customer service strategies.................................................................................................11
P7. Customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a way that meet
the needs of the customer and the required business standards.................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
All the businesses performs their operations to manage the customer experiences in such
a manner which satisfies them and retain them for longer period of time (France, Merrilees and
Miller, 2015). It is a practice of formulating, implementing and reacting towards the customer
interactions for satisfying the demands as well as meeting their expectations to increase the
loyalty and satisfaction. Such management plays a crucial function in maintaining the
sustainability of the organisation to operate in the dynamic environment. To understand the
management of customer experiences, Imperial Hotel in chosen. The selected hotel is having its
headquarters located at Holborn, London, UK since 1966. This report includes the value and
importance of understanding the needs, wants along with different factors that influence
different target customer segment. Further, it talks about impact of digital technology, a
customer experience map, opportunities, service strategies and importance of strategies for
developing the customer experience for meeting the needs of the customer and the required
business standards.
LO1
P1. Values and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target customer
group
All the firms performs activities to carefully understand and monitor the needs and
preferences of its target customers to satisfy them by providing the appropriate product or service
(Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands & Strategic Decision Making, 2018). Analysing the
needs and wants of different people in the market is a difficult task for any business as different
individual demand according to their taste, preferences, wants as well as food habits. Properly
ascertaining and understanding the needs helps in formulating and implementing certain
strategies to manage the customers experiences and satisfaction with the firm. In relation to the
hospitality industry, the experience is related to the product. The managers of different
restaurants or hotels makes possible attempts to analyse, understand and identify the needs,
wants, desires of their visitors and accordingly provide them products or services to convert them
into potential as well as targeted customers. The managers of Imperial hotel analyses the
demands of the customers by segmenting them into homogeneous groups for understanding and
satisfying the wants of each individual. They focuses to satisfy the needs and likes of customers
1

to manage their experiences. Target market refers to particular group of individuals to provide
them products or services according to their needs and demands. The marketers of selected
business targets families, business travellers, couples and backpackers which benefits them to
increase the image as well as revenue for the purpose of developing global reputation by
managing the experiences of multiple customers (Giovanis, Athanasopoulou and Tsoukatos,
2015).
Customer engagement is the framework of encouraging the customers by providing them
information related to the products or services for the purpose of enhancing the interaction and
sharing of the experiences for building the brand image in the market. There are various factors
which drive and influence customer engagement of different target customer groups of the
selected business. Some are as follows:
 Destination choice: The destination choices influences the engagement of customers
towards the hotel industry. The social interactions along with marketing strategies of the
potential traveller includes the attitudes, preferences, values of different customer groups.
Value based profiles helps in influencing the customer engagement of different targetted
customers.
 Tourist experiences: Tourist experiences are the fundamental offerings of the tourism
industry. Various tourists experiences different travelling experiences. The managers of
selected business have implemented various strategies to engage the customers to
experience different services before, during and after the travelling. Tourist experiences
is a critical factor which also influences customer engagement of different targetted
customer groups.
Customer engagement factors are considered for determining various on board strategies
for different target customer groups within chosen the selected hospitality industry (Holloway,
2017). Some are as described:
 Customer success on boarding: It helps in building effective relationship with the
customers. It focuses on providing effective experiences with smooth services. It includes
the listening of customers queries and solving them successfully by engaging them in the
tourism plans.
2

 Role based on boarding: Distinct on boarding paths are used which are based on the
roles such as executives, senior managers and many more. Such strategy is used by the
Imperial hotel managers to provide the role services by engaging with the customers.
The following are the range of different target customer groups’ needs and expectations
in terms of customer engagement for the selected hotel:
Targetted customers Customer need, wants and preferences
Families Kid friendly and
budgeted hotels.
On site play areas for
kids.
Open air spaces.
Business travellers Quality food along
with access to internet
and electronic devices
(Khan and Rahman,
2015).
Separate and
comfortable business
class rooms.
Proper room service
offerings, high quality
of beddings as well as
furnishing.
Couples Candle light
restaurants
High quality of
bedding and furnishing
Off-site surroundings.
Backpackers Clean rooms for rest. Beautiful view from
window
Healthy food.
3

P2. Different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target customer
groups within a service sector organisation
( Source: Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands & Strategic Decision Making. 2018 )
Families: Families needs and wants are based on kid friendly playgrounds, open space, on site
play areas.
4

( Source: Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands & Strategic Decision Making. 2018 )
Business traveler: The need, demand are based on quality food along with access to internet and
electronic devices, separate and comfortable business class rooms.
5

( Source: Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands & Strategic Decision Making. 2018)
Couples: Needs, wants and preferences of couples are based on candle light restaurants, high
quality of bedding and furnishing and off site surroundings.
6

( Source: Customer Needs, Wants, and Demands & Strategic Decision Making. 2018 )
Backpackers: Preferences as well as need of backpackers are related to clean rooms for rest,
beautiful view from window and healthy food.
LO2
P3. A customer experience map
Customer experience mapping is a framework which helps in tracking the engagement of
the customers with the offered products and services by the business entity. It is used to analyse
the connection of various potential customers with the services as well as commodities provided
to them. Such mapping is used to convert the new users of the commodities into potential
customers by engaging them through providing services. In relation to the hospitality industry,
the objective is to provide comfortable experiences to its customers by utilising the products as
well as services (Nicholls and Gad Mohsen, 2015). Imperial Hotels promotes its brand by
providing the outlets in multiple countries of the world. Customer experience mapping plays an
important role in building and maintaining the organisational image in the competitive market.
7

A customer experience map for the selected business to create business opportunities.
The procedure for creating such map and charting the journey is as follows:
Setting of clear objectives: the first step is to set clear objectives for the mapping in advance.
Based on it buyers persona are created.
Profiling personas and defining goals: Clear personas are profiled for reminding the aspects of
experience mapping and accordingly goals are defined.
Touch points are listed: Touchpoints includes the websites where the customers have chances
to interact the most. The touch point helps in listing out the websites which are most used by the
customers. All are listed in sequential order. It includes emailing, social channels along with
third party reviews (Perrey, Freundt and Spillecke, 2015).
Identification of elements to map the show: Different types of customer experience are
mapped for understanding the benefits. Some of the elements includes the current state, present
state, future state and service blue print.
Taking the customer journey: Once the map is formulated and implemented. The next step is
to analyse the results. Analysing the results helps in achieving the customers experiences and
satisfying the needs, demand and preferences of them.
Making the necessary changes: By analysing the results it helps in identifying the key areas
where necessary changes are required. It is the duty of the manager of the selected hotel to make
necessary changes in the mapping plan.
Customer journey experience map is used to analyse the experience of customer from the check
in till departure in systematic manner. It involves following steps:
Customers Journey Experience Map for Imperial Hotels:
Discover and explore: Customers experiences throughout the procedures to
acquire services of Imperial Hotels begins from discovering information related
with options or packages that such hotel provides to general market in order to
satisfy customers demand. Through social media, advertisements or official
Imperial Hotel web page, customers acquire information about services as well as
explores more.
Compare and evaluate: After exploring information, customers compares the
8

offered services or packages with other Hotels to reach on decision in context to
Hotel they should choose as per their needs. In order to improve customer
experiences of customers, marketers of Hotels should update information over
internet.
Book services: As soon as decisions are framed, customers makes booking of
their services through online or offline bookings. Imperial Hotel has reservation
staff which time to time communicates with customers to verify about bookings.
Such staff ensures simple booking procedures to reduce frustration among
customers.
Arrival at hotel: It is the standard time where clients arrives at hotel to enjoy the
services. The managers of Imperial Hotels serves cocktails and refreshments.
Room available: Hotel managers makes availability of rooms for clients at the
time they makes verification call to customers. They do not have to wait for long
and gets free room availability service as per their preferences at Imperial Hotels.
Customers experience great room interiors as well as enjoys ocean view from the
rooms window.
Fitness rooms: Such facilities are made available for those who regularly
exercises.
Dinner: According to the customer preferences, dinner facilities are served. Some
customers like to enjoy food in open space while other enjoy at their rooms.
Free breakfast: The managers of Imperial Hotels offers free breakfast services to
their clients till the time they remains in hotel.
9