Customer Engagement and Experience Report: Marriott Analysis

This report analyzes the customer experience at Marriott International, a leading hospitality company. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences, including market segmentation focusing on business travelers. The report then explores factors influencing customer engagement, such as listening to feedback, ensuring 24/7 availability, adapting to social media trends, accessibility, and offering choices. It also reviews customer onboarding strategies, highlighting the importance of being unique, keeping it simple, gathering data, and consistent communication. A customer experience map is created, detailing touchpoints like websites, emails, telephone interactions, and restaurant staff interactions. The report discusses how these touchpoints create business opportunities for Marriott, emphasizing interactive websites and SMS communication. Finally, a detailed customer journey model is presented to illustrate the customer's experience from initial contact through engagement. The report aims to provide insights into enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty within the hospitality industry.

Managing the Customer
Experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Explaining value and importance of understanding needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups..........................................................................................................................1
P2. Exploring different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different
target customer groups................................................................................................................2
M1. Reviewing customer engagement factors determining customer on boarding strategies for
different target customer groups.................................................................................................3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................3
P3. Creating customer experience map for Marriott...................................................................3
P4. Discussing customer touchpoints throughout customer experience creating business
opportunities for Marriott............................................................................................................5
M2. Creating detailed customer experience map that charts customer journey model...............5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience is a term that is being defined as integral part in terms of managing
customer relationship and is very important in every type of business (Baker, 2016). In the
following report, Marriott International has been taken into consideration. It is the top leading
hospitality industry of UK.
In the below report, importance off understanding the customers has been discussed.
Further, customer experience map along with their touchpoints has been discussed. In addition to
this, this report also highlights on factors that influences customer engagement towards the brand
has been analysed.
LO 1
P1. Explaining value and importance of understanding needs, wants and preferences of target
customer groups.
Marriott must have ability in order to know the importance of their targeted customers.
Thus, having depth knowledge regarding this plays crucial role in understanding what the
targeted or segmented customer actually wants (Bilgihan, 2016). Therefore, importance of
understanding this is been discussed as per below context
As being the leading company, they need to comprehend about the type of person is most likely
to need and want the product or service. If Marriott will understand the actual requirement of
their clients and also about customers expectations, then they have ability in order to work on
customising the customer experience that creates loyalty and also repetitive business profits of
Marriott. Further, if cited company analyse or understand the needs wants and also p[references
of the customers than they don't have to put additional promotional efforts in order to maximise
sales and also will result in repeated purchases. The basic importance to reach the needs of
customers are described as per below context-
 They can attract great amount and high volume of customers.
 They can set the best and high price for the product or services they are offering.
 Marriott can also increase the amount of customers spending.
 They can also increase the sales accordingly.
 This will also help Marriott in enhancing customer service.
Market segmentation
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Market segmentation is a process in order to divide a market of potential customers into
groups or segments that is generally based on particular characteristics. Therefore, Demographic
segmentation is one of the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups. Businesspeople
or business travelers are one of the customers that Marriott focus the most. People who work in
business industry can’t avoid travelling around the world for business purposes. So Marriott have
few brands such as Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and
TownePlace Suites are for businesspeople.
P2. Exploring different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target
customer groups.
Customer engagement is a term that refers to as the connection of business
communication between stakeholders and the cited company with help of various channels of
correspondence (Homburg, Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). This term is also been used in order to
define customer to customer correspondence with regard to product, communication, service or
brand. Thus, factors that influence the engagement of customers of different target customer
groups of Marriott has been discussed as per below context-
 Listening to people- this is the important factor that drives customer engagement towards
the cited company. People gives feedback with regard to product or service that has been
offered by Marriott. The feedback that has been received may be positive or may be
negative. Positive feedback helps the cited company to maintain their service quality and
negative ones may lead Marriott to make changes accordingly. As it is termed as main
drivers that influences customer engagement towards the brand.
 Being available all times- The trend of social media is rising extremely. Therefore,
customers expect that Marriott must remain available 24/7. So it becomes important for
the cited service sector to remain available and connected to every customers. This later
leads in engaging huge volume of customers and segmented target market.
 Changing social conversations- Marriott must adopt good way in order to convey social
media. They must use in that way as customers actually wants to use. Marriott must
inspire their targeted customers and engage them towards the brand by advocating on
their behalf. It has also been analysed in research that customers use social media in order
to remain connected with family and friends or follow trends or products on it.
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 Accessibility- the cited company must also ensure that customers are easily able to find
and access the products and services that has been offered by them that to without any
type of trouble. The customers must also reach the company easily and utilise the
services in effective manner. The company must also try to give them required assistance
in order to make decisions regarding their purchase of products or services.
 Choices- the more choice the customers get in terms of product or service, the more
likely they feel in control of experience that they have with Marriott. The stated company
must offer their clients with number of choices and also enable them in order to figure out
optimal choice that will be perfect for them. Thus, this will help them in engaging huge
volume of customers and will help the company to achieve long term success.
M1. Reviewing customer engagement factors determining customer on boarding strategies for
different target customer groups.
Customer on-boarding is that term that is used to describe process in entire way that is
gone through the users from start to the end of their journey in terms of customers (Lemon and
Verhoef, 2016). Thus, the customer engagement factors that determines customer on-boarding
strategy within Marriott has been discussed as per below context-
 Be unique- Marriott can be unique and share their stories to their targeted customers.
They can also give good examples by taking their stories into consideration. This might
help the company to attract large number of customers towards the targeted brand.
 Keeping it simple- Information that is overloaded is the major obstacle that has been
faced by the cited company during experience of on-boarding. Therefore, they must adopt
simple process which will help customers in selecting service or product easily.
 Gathering data- Marriott must gather data in terms of customers which will help them to
go through the process of on-boarding in easy and simple manner. The data that has to be
gathered or collected by the cited company must be buying tendencies of customers,
customers fairs in overall market, etc.
 Communication- This also plays essential role in leading brand towards success. The
process of communication must be good and consistent on the on-boarding. Marriott
must try to remain with the customers during their initial stages that is right from
engagement to the buying of a particular product or services. They also have to make the
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customers know that they and their needs are being valued and that they are always
available for them as and when needed.
LO 2
P3. Creating customer experience map for Marriott.
The term customer experience map is defined as the strategic process in order to
communicate and capture customer interactions that are very complex (Venkatesan, Petersen and
Guissoni, 2018). Thus, the activity in terms of mapping helps in building knowledge across the
organisation. Thus, the elements used in customer experience mapping has been discussed as per
below context-
 Websites- As people are getting more connected with phone and prefer online shopping.
Therefore, Marriott must have the ability to design their website in innovative and
creative way that it helps in attracting large number of customers towards the brand. They
must also mention the offers that they are offering to customers on particular products
and services. The image of their brand that is being posted on websites on any other
social media must be innovative that attracts the customers and can easily make decisions
in selecting the best one easily.
 E-mails-the interactions on social media and online services are incraesing continously.
Therefore, customers prefer to visit those brands for which they find advertisements and
promotions easily. Due to this, the cited company must try to share all the important
information regarding business along with price and services via email. This will help in
attracting customers easily and faster.
 Telephone- Telephone also plays important and significant role in business. The cited
company must try to contact maximum customers that are targeted and offer them
services on phone. They must use calm and sweet voice to transmit their conversation.
Telephone in being majorly used by consumers in order to know booking status of
Marriott. They must also use customer service department that may help them in
resolving the queries and problems of customers and make them feel valued. This will
help visitors to remain engaged towards the particular brand.
 Restaurant staff- The staff of the Marriott International must use innocent language and
try to solve all types of problem offered by the company and that which is related to
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products and services. This will help the cited company to achieve loyalty customer base
in high level and make customers feel that they are valued.
 Restaurant management- the management of a particular hotel must be proper and
accurate. The cited company Marriott must also try to keep every customers and visitors
happy with help of offering products and services on time. They must also try to keep the
employees that are involved in Marriott happy and motivate them so that they work hard
and put complete efforts. This will later lead in achieving long term success and company
reach the boost.
 Restaurant environment- the environment of restaurant also plays vital role in order to
engage customers. The environment or surrounding of Marriott must be in positive way
by having beautiful interiors and also by playing soft music. It will help in increasing the
focus of customers towards the brand and will also help in sharing their views in terms of
products and services offered by Marriott to their families and friends. In this way,
environment helps in attracting huge volume of visitors and give maximum amount of
profitability to the brand.
P4. Discussing customer touchpoints throughout customer experience creating business
opportunities for Marriott.
The term customer touchpoints is referred to as point of brand that mainly comes in
contact with the customers right from the start to the end (Klaus, 2014). It is also defined as the
business jargon for any encounter where the customers and the engagement of business in order
to exchange information for providing services of the company or to handle any transactions.
Thus, customer touchpoints has been discussed as per below context-
 Interactive websites- Websites play crucial role for the cited company Marriott as they
can easily reach to their customers or guests with help of this. These websites must be
interactive that helps them in knowing more about the features that are upcoming.
Marriott hotel can make the use of their websites to the most by making searching option
more visible and easily for visitors. They can also take help of vibrant colours which may
lead the guest to stay longer.
 The good old SMS- SMS acts as most effective channel touchpoints in Marriott. This
helps the company to enhance and uplifts the standards in terms of customer experience
easily by sending relevant message to customers.
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M2. Creating detailed customer experience map that charts customer journey model.
Customer journey map is termed as that map that tell story of experience of customers
starting from initial contact through the process of engagement and into a relationship that is
long termed (Peppers and Rogers, 2016). This map mainly focus on particular part of story or
may give an overview of the entire experience of visitors. Thus, different stages of customer
journey map has been discussed as per below context-
 Travel idea
 Research
 Booking/Purchase
 Stay at hotel
 Post stay
The above stages that has been mentioned are that where Marriott is communicating in
different manner and has different goals at all the stages. Thus, it becomes significant for hotel to
have good and excellent journey of customers mapping strategy as it helps in identifying the
expectations of visitors and their requirements in terms of products and service. This also helps
Marriott to provide appropriate services at every stage that is available in this model.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that understanding needs, wants and
preferences plays significant role in managing the customer experience in Marriott. Further, it
has also been analysed that there are various factors that has been adopted by the company which
alter leads in increase in customer engagement and achieve long term success. It has also been
stated that customer experience helps in increasing revenue and company to reach the boost.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Baker, M.A., 2016. Managing customer experiences in hotel chains. The Routledge handbook of
hotel chain management, pp.240-250.
Bilgihan, A., 2016. Gen Y customer loyalty in online shopping: An integrated model of trust,
user experience and branding. Computers in Human Behavior. 61. pp.103-113.
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.
Lemon, K.N. and Verhoef, P.C., 2016. Understanding customer experience throughout the
customer journey. Journal of Marketing. 80(6). pp.69-96.
Venkatesan, R., Petersen, J.A. and Guissoni, L., 2018. Measuring and Managing Customer
Engagement Value Through the Customer Journey. In Customer Engagement Marketing
(pp. 53-74). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Klaus, P., 2014. Measuring customer experience: How to develop and execute the most
profitable customer experience strategies. Springer.
Peppers, D. and Rogers, M., 2016. Managing customer experience and relationships: A strategic
framework. John Wiley & Sons.
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