Analyzing Customer Needs and Preferences in the UK Hospitality Sector

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Planning for Customer Experience Management
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Table of Contents
Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
LO1..........................................................................................................................................4
LO2..........................................................................................................................................8
LO3........................................................................................................................................11
LO4........................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................13
Reference list.........................................................................................................................14
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Introduction
Management of customer experience refers to the support given to various aspects of the
customer journey, which helps the organisation in understanding the preferences and
requirements of consumers. It is one of the crucial elements that are administered among
every tourism and travel organisation. Their business deals with managerial operations
regarding hospitality. The customers are managed in a significant way throughout their
journey regarding experiences of buying and communicating with the organisations. The
better the experience management, the more profit the organisations gain. This study is
particularly going to discuss about aspects, which are explained while evaluating, and
anticipating customer needs and managing those skillfuly.
The study will associate customer experience within the organisational operations of
Whitbread PLC, UK, established in 1742 (whitbread.co.uk, 2019). The founder was Samuel
Whitbread. Alison Brittain and Richard Baker are supervising the organisational operations
of Whitbread PLC. The organisation is immensely experienced in hospitality management of
tourism and travel industry.
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LO1
P1 Explain the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and
preferences of target customer groups for the hospitality industry
The customers that every tourism and travel organisation target to gain interest in hospitality
industries refer mainly to the tourists and travellers. This industry has gained enough
popularity in the national premises of UK. The tourists vary hugely in terms of their choices
and characteristics, which are determined by their behaviours and local demographics as
well. However, every tourist possesses one similar characteristic trait that is their common
interest regarding travelling to different regions all around the world. They usually choose
destinations that are far from their native nation, find within international destinations (Han et
al., 2016). Their purposes also differ, and these differentiating factors create many
categories of target customers in tourism as well as the hospitality industry. The
organisations dealing with tourism services must evaluate the individual preferences and
opinions separately to understand how these can be satisfied by giving significant values to
the major traits of each division. The skilful management process will anticipate and address
every requirement. The different categories of travellers and customers are the following:
Solo Travellers
This kind of travellers covers a large part of customers, tourists of tourism and travel industry
and they deliver a lot to the profitability of this industry. They are driven by their inner zeal
and passion for exploring different places and destinations around the world. They first plan
to travel for viewing unknown and unexplored places and choose the destination
accordingly. As the category suggests, they like solitude while travelling without any
interferences to enjoy the time and place. Therefore, each organisation dealing with tourism
industry should focus on their desire for solitude while planning the available destinations
and associating seasonal schedule to serve properly and satisfy the customers by designing
their services accordingly. This will give the organisations higher profit and better recognition
(Bianchi, 2016).
Educational tourists
This kind of travellers refers to the educational professionals, teachers, students, common
people seeking knowledge or anyone associated with education industry. They possess one
common purpose behind travelling that is their zeal and passion for seeking and gaining
knowledge. This process can include obtaining degrees and increasing knowledge along
with travelling to international and national locations that are rich with cultural and historical
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significances. These travellers choose such locations and travel. Therefore, each
organisation dealing with tourism industry should focus on their desires while planning the
available destinations to satisfy the customers by designing their services accordingly. This
will give organisations a higher profit and better recognition. The organisations should make
libraries, museums and other educational places affordable and available to derive
interested customers. Universities, institutions and schools offer extracurricular activities and
responsibilities to utilise people leisure times in every season. This customer segment
enriches the industry significantly (McGladdery and Lubbe, 2017).
Business Travellers
This kind of travellers is of more important than other categories and are increasing in
number day by day. These customers travel around places from all around the globe to
attend business meeting and discussions. They prefer exotic locations compared to formal
destinations for business purposes. In this modern era, many entrepreneurial ventures are
taking places along with several partnership business collaborations. They have a large
quantity and possess varied ranges of preferences and needs. Therefore, each organisation
dealing with tourism industry should focus on their desires while planning the available
destinations and associating seasonal schedule to serve properly and satisfy the customers
by designing their services accordingly. This will give the organisations a higher profit and
better recognition. Moreover, these travellers will pay better to attain quality services (Unger
et al., 2016).
Couples and married travellers
This kind of tourists refers to married partners or couples who want to travel around beautiful
places and enjoy the time with their spouses and other halves. They want to spend time
peacefully and create beautiful memories. They have specific needs and desires that every
organisation dealing with tourism industry should focus on and cater to for deriving increased
profitability and higher customer satisfaction. The organisations will gain recognition in the
industry. Organisations should value different preferences to attain popularity (Rojas-de-
Gracia et al., 2018).
Culture and heritage travellers
This customer segment varies because of their choices, needs and preferences. They travel
all over the world in every season of the year frequently. These tourists are driven by their
desire of seeking information about demographic traits, cultural and ethical factors of
different locations. These customers choose destinations enriched with these factors.
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Cultural and heritage destinations are increasing all over the globe. Every organisation
dealing with tourism industry should investigate the desires of target customers, alter, and
shape the destinations for catering to the needs and preferences by satisfying them with
quality services at any given time as well as place. The organisations will gain more value
and generate more profitability and future scopes for business expansion and recognition
(Cetin and Bilgihan, 2016).
P2 Explore the different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of
different target customer groups within a service sector organisation
The organisations like Whitbread PLC serving hospitality services to the customers should
achieve to gain more customer engagement within UK tourism and travel industry. The
organisations will investigate and know about customer preferences by engaging them within
the services. This will gain more satisfaction in terms of customer experience and buying
process, and the company will give excellent services through effective promotion in the UK
market. The companies will administer the services properly and effectively keeping in mind
customer implications, which will help in developing better productivity by improved
functions. Key elements are there that will affect the process of consumer engagement.
These tools are also effective and applicable in Whitbread PLC.
Social Media and Internet tools
In this modern era of globalization, the usage of social media has increased. People are
communicating and interacting more with each other by applying internet and social media
sites to know about different aspects and latest services are provided by various
organisations. Tourist and customers derive various information and search for offers in
social media sites and on the internet rather than finding them on newspaper articles and
similar printed sources. Tour operators and managers post information and offer in social
media sites and on the internet. The customers can easily access this information and
choose their preferable travel destinations after reviewing all negative and positive aspects.
People can post their experiences as well to help others in the process as well as managers
to improve and alter their products. More customers will be engaged (So et al., 2016).
Global Economy
The global economy of the UK is determined by the income of medium and high group
populations. Their income depicts the countries national GDP. This high economy and
beneficial economic conditions have made this tourism and travel industry grew largely in the
country. The services produced in this sector provide leisurely, relaxing and entertaining
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aspects to the customers. They aspire for specific services and desires to have those
services according to their monthly income, expenses as well as savings. These aspects
influence customer choices, decision-making and reason behind travelling.
Individual purposes of tourism
Different customers possess different needs, purposes regarding travelling, and they
decision while choosing destinations depends on those requirements. The needs of target
customers should be met to increase profitability and gain more engagement and
involvement from customers and tourists. The organisations should research to design
appropriate offers and give commissions along with prices to target customer segment.
Cravings to roam and relax
In this modern era people, have a busy work schedule and lifestyle that do not give them
much time to relax and take rest. They desire to travel for relaxation and freshness away
from their monotonous life and activities. This urge influences their choice regarding holiday
and travel destinations. Therefore, better and relevant services will make more interest and
engagement from customers with increasing profitability (Radojevic et al., 2015).
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LO2
P3 Create a customer experience map for a selected service sector organisation
In the nation UK, different organisations have different ways to investigate and analyse the
whole track of the customer journey. Among the best organisations of hospitality, the
industry in the UK is Whitbread PLC. It gives priority to customer’s desires, produces, and
delivers quality services to segments of target customers. The consumer journey is
important in the context of every company’s business organisations because it helps to study
every single detail of every step in customer experience so that they can manage individual
journeys and fulfil every requirement within every process engaging maximum customers.
The map given below will help in understanding relevant steps in making better customer
experience throughout their journey (Stickdorn and Schwarzenberger, 2016).
Figure 1: Customer experience map
(Source: created by the learner)
The journey of customer experience, according to this map has five consequent steps or
stage.
The first stage in a customer experience map is the step of awareness. When customers
embark on finding preferable and desirable destinations, their journey also starts. They
choose travel destinations according to their requirements. People are communicating and
interacting more with each other by applying internet and social media sites to know about
different aspects and latest services are provided by various organisations. Tourist and
customers derive various information and search for offers on social media sites and on the
internet. Companies like Whitbread PLC give several explicit information and attractive offers
making those loaded with unique features for special destinations. The companies on social
sites, which may be connected to official company websites, post the information (Li et al.,
2015).
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The second stage is named as consideration. In this stage, the customers are subjected to
make decisions about choosing destinations and think of booking and buying services. The
customers come to know about the destinations, their features and offer provided by several
companies to consider each of them. They consider the beneficial aspects of these services
and highlights specific reasons for purchasing. The companies also make better promotions
of services to give a push to this stage. Customers omit other options if the circumstances
are not beneficial for them (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016).
The third stage in the customer experience map is the step of the purchase. In this stage,
the customers book services and accommodations according to their requirements and
necessities. The chosen company keeps the customers interested by giving out brochures to
the people so that their business process looks genuine and holds higher value and good
image of the brand. The customers will be satisfied, and the brands will gain loyalty and trust
in the market scenario.
After the purchasing stage, comes the stage of retention. In this stage, the target customers
travel the destinations and locations and use the services they booked earlier. While the
customers are enjoying their vacations, the companies maintain proper giving services and
make sure that the customers are safe, secure and satisfied in terms of their experience.
The business and tour professionals, appointed by the Whitbread PLC administer and
control the satisfactory level of the services (Kasemsap, 2017).
The last stage in the customer experience map is the stage of advocacy. The business and
tour professionals, appointed by the Whitbread PLC administer and advocate the customer
feedback regarding the services whether the services were convenient or of quality in their
journey. The companies with better advocacy will gain a larger base of consumers and give
effective customer journey in future. The staffs of managerial departments advocate the
aspects of hospitality services like food and accommodation and create broader future
scopes.
P4 Discuss how the touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer
experience in your hospitality organisation
The hospitality industry in the United Kingdom has several touch points that several areas in
the customer journey, such as perseverance and retention of customers. The organisations
make sure that they achieve effective customer experience in the tome of their journey in
chosen destinations. These touch points help the organisations in making their deliveries
effectively and prominently. These points generate more customer expectations and
increasing profit from the organisational operations regarding business. The Whitbread PLC
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Company will achieve better brand image by performing all these activities. The touch points
within the chosen organisation are the following:
Figure 2: Customer touch points for Whitbread PLC, UK
(Source: Created by the learner)
Social media: This touch point refers to the sources from which the organisations take
knowledge about customer experience and behaviours after gathering information and
review from social sites. The organisations will analyse and study the data to make delivery
strategies effective. The Whitbread PLC Company will gain more target customers from all
over the world by reaching out to them on social media (Bowie et al., 2016).
Email and phone calls: This touch point is similar to the previous one. The companies take
the help of phone calls and emails to know about the customer preferences and make their
services accordingly to serve in the UK.
Interactive websites: The chosen company makes their brand popular and generate
scopes and opportunities of business with the help of their official interactive websites. The
customers are allowed to book services and give their opinions on these sites.
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LO3
P5 Examine how digital technology is employed in managing the customer experience
within the service sector organisation, providing specific examples of customer-
relationship management systems
Each organisation dealing with the tourism industry is currently implementing the latest,
attractive and beneficial digital technologies within the organisational performances,
managerial activities regarding customer experience, and their service productions to make
the offers interesting that will generate more profit by engaging and involving more
customers and increasing the future scope of business expansion and recognition
attainment. All over the world, the innovative technology of Customer relationship
management or CMR is applied by organisations operating within the hospitality industry.
The Whitbread PLC Company can implement this technology within the organisational
performances, managerial activities regarding customer experience, and their service
productions to maintain beneficial relations with consumers to target interested people from
the nation in many tourism seasons. The company should follow particular consequent steps
while implementing the CMR process within the organisation (Singh, 2017).
 The CMR technology will help the organisation in having effective communication
with customer groups to target consumers from several platforms.
 CMR technology will help the organisation in securing and making the services
reliable in terms of customer safety and satisfaction. The company will gain an
advantage in the competitive market.
 The implementation process includes effective activities like evaluating achievement
of customer relationships, continuous recording and synchronising data, tracking
behaviours, setting priorities and selecting customer segment.
 The CMR tools need timely improvement and up gradations to run smoothly with new
features (Neuhofer et al., 2015).
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LO4
P6 Illustrate customer service strategies in a specific service sector context
The chosen company have a strong position in the hospitality industry, and it effectively
maintains customer retention by delivering quality services in every season. The following
steps administer the customer service strategies.
 The company has made booking services genuine and the process lot easier by
giving the option of online booking services regarding reliable accommodations
(Buhalis and Amaranggana, 2015).
 The company gives its target customers suggestions regarding services and their
choices to achieve better customer service management.
 The company has “ISO 90012008" certification by which they can assure that their
products are enhanced properly as the legal procedure demand.
P7 Demonstrate how customer service strategies create and develop the customer
experience in a way that meets the needs of the customer and the required business
standards
All the techniques mentioned above and procedures and followed and implemented tactfully
by the Whitbread PLC company. The managerial officials administer their customer service
management effectively, which give the organisation a better position in the market and high
recognition. They have successfully achieved all marketing and promotional strategies and
gained more target customers and their interest. The services and deliveries have security
and high quality, which made the tourists satisfied. The tourist experience within the
organisational engagement and during their journey managed efficiently with the help of
tracking customer experience map and evaluating the various touch points. The company
has reached customers from all over the globe and researched their choices, preferences.
The company designed its services to cater to customer needs. The customer's feedbacks
have been investigated largely and continuously to make the services better. The company
has all the legal rights of providing services and thus ensures quality products. It has given
tough competition to other travel organisations (Pizam et al., 2016).
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