Eurostar Customer Service Quality

This report investigates the quality of customer service delivered by Eurostar staff. It employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing a questionnaire distributed to 40 Eurostar employees. The study explores factors contributing to service quality, the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction, and challenges faced by staff. The findings reveal that staff responsibilities primarily involve assisting passengers and fulfilling their needs. A majority of staff believe Eurostar provides effective service and receives adequate training. Key factors attracting customers include staff interaction and responsiveness. The report concludes that while Eurostar staff play a crucial role in customer satisfaction, challenges such as language barriers and handling multiple customer queries simultaneously exist. Recommendations include optimizing recruitment, enhancing training programs, reducing employee stress, and strengthening the link between rewards and performance to further improve customer service quality.

How staff members at Eurostar deliver
their quality of customer service

TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESEARCH PROPOSAL....................................................................................................................3
TASK 1 FORMULATE A RESEARCH PROJECT SPECIFICATION.............................................3
1a.) Factors that contributes in research project selection...........................................................3
1b.) Purpose of the research.........................................................................................................3
1c.) Literature review...................................................................................................................4
1 d.) Methodology........................................................................................................................5
1e.) Time plan..............................................................................................................................6
TASK 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH PROJECT WITH AGREED
PROCEDURES....................................................................................................................................7
2a.) Literature Review.................................................................................................................7
Introduction........................................................................................................................7
Factor that aids in offering quality services to customers..................................................7
Relationship between delivering quality services by Eurostar staff members and level of
customer satisfaction..........................................................................................................9
Challenges that Eurostar staff members faces in offering customer service...................10
2b.) Organizing Questionnaire and Proposed Approaches........................................................12
Questionnaire............................................................................................................................12
Proposed Approaches.......................................................................................................14
2c.) Record and collect the data that have been gathered..........................................................18
Data Analysis and Findings...........................................................................................19
TASK 3 RESEARCH PROJECT INTO A SPECIFIED AREA OF BUSINESS..............................24
3a.) Analysis with appropriate graphs and Diagrams................................................................24
3b.) Conclusion and Recommendations....................................................................................29
Recommendation............................................................................................................31
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................33
APPENDIX........................................................................................................................................36
Questionnaire............................................................................................................................36
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RESEARCH PROPOSAL
HOW STAFF MEMBERS AT EUROSTAR DELIVER THEIR QUALITY OF CUSTOMER
SERVICE
TASK 1 FORMULATE A RESEARCH PROJECT SPECIFICATION
1a.) Factors that contributes in research project selection
Here are some of the major factors which helped me in selecting the present research
topic such as:
Previous education and work experience: It is one of the major factors taken into
consideration which helps the researcher in selecting the best research topic. At the time of
choosing this specific topic I have discovered that my educational qualification and previous
work experience both have been relevant. In this regard, I have completed my HND level 5
educations in travel and tourism. I have been working for 9 years in customer service and
starting with 2010 I work at EuroStar. I work in customer service at EuroStar and my target is to
work as a Duty Manager. This is my current main motivationonal factor, which helps me in
conducting this research so that I can develop better findings on the basis of my experience and
knowledge.
Topic is current issue: Another major factor for the selection of this topic is that it is a
widely used concept nowadays (Denscombe, 2002). Most of the companies are adopting several
strategies through which they can provide quality services to their customers and enhance their
market share as well. Due to the poor service quality overall brand image of company might get
effected, thus research regarding the present subject matter is of greater significance.
1b.) Purpose of the research
According to Mattila and Enz (2002) in today’s highly globalized world most of the
companies have found that customers are the most important asset of their business. They require
developing several strategies through which they can fulfil their needs and demands. In order to
provide quality services to all the consumers within travel industry staff members play a crucial
role. They are responsible for greeting all their passengers and resolving their any type of query
as well. Boshoff and Allen (2000) in his article define that service quality is having positive
relationship with level of customer satisfaction. Due to this factor, it is essential to provide
proper response to all the passengers travelling within the Eurostar. The main purpose of
selecting this research topic is researcher’s area of interest and increasing need to quality
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services. Customers are the major asset and companies need to fulfil all their requirements by
providing them quality services
The study that I am conducting is based on the role of staff members in delivering quality
services to customers. A case study of travel industry is taken into consideration as passenger
trains needs a fresh faces with better communication skills as their executive staff. For this,
Eurostar of UK is being selected which define a tag line that “The important thing is not which
train you select, but why you select it”. They mainly target cultural and business travellers and
providing them quality services.
Research Objectives
 To identify the factor that aids in offering quality services to customers.
 To identify the performance efficiency that staff member faces in offering customer
service.
 To gain a better understanding of staff’s satisfaction level in working for the Eurostar To recommend the ways through which overall customer satisfaction level can be
enhanced.
Research Questions
 How quality services delivered by staff members helps in enhancing the level of
customer satisfaction?
 What are the major challenges faced by staff at the time of offering quality services to
guests?
1c.) Literature review
Managing customer relationship is becoming key concerns of every organization. For
this, they are adopting various strategies to maintain and deliver high quality customer services.
According to Bowen and Lawler (2006) front office is the important function as all the
customers’ deals with them as a centre of the train. They are highly responsible for greet them
and resolving all their queries regarding their requirements. Employees are the face of every
travel business because customer deals with this staff as the centre of it. The major
responsibilities of staff members are to provide better assistance to guests, fulfil their needs and
meet their wants.
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Seth, Deshmukh and Vrat (2005) in his article stated that there are mainly five
dimensions of service quality i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.
These factors must be considered by train staff management team such as:
Tangibility: It covers the area of impression on customers by how well they are dressed.
Reliability: Each and every staff member requires welcoming their passengers with full
warmth. They must have ability to resolve all the problems encountered by their passengers
(Räisänen, 2003).
Responsiveness: It covers the area which determines the promptness of staff members. It
is all about the convenience of making reservation, promptness to check-in and check-out
process of guests etc.
Assurance: It is quite essential to maintain the security and safety of passengers as it is
another major quality concern.
Empathy: This is the major service quality factor in which it is necessary to go through
the proper care of all the customers and provide them attention individually.
Boshoff and Allen (2000) stated that by following all the service quality measures staff
members are able to perceive higher customer satisfaction as well. It helps them in enhancing
their profit margin and developing better relations with their customers. Through this, they can
increase the number of loyal customers within their travel.
1 d.) Methodology
In this present study Inductive research approach will be used as it helps in developing an
appropriate theory for the customer relationship after accumulating required data. I will be
collecting Primary research data to help me analyze this study further. The primary data will be
handed out by me to staff members that work for Eurostar through the usage of a questionnaire. I
have decided to perform a study as a researcher to gain a better understanding regarding how
Eurostar staff members provide customer service. Through providing essential information on
how their positive role helps to maintaining better customer relations, I can gain a better
understading in regards to specific techniques and formalities. This questionnaire will be handed
out to 40 Eurostar staff memebers and the questionnaires will contain 13 questions for them to
indentify themselves in and answer. In order to analyse all their responses, qualitative technique
will be used as it will help me gain a better more in depth understanding of the participants
taking part in this study.
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1e.) Time plan
Activity 1th
Week
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Find research
Topic
Literature
Review
Drafting of
methodology
Finish Proposal
Design
question and
pilot research
Carry out &
Record
Research
Data Analysis
and
Making Graphs
Discussion and
Conclusion
Final Report
Editing &
Completion
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TASK 2 IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH PROJECT WITH AGREED
PROCEDURES
2a.) Literature Review
Introduction
This section is considered as a most important section in which researcher can gather
appropriate information and data from the past research. However, there are several studies on
the customer’s loyalty as well as quality services. With the help of past studies author can easily
gather most effective and appropriate information.
Factor that aids in offering quality services to customers
According to Cronin, Brady and Hult, 2000 passengers are the most important source of
increasing sales for any train company. Most of the firms are adopting higher competitive
advantage by keeping their passengers happy. In order to do so they need to adopt most effective
and best strategies. Goetsch and Davis, 2014 in his article stated that there are several factors
which help in offering quality services to customers such as:
Respond as quickly as possible: Wilson and et.al., 2012 in article stated that the biggest
factors in good customer service are speed. It also defines as a crucial factor at the time of
delivering services to passengers especially when a client is requesting something that’s time
sensitive. However, most of the trains tries to provide any service to their passengers as quickly
as possible. However, delivering quality service is one of the values if any organization.
Giovanis and Athanasopoulou, 2014 stated that less waiting time of quality factor for each and
every customer. In this concern, travel companies are required to provide quick services to their
consumers instead of waiting for so long.
Know your customers: It is considered as another most important factor which helps
different organizations as well as to develop high level of trust. Bienstock, Mentzer and Kahn,
2015 stated that great interaction begins with knowing customer’s needs and requirements.
However, consumer’s nowadays love personalization. By knowing them personally they feel
happy and satisfied with the services of company. With the help of this, owners can contact their
passengers at any time.
Think long term: A customer is for life: According to Zhao, Zhang and Chau, (2012)
think long term at the time of dealing with the passengers. It is the most effective way to keep all
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the passengers happy and make them loyal towards the brand. By thinking this that customer is
for the life time staff members go through the value of each passengers. It is being defined from
the past studies that positive word of mouth has tremendous value as well (Zeithaml, Berry and
P`arasuraman, 2012).
Fixing customer’s problem: In order to support the passengers there should be
appropriate training plan developed by line manager of train. Through this training plan all the
staff members are trained for their better and exceptional customer support service experience.
By this, they are able to connect with their customers and provide them logical solutions for all
their problems in an appropriate way (Wilson and et.al., 2012). However, in most of the
passengers staff members resolve the queries of their passengers and support them all the time
whenever requires (Zhao, Lu, Zhang and Chau, 2012). Further, this is the key factor which aids
in providing quality service and enhancing level of customer satisfaction as well.
Interaction of employees with customers: It is considered as a most important factor
which determines aids in changing mind set of customers towards the train. They must have a
positive perception about train so that they give appropriate reviews to their friends and family
members as well. At the time of interacting with customers it is essential for employees to be
polite, positive and caring. However, most of them are very good listener and they gives better
and positive response to company. According to Chen and et.al., 2012 if a front line staff
member demonstrate empathy and good listening skills then he/she begun to emotionally wow to
their customers. The more they provide them exceptional services, the more they are going to
like them. In this particular manner it is being determine train employees need to interact with
effective way so that they can engage more and more number of people.
Execution: At the time of working as office staff assistant a person must have
appropriate communication as well as listening skills. This is the most essential factor which
requires having good listening skills. Ganguli and Roy, 2011 in his article determine that if a
customer likes the service of staff and feels like they understand their problems and give them
appropriate solutions for their problems again, it causes them to like train staff, value them, and
trust them. However, they makes sure that customers’ make sure that their needs are fully met
and staff members do it with quality, speed, and excellence then they are able to attain higher
customer satisfaction (Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman, 2012).
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According to Cermak, File and Prince, 2011 customer service is the critical factor for the
long term success of every organization. Here, it can be define that keeping all the customers
happy and satisfied is the only way through which higher competitive advantage can be attained.
In this way, there are numerous ways through which organizations can attain large sales volume.
Relationship between delivering quality services by Eurostar staff members and level of
customer satisfaction
Staff member play a most important role in delivering quality services to consumers.
These staffs are considered as a most supporting factor in determining customer’s satisfaction.
Yen, 2013 stated that the front office is an important function because every customers deal with
them as the centre of train. They are responsible for providing proper assistance to all the
passengers by meeting their requirements. A most promising tag line defines that “First
impression is the last impression”. It also implies on the travel industries. Customer visit there
and make positive perception in their first visit due to the warm welcome from the front line
staff. They are highly responsible for the making positive impression in the mind set of
customers. Yuen and Thai, 2015 stated that service quality was determined as the subjective
comparison that customers make between their expectation as well as the way of services
provided by company. Further, it is essential for the staff members to provide glad and quality
services to their consumers. By this only, they are able to provide them higher customer
satisfaction. According to Zameer and et.al., 2015 it is very important to deliver quality customer
service as it is having a huge impact on both existing customer as well as potential customer. If
staff members provide them exceptional services they are highly satisfied towards the company.
A recent survey found that about 58% of customers would react by telling family and friends
about their bad experience. They also post different reviews on the social networking sites. It is
the biggest factor which might leads to decrease the brand image of company.
According Kärnä, 2014 there are mainly five dimensions through which they are able to
attain high service quality i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy.
These are the major factors that aids in offering service quality to customers. Here, tangibility is
all about the dressing style of front staff. It creates a positive impression in the mind of
customers. It is the most important factor that how the staff members are dressed up. On the
other hand, reliability is the factors which determines by the ability of front staff to resolve the
queries of customers. In case of resolving queries in excellent way they highly appreciate their
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services and feel good with the service. Another major factor that supports in providing quality
services to customers is responsiveness. Under this, they must provide them appropriate services
at the time of making reservation as well as their check in and check out services. In it is the
most important service which provides ultimate satisfaction to customers and leaves a
remarkable experience in their mind. However, most of the trains provide internet and free Wi-
Fi facilities for all their guests through which they are able to search for any type of information
at any time. Zhao, Lu, Zhang, and Chau, 2012 stated that empathy is another major factor which
affects the overall services. Under this, all the guests must be treated with proper care and
attention. It makes them happy and attracts them towards the entire services. Moreover, the last
factor which determines the high level of customer satisfaction is assurance in which they must
provide proper security and safety for all their guests.
Due to this factor consumer feels secure which enhances their trust level towards train
and their services. From all these essential factors it can be determine that by delivering quality
service, front office staff is able to enhance the level of customers satisfaction.
Challenges that Eurostar staff members faces in offering customer service
Ganguli and Roy, 2011 in article stated that fulfilling customer expectation is one of the
major source through which firms can easily enhance their sales margin. It is the best source to
increase the customer base by going through their accurate requirements. Expectation of
customers can be evaluated by comparing their pre purchase expectations of what they would
receive from the products and evaluation of post purchase evaluation. Further, it can be
determine that fulfilling customer expectation is becoming one of the most crucial tasks for staff
members.
They are required to greet their guests and resolve all their queries by the way of
providing them appropriate solutions. According to Cronin, Brady and Hult, 2000 there are
various challenges faced by staff while offering customer. In this regard, one of the major
challenge is related to the interaction and understanding. Front line staff members are facing
huge problem at the time of treating their employees and understanding their needs. However,
most of the times they are not able to understand the needs of customers due to their increasing
demands. In addition to this, one of the key challenge is guest profiling. Under this,
understanding the guest preference and enable delivery services to them is the most crucial task
for them.
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Further, with this, as per the view point of Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman, 2012 one of
the most significant challenge which is being faced by the employees of front line staff is to
handle the queries of two or more customers at a time. The statement which author have depicted
is right. This is because, in this context it has been seen that employees will not face any kind of
difficulty when it is dealing with one single customer. In this situation, employees handle the
queries of one specific individual only. Thus, they make efforts in terms of giving answers to all
their queries appropriately. However, the major problem occurs when two or three customers
gather at the counter and communicate about their respective problem. This is the challenging
type of situation because employees cannot ignore any of its customers. However, if done then in
the given circumstances the brand image of Eurostar will be impacted. Furthermore, due to this
the brand image will also be impacted in a negative way.
In addition to this, as per the view point of Chen and et.al., 2012 language is the another
most crucial barrier which restrict the employees with regard to deliver their high quality of
services to the guest. Here, due to the language barrier both customers as well as employees can
communicate the specific thing to each other in a manner in which they wanted to say. This leads
to miscommunication between them. As a result of this several complications will be developed
between both customers and employees. This type of thing will lead to hamper the satisfaction
level of the respective buyers and because of this impact can be seen upon the sales and profits of
corporation. Moreover, Bienstock, Mentzer and Kahn, 2015 have also stated that maintaining
and interpreting the database of customers is another challenge which is being faced by the
employees of front line staff. This not the major challenge but it is being faced by those
employees who do not have any knowledge regarding the manner of interpreting and managing
the database of customers. Due to this, employees faces problem when they have to resolve the
queries of their respective customers. Overall, it can be said that these are the major challenge
which firm must addressed. It is due to the fact that, if not addressed then in this condition it will
become difficult for the enterprise with regard to carry out their efforts in terms of attracting the
large number of customers towards the firm in an effectual manner.
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