A Report on Managing Customer Experience in the Hospitality Sector

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer experience management within the hospitality sector, using Holiday Inn as a case study. It begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and preferences, detailing factors that drive customer engagement. The rep...Read More

Managing customer
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Value and importance of understanding needs and preferences of target customer groups
................................................................................................................................................3
P2 Different factors that drive customer engagement............................................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................5
P3 Customer experience map.................................................................................................5
P4 How touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience...........7
LO3..................................................................................................................................................8
P5 How digital technology helps in increasing customer experience....................................8
LO4..................................................................................................................................................9
P6 Customer service strategies...............................................................................................9
P7 How customer service strategies create and develop customer experience....................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Customer experience plays an important role in any business as it states the satisfaction a
customer has received after using products and services of a company. Customer experience is
generally known by customer's feedback received in a business. In order to gain competitive
advantage in the hospitality industry, it is important to maintain customer experience with
standard level. In this report, importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of
target customer groups for hospitality industry are covered along with explanation of customer
engagement. In this report customer experience map is also covered and use of digital
technology in increasing customer experience (Akron, and et. al., 2020). This report also also
covers customer service strategies and demonstration of how customer service strategies create
and develop customer experience. For better understanding customer experience, in this report
example of Holiday Inn hotel is taken into consideration. Holiday Inn hotel's headquarters are
situated in Denham, United Kingdom, the hotel was founded in 1952. It is a major hotel in
hospitality industry which performs various functions in the hotel industry across different
countries in world.
MAIN BODY
LO1
P1 Value and importance of understanding needs and preferences of target customer groups
As the business can help the consumers to get understand their own necessity to maintain
their segments in the business but it is their role and duty to reply and give consumers what they
want according to their desire. They trying to persuade a consumer more than their necessary that
they need their management and its products or services that could have a length of the opposite
effect, with the consumers for believing in their company that is always out to make a fast
marketing. It is the job role of a business concern to hold their consumers happy and to do this
for the companies that need to give consumers what they want as frequently as possible and not
concentrates so much on whether consumers need (Cain, 2019). Value and importance of
understanding needs and preferences of target customer groups are mentioned below:
 Achievement of business goals- If a business is successful in understanding needs and
preferences of target customer groups. It will help that organisation to grow at a wider
glance in market area. In hospitality industry it helps in fulfilment of business goals.

Holiday Inn achieves majority of its goals by understanding needs and preferences of its
target customer groups.
 Expansion of a business- it is important for a business to grow in market with full
efficiency. Through the approach of identifying target customer groups and
understanding their preferences and needs a business effectively grows in the market.
Holiday Inn hotel has gained a good amount of expansion in the market by the fulfilment
of its target customer groups.
 Competitive advantage- In hospitality industry there is a stiff competition between
many hotels. So gaining competitive advantage is very much essential for a business.
Holiday Inn hotel has gained a good amount of edge over its rivalry competitors in order
to ensure effective and efficient operations at the market place. In order to survive in
market, it is important to identify preferences of target customer groups which helps in
development of a business and also helps in gaining effective edge in the market
P2 Different factors that drive customer engagement
Customer engagement help’s company to generate revenue, it provides opportunity to
interact with customer and build relationship with them. Highly engaged customers benefit
company in many ways. They act as free promoters of the brand resulting in company saving a
huge sum of money which would be spent on advertisement of brand. Customer engagement
builds trust and increase loyalty between customer and company (de Souza Meira, 2021). It’s
essential for company to have customer engagement as it provides competitive advantage over
other rivalry companies. It boosts brand experience and improves customer experience further
providing valuable customer feedback. Customer engagement is derived by various factors
which are explained below in the context of Holiday Inn hotel:
 Price- Price is the cost customer pays for a product. A reasonable price for a product
helps in developing customer engagement. A price that attracts majority of customers
may have minimal profits for company but in the long run it definitely benefits the
company. It is important for a business to determine a reasonable price, Holiday Inn
always keeps effective prices for its products in order to attract more and more
customers.
 Product- Product refers to a good or service that a company offers to customers. A
product that has high quality standards at a reasonable price helps in customer
engagement.

 Place- -For a business place plays a major role, place decides the location of a business to
conduct sales of its product and to perform operation in the market. For Holiday Inn hotel
Various good places across different countries are chosen with several prime locations to
establish major hotels at the marketplace.
 Promotion-Promotion includes various strategies related to advertise A business’s
product in the market. It is essential for every business to do promotion of its product in
order to establish customer engagement in business. Holiday Inn hotel always do an
effective promotion of its products in market. The hotel uses various media platforms to
advertise for its product and services
LO2
P3 Customer experience map
Customer experience mapping is the process of firm that takes place by hotel in order to
interact with their customers. Holiday Inn hotel also make a customer experience map from
research to final entitlement (Hassi, 2019). The customer experience map for the Holiday Inn
hotel is mentioned below:
Map Activities
Research and plan This is considered to be the first stage of customer
experience mapping. It is linked with the research
which is conducted by hotel in order to know there
taste and preferences. It can be about desirable
travel and tourism location and development of
planning in a holiday. This research involves
various kinds of plans which are related with the
facilities provided by hotel like online application,
hotel website, branches in several locations and
agents and guide which are ready to give them
personal; experience. This research helps hotel in
analysis various customer groups like use of mobile
services which helps customers in access and paying

their bill through digital website.
Advance booking Holiday Inn hotel provides various facilities to
customer at the time of booking their rooms and
seats. They provide easy access to the customer
while booking through their websites and online
portals. Where customer could easy search fro the
packages which company is offering and their
discounts at occasions. Customer could search the
best option for them and book online and payments.
Entailment of customer services In this step, there is an interaction between
customers and hotel staff members. Hotel make sure
that their employees should be fully trained so that
they can provide better experience to the customers
in hotel. Also, they focus in increasing the
interaction with customers through websites and
chats and provide convince to customers by solving
their issues and problems (Tews, and et. al., 2020).
Hence, hotel entail customer services through them
on- boarding techniques. This will helps in gaining
customer experiences.
Checking and future customer
experience
This is considering to be the last stage of customer
experience mapping process. They take feedbacks
from the customers after they visit to their hotel.
Customer experience maps also involves post
customer checks which helps them in engaging
customer after they leave from hotel. Holiday Inn
hotel take feedbacks from customers through emails
and review on their applications. This will helps
them in attracting customers towards their offers
and discounts and engaging them.

P4 How touch points create such opportunities throughout the customer experience
Customer touchpoints are referring to the brush of customer with business entity so to
engage with customers and make interactions effectively. These touchpoints help the hotel in
engaging with customers and handling their satisfactions (Konovalova, and et. al., 2018).
Holiday Inn hotel optimise the customer touchpoints in a such a manner that it can benefits to
they hotel and creates business opportunity to them to satisfy their customer experience. The
advantages of touch points which facilities Holiday Inn hotel to gain effective customer
experience:
 Increases revenue- Touch points not only increases customer satisfaction but they
also maximise revenue generation of hospitality industry. Revenue generation helps
a hotel to earn a good amount of profit in market. The development of business in
terms of revenue generation also helps a hotel to distribute good salary to its staff
and management. Providing handsome salary helps a business to performance
management as well leads to establish employee engagement.
 Development- Touch points also helps in development of a business in market and
also helps in development of a business strategy which maintains standard of a
business in market (Su, 2017). Development facilitates the expansion of a business in
market, which is essential for every business in market.
 Goodwill- Achievement of crucial touch points in market, which provides a business
to earn reputation in market. Increase in reputation of a business in market facilitates
its brand value in market and attract more and more customers from the market
place. Touch points help Holiday Inn hotel to achieve business reputation in market
in several countries.
 Customer involvement- Customer involvement is very necessary for every
organisation to ensure its working efficiency in market. The customer involvement
plays a crucial role in determining working of a business, this leads to formation of
various organisational goals and achievement of them is facilitated by customer
involvement.
 Customer satisfaction- Touch points leads to facilitate satisfaction of different
customers in market which is covered by hospitality industry. The customer

satisfaction also plays a crucial role in establishment of goals and standard for a
business of global level. There are various strategies which Holiday Inn hotel adopts
to achieve maximum level of customer satisfaction.
LO3
P5 How digital technology helps in increasing customer experience
By the increase in the level of competitive environment technology plays essential role for
the progress of the hotel holiday inn. The digital technology aids in improving costumer
experience of the hotel (Hospitality industry customer service,2017). The digital technology
Coniston of websites, social media and computer system. Now days every hotel industry moves
towards the use of digital technology because of its several benefits. This will raise overall
progress of the hotel industry. By the use of social media industry can easily connect with the
target consumer. They can create brand awareness and generate interest in the minds of new
consumer (Konovalova, and et. al. 2018). They easily manage the enquiry and complaint of the
consumer. The digital technology helps the company in gaining the benefits of competitive
advantages. This will help in establishing unique selling proposition towards the hotel industry.
The use of digital technology improves the level of efficiency and effectiveness in the industry.
The use of upgraded technology enhances the public image of the company. The advance
technology improves the overall experience of the potential audience. By the adoption of
advance digital technology hotel industry can reduce it operating cost of the company. They can
generate more income and revenue by the use of digital technology.
Role of digital technology at Holiday Inn hotel in increasing customer experience
1.Website- through website hotel can create brand awareness of its features that can
attract existing and new potential consumer. In today's world everyone is using digital
technology and platform. So it become most preferable technology of digital by which hotel
industry can attract new and existing consumer base. Website provide ease to the hotel by
improving consumer base
2.Social media- the social media is one of the effective tool o9f the hotel industry that
can attract mass audience. By posting daily updates about its product and services in various
social media like Facebook, Instagram they can target audience at global level. This will improve

the relation of hotel and costumer. As they can deliver better services to their target audience.
Better services lead towards more satisfaction in the potential consumer. It will facilitate the
public image of the hotel industry. They can easily generate more income and profit through
these social media. By the social media hotel industry can promote its goods and services in very
effective way. They can attract more existing and new consumer for generating more revenue in
the hotel industry.
3.Computer systems- by the use of computer technology and system they can easily
record and manage the records of their potential consumer. It will ensure the effective feedback
system of consumer. The effective computer system will upgrade the experience of consumer.
As they easily handle and manage the enquiry of consumer (Liang, and et. al., 2017). The
recorded data in computer system will help industry in formulation strategy and plan for the
development of the company. They can utilise the data in favour of company. It will have
reduced cost of operations in the activities of business. The computer system help industry in
saving lots of time and efforts of company.
LO4
P6 Customer service strategies
Customer service strategies play a crucial role for every business in an economy. The
selection of service strategies makes a customer satisfied in a business. Also through customer
service activities, many businesses ease their operations in market (Customer experience in
hospitality industry,2021). Many famous organisations in this stiff competition world adopt
various strategies to fulfil the demand of customers. In hospitality industry, customer service
strategies play a crucial role and develops a comprehensive approach in fulfilment of business
objectives (Martínez, 2019). Holiday Inn hotel also adopts various strategies to compete with
other hotels in market. Various strategies adopted by Holiday Inn hotel are explained below:
 Optimize quality assurance- In hospitality industry, every hotel tries to maximise
its quality of food and services. The quality assurance provided to customers also
helps in developing various business aspects. Holiday Inn Hotel has deployed a
separate quality team for maintaining quality of its products and services. The
quality of food is also maintained at the hotel in many different ways and provides
customers good experience, so they come again at the hotel.

 Customer feedback- Customer come at hotel Holiday Inn with many expectations
in their mind. Customers takes advantage of every service provided by hotel in
many different ways, so it is essential for the hotel to know how satisfied the
customers are from its products and services. The hotel takes a regular feedback
from customers to satisfy its customers. Changes are also performed at hotel
according to demands and suggestions given by customers, it eases out operations
of the hotel and helps gaining competitive advantage in the hotel industry.
 Data Drive decisions- Data management and handling customers on the basis of
data driven operations helps a hotel to overcome various challenges in market. In
hospitality industry, management uses professional computer systems to handle and
protect customer oriented data which helps in the operations of its customers.
Holiday Inn hotel also manages customer data in many different ways and helps in
creating a systematic plan for managing its customer experience.
 Customer support- Customer support play an effective role in development of a
business. The hospitality industry is using customer support since a long time to
handle its customers in an optimum manner. Holiday Inn hotel provides email
support for its customers and hotel also has separate customer service line to handle
its customer’s day to day queries.
P7 How customer service strategies create and develop customer experience
Customer services increases customer experience of a business by involving various
customer’s regularity in the business, this increases revenue of an entity and helps in
development of business goals. Customer service strategies create customer satisfaction by
solving out various queries of customers that helps in formulating business development plan.
Customer service strategies are practised by many hotels in hospitality industry to majorly gain
competitive advantage in market (Sipe, 2018). Customer service strategies creates a feeling of
faithfulness and loyalty in mind of customers which attract them towards a business. Customer
service strategies also create a healthy environment in a business and helps in achievement of
business goals in market as well as in development of a precise business strategy.
Holiday Inn hotel adopts various strategies in order to facilitate its customer service which is
beneficial for the hotel in many different ways. The hotel always takes care of its customers

with utmost priority to ensure customer service from its operations. Holiday Inn hotel is also
installing information and technology in a big manner to facilitate its customer service
operations. Customer service strategies not only maximises output of business but also leads
to expansion of a business in market, as a satisfied customer do publicity of a business to
many people in market that facilitates growth of a business. Customer involvement is the
goal of every business in market which is essential for an organisation to gain powerful
competency at the marketplace (Zopiatis, 2018). The involvement of customers in a business
leads to development of a precise business strategy which helps in achievement of future
business goals. Holiday Inn hotel always gives a priority to its customers and staff
management of the hotel is dedicated to provide best customer experience.

CONCLUSION
From the above stated report it can be concluded that customer engagement is important
for every organisation to develop a business. The customer engagement is a major function of
hospitality industry. From the above stated report we can also conclude that Holiday Inn hotel
performs various operations in hotel industry to majorly carry out various functions related to
marketing and expand its business in market. This report also helps in concluding that customer
experience map also plays an important role in market to facilitate customer engagement. This
report also makes a deep understanding of various policies and procedures followed by Holiday
Inn hotel to conduct its operations in the market. This report also concludes precisely that how
important customer engagement is for a business.

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