Understanding and Enhancing Customer Experience at Ramada Hotel

This report provides a detailed analysis of customer experience within the context of the hospitality industry, specifically focusing on Ramada Hotel. It begins by explaining the value and importance of market segmentation and customer profiling for identifying target markets, and then explores various methods for customer profiling, considering factors that influence the target market of a hotel. The report evaluates customer engagement strategies for different customer groups and discusses strategies for onboarding diverse customers. Furthermore, it includes the creation of a customer experience map for Ramada Hotel, identifying key touchpoints where customers interact with the business, from the initial research and booking phase to the check-out process. The report also emphasizes the importance of effective communication and positive staff attitudes in enhancing the customer experience. Finally, the report examines various strategies to improve customer satisfaction and build loyalty, including the use of social media, seasonal offers, and personalized services.

Induction-
understanding and
enhancing customer 's
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Explain value and importance of market segmentation and customer profiling activities for
determining target market...........................................................................................................1
2. Different ways in which customers can be profiled and factors affecting target market of
hotel.............................................................................................................................................2
3. Evaluations of customer engagement with various target customer groups...........................2
4. Strategies that help in onboarding diverse customers.............................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
5.Create a customer experience map for a selected service organisation...................................4
6. Identify all touch points when customers interact with business............................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry today is fastest developing service sector industry which works
towards providing excellent quality of goods and services to their customers. Market segmentation
is a process which aims at dividing market of potential customers into groups on basis of their
characteristics. This report is based on Ramada hotel. Ramada is a multinational level chain of
hotels with 800 overall hotels in 63 countries. Present report briefly describes about needs and
expectation of market segments for service industry. Along with this, it covers customer
experience map for developing opportunities and customer's touch points for chosen Hotel.
TASK 1
1. Explain value and importance of market segmentation and customer profiling activities for
determining target market.
Hospitality industry today is fastest developing service sector industry which works
towards providing excellent quality of goods and services to their customers. Market segmentation
is a process which aims at dividing market of potential customers into groups on basis of their
characteristics. Hospitality industry focusses on developing its quality of services which thereby
helps in future growth and enhancement(Zhang, H. and et. al, 2014). Hospitality industry today is
fastest developing service sector industry which works towards providing excellent quality of
goods and services to their customers. Market segmentation is a process which aims at dividing
market of potential customers into groups on basis of their characteristics. This business concern
has majorly stressed on business class customers who are willing to pay high prices for services
rendered.
It has been analysed that , it is important for Ramada Hotel to carry out market
segmentation activities for effectively identifying itss potential customers who can give them
maximum profits. This helps in developing required marketing strategies for the specific group of
customers as per their requirements. In this regard, customer relations executive of Ramada hotel
are mainly emphasizing on customer profiling. It is a key marketing tool which is adopted by
business entities for understanding needs and wants of their customers and helps in taking relevant
decisions according to it(Leeand Ok, 2014). In context to Ramada, its customer relations
executive can use different ways of customer profiling for enhancing their sustainability and these
are described as below:
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Effective interaction policies with customers: Effectively interacting or communicating
with customers is prime focus of Managers of Ramada hotel for building and developing healthy
relationships with its customers.
Identification of customer's interest: An efficient technique which can be used for
customer profiling is identifying core needs and interests of customers and delivering them with
services as per their needs(Jung and Yoon, 2014). For this, managers include process for regular
feedbacks system. These are few ways in which customers' interests can be developed.
Introduction of the company – travel lodge website
Company and its category location: Ramada hotel.
Vision or philosophy: To offer best quality based services and facilities to their guests.
Size : Approximately 1lakh
Customer base: They are target domestic as well as international customers.
Role of Guest relations – what are the roles – Guest role is to enjoy the services which are
serve by employees of the hotel.
2. Different ways in which customers can be profiled and factors affecting target market of hotel.
Customer profiling is a process which involves engagement of both customer as well as
management of a hotel. It is a way of improving relationships between customers and hotel
managers. In context of Ramada hotel there are various factors that influence and affect customer
profiling as well as market segmentation:
Demographic profiling: Is is a marketing tool used by managers of Ramada so that they
can increase their efficiency level and remove any possible gaps in their marketing strategies.
Behavioural Profiling: It is a way of customer profiling which studies ways in which
customers of different origins would behave while meeting staff members of a hotel or with other
corresponding guests. As per their behavioural study, employees a particular hotel are trained.
Segmentation is important for hotel because through which they can target their large
number of customers on the basis of age, gender, income status, area and so more. They are target
those customers who are earn income around 25000-30000.
Factors affecting target market:
Accessibility: This factor mainly focusses on customer's reaching power , if they are able
to reach product or not. In relation to Ramada hotel, accessibility of hotel location directly
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influences its customers. Along with this, these targeted group also gives preference to those hotels
which are located near airports.
Language: This is also a major factor that influences customer's involvement in hotels. It is
essential for staff members to be trained and developed efficiently so that they can deal with
customers easily.
These are certain tools and techniques of analysing behaviour of customers and factors
affecting target market.
Customer profile Product and services
Income level around 45000 and two children
married, native from United kingdom.
Booking tickets through online, telephone. And
best quality food meals.
Businessmen who travel for business purpose. Lunch, dinner and conference facilities.
3. Evaluations of customer engagement with various target customer groups.
Customer engagement is a process which involves engagement of both customer as well as
management of a hotel. It is a way of improving relationships between customers and hotel
managers. In context of Ramada hotel there are various factors that influence and affect customer
profiling as well as market segmentation. It is helpful in enhancing awareness level of a business
concern in competitive market.
Accessibility: This factor mainly ensures that customer are able to reach product or not.
In relation to Ramada hotel, accessibility of hotel location directly influences its business class as
well as premium class customers(Heidenreich, Wittkowski, Handrich and Falk, 2015). Along
with this, these targeted group also gives preference to those hotel which are near to airport.
Language: Another factor which have influence customer engagement is language. It can
be said that it is essential for staff of hotel in order to satisfy their premium and luxury customers
as these kind of customers will only remain loyal to those hotel who treats them with formal but
soothing kind of language.
Personalised: Customer belongs to Premium and Luxury range mainly attracted to
personalised services offered by Hospitality industry. In relation Guest relations executive of
Ramada, it is important for them to deliver positive personalised services to customers so that
they could feel attached to hotel as they are getting services according to their requirement. It can
be said that personalised services are expensive but in relation to targeted customer of Ramada
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they can afford it easily. Along with this, personalised services are availing value added services
to customers which contributes in enhancing their experience.
As per the above specified factors, it can be said that these factors are helpful for the
company in engaging their customer's for longer duration of time.
There are various ways through which hotel can engage with their current and potential
customers that includes telephone, online, websites, invite for key discussion forum, loyalty cards,
regular promotions and so more. These activities help in promoting hotel services and facilities
among desired guests. It can be used for gaining attention of large number of people whether they
are domestic as well as international customers.
Telephone support - Telephone support helps in developing and building good relationship
and also allows to answer the specific inquires. On the other hand, the disadvantages of telephone
support is that it is costly process which maintained trained telephone staff who have excellent
understand on customers as well as hotel operational cost will increased.
Online – The main advantages of online method for hotel is that this will assist in attracting
and make connection with large number of customers. On the other hand, disadvantages of this
online method are that sometime it needs to be updated and upgraded on regular basis.
Ramada hotel customer profile – They are target 30-35 age group people whose income
is around 80000-150000 level per year. Ramada is more European and American guests. It is based
on psychographic segmentation.
4. Strategies that help in on boarding diverse customers.
Customer on -boarding is a wide term that is oftenly used for defining an entire process
which defines ongoing relationship of customers with various products and services. It is a way in
which hotel attracts customers towards itself(Wellin, 2016).
Use of social media: Social media is a powerful tool when used effectively. Managers of
Ramada hotel use social media websites such as facebook, twitter and youtube to promote their
hotel by innovative schemes and advertisements.
Introducing offers during peak seasons: Ramada hotel generally comes with various
offers and fests during peak seasons and weekends to attract huge traffic towards their hotel. Offers
like ladies night on weekends and concerts of famous singers are key attractions of this hotel.
These tools help in increasing customers for hotel especially youngsters.
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These are various tools and strategies that can be brought about for increasing customer
engagement at Ramada.
TASK 2
5.Create a customer experience map for a selected service organisation.
It is a process through which visual format could be viewed that how effectively customers
are served and satisfied. In relation to Ramda hotel, overall customer experience mapping for this
hotel starts from entry process to exit one(Zhang, Lu, Wang, and Wu, 2015).
Research and planning: First step in this process from customer's end is to plan about a
trip and do necessary research required in it. Ramada is a multinational brand and is very popular
and preferred among people.
Evaluation and booking: In this stage, experience of customers rely on facilities provided
by restaurants which are offered to customers at the time of bookings such as allowing pets with
guest in hotel or not, tourist salaries, ease in booking room online, ease in connecting to hotel
person effectively, getting personalised services and so on.
Hotel customer experience: After booking of Hotel room customers gives preference to
the actual experience which are felt by them at the time of their visit to Hotel. In context of
Ramada, it is important for its staff members to provide courteousness and professionalism to
visitors(Hyun and Han, 2015). Along with this, it also includes quality of room services,
facilities, food etc. which are available in hotel by customers while their stay.
Check out: It is last stage of customer experience map where customer personally
observes that how well staff members are releasing them. It includes asking for feedback which
will be helpful for the hotel for future improvement.
During feedback form filling process, customers have to rate services in 3 categories namely
Excellent level
Satisfactory level
Below satisfactory level
These are basic key steps involved in customers staying process from booking to checkout.
6. Identify all touch points when customers interact with business.
Customers touch points are majorly considered as gestures and jargons which a business
concern adopts for communicating with its target customers. Service industry undertakes various
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techniques for effective communication with its clients. An example to it is, while conversation
company staff can make eye contacts to make that communication process more attractive. Clients
or customers are key elements of every industry so in order to maintain effective touch points like
making proper eye catchy gestures company members can attract mind of their consumers(Frank,
Torrico, Enkawa, and Schvaneveldt, 2014). Staff members can make adopt positive attitude
while they are communicating. They also need to listen what costumers is saying as this will
generate feeling of being respected in mind of their clients. These factors greatly impact brand
image of a business entity. Also, it helps Ramada hotel to increase its overall growth and
productivity. Further it helps in retaining its loyal customers for a longer time. Proper and
systematic gestures while communication can prove very beneficial not only for company but as
well as for organisation too.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that a customer is a key element in hospitality
sector and can only be retained by providing effective and quality services to them . Also, it has
been evaluated that five star hotels only work towards targeting business class clients as they help
in generating maximum profit.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Zhang, H. and et. al., 2014. What motivates customers to participate in social commerce? The
impact of technological environments and virtual customer experiences. Information &
Management, 51(8), pp.1017-1030.
Jung, H.S. and Yoon, H.H., 2014. Antecedents and consequences of employees’ job stress in a
foodservice industry: Focused on emotional labor and turnover intent. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 38, pp.84-88.
Heidenreich, S., Wittkowski, K., Handrich, M. and Falk, T., 2015. The dark side of customer co-
creation: exploring the consequences of failed co-created services. Journal of the
Academy of Marketing Science, 43(3), pp.279-296.
Zhang, H., Lu, Y., Wang, B. and Wu, S., 2015. The impacts of technological environments and
co-creation experiences on customer participation. Information & Management, 52(4),
pp.468-482.
Hyun, S.S. and Han, H., 2015. Luxury cruise travelers: Other customer perceptions. Journal of
Travel Research, 54(1), pp.107-121.
Frank, B., Torrico, B.H., Enkawa, T. and Schvaneveldt, S.J., 2014. Affect versus cognition in the
chain from perceived quality to customer loyalty: The roles of product beliefs and
experience. Journal of Retailing, 90(4), pp.567-586.
Wellin, M., 2016. Managing the psychological contract: Using the personal deal to increase
business performance. Routledge
Lee, J.J. and Ok, C.M., 2014. Understanding hotel employees’ service sabotage: Emotional labor
perspective based on conservation of resources theory. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 36, pp.176-187.
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