Understanding Customers in Service Sector: Induction Assessment Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of customer understanding within the service sector, using the Thornbury Castle Hotel as a case study. It begins by explaining the importance of understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences, exploring factors that drive customer engagement across diverse target groups. The report then constructs a customer experience map, outlining the customer journey from initial contact to post-service interactions. Furthermore, it discusses how various customer touchpoints create opportunities for businesses to enhance customer relationships and improve service delivery. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of managing customer experience to strengthen brand image and foster customer loyalty. The analysis incorporates market segmentation, customer profiling, and specific examples to illustrate key concepts, offering valuable insights for business development and customer relationship management.

Assessment 1: Induction -
Understanding Customers

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1. Explanation of values along with importance to understand needs, wants, preferences of
customer groups that are targetted in service sector industry......................................................1
P2. Exploration of distinct factors which drive addition to influence customer engagement of
diverse target customer groups....................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P3. Customer experience map......................................................................................................3
P4. Discussion on the ways customer touchpoints creates opportunities for business................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Managing customer experience is defined as practice to design addition to react on
customer interactions so to meet as well as exceed their expectations which increases loyalty,
advocacy along with satisfaction of customers (Ailawadi and Farris, 2017). In dynamic scenario,
for an entity it is important to manage activities associated with customer experiences that range
from pre-purchase anticipation till post purchase satisfaction so to continue the workings in
competing market. To gain insights about managing customer experience, Thornbury Castle
Hotel is considered which is situated at famous city of London, UK. The hotel provides luxury
services to diverse segments of market. The report includes writing material related to values
and importance for realising preferences, needs and wants of targetted group of customers,
drivers and influencers of customer engagement, customer experience map and the ways
customer touchpoints creates opportunities for the hotel.
TASK 1
P1. Explanation of values along with importance to understand needs, wants, preferences of
customer groups that are targetted in service sector industry
All organisations carefully plans tasks to cater commodities and services according to
wants, preferences addition to needs of targetted customer for reach towards heighted growth so
to sustain for longer durations (Ieva and Ziliani, 2018). For an organisation, it is important to
understand the determinants of targetted customers in effective manner as customers are the key
for any business.. With the understanding, suitable strategies and programmes are developed to
deliver high quality services to the targetted customers and further information are also gathered
to improve functioning of company. The understanding of wants and demands of customers help
the entity in offering suitable and effective products that customers generally wants. For
managers of Thornbury Castle Hotel, understanding aspects connected with targetted customers
in terms of their desires, preferences, wants, needs and many more assist in developing and
offering related commodities or services. The marketers of the entity conducts proper market
analysis for knowing about perspectives of customers so to serve them accordingly as it helps in
gaining customer attention, raising profit margin, capturing large market segment shares and
attaining growth opportunities.
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Market segmentation is mentioned to categorising entire market as per basis of similar
characteristics including interest, locations, preferences and needs. Thornbury Castle Hotel
categories market segment with the objective of reaching towards potential clients in limited
time span within fierce competition. By this, all the needs and wants of customs are analysed and
fulfilled accordingly (Kasemsap, 2019.). Along with this, market segmentation is also used for
focusing towards production together with marketing campaigns within particular niche of
audiences that helps in targetting suitable market section. Similarly, customer profiling is said to
the way wherein portrait of customers are created that assist in designing decisions related to the
business services. In this, the customers types are broken into groups that posses similar
characteristics and desires. Customer profiling activities are carried out by managers of
Thornbury Castle Hotel for gathering information about people to whom products or services are
to b delivered and properly grouping potential customers in suitable categories.
There are diverse ways through which an entity can be profiled in the dynamic market.
Some are based on perceptions, income, gender, education and many more (Mrass, Peters and
Leimeister, 2018). Following are the targetted customers profile along with their needs and
wants that helps entities to deliver suitable products that drives offerings of Thornbury Castle
Hotel:
Target Customer or potential guests Preferences, wants with needs
Couples  Off site surroundings
 Attractive interiors.
 Quality food.
Families  Open air spaces.
 On site kids zone.
 Food addition to beverage facilities.
Business person  Internet access.
 Conference halls to meet with clients.
 Charging points at all areas.
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P2. Exploration of distinct factors which drive addition to influence customer engagement of
diverse target customer groups.
Customer engagement is said to the concept that involves continuous interactive
procedure among the entity and customers. In other words, it is organisational communication
connection among the brand and external stakeholders through diverse correspondence channels
(Ou and Verhoef, 2017). Some of the factors that influencers and drivers in context to customer
engagement across diverse targetted customer groups for Thornbury Castle Hotel are the
followings:
Guest experience: The experience of guest and customers is one of influential factor of
customer engagement. Distinct type of customer experiences different aspects while utilising
services of the hotel that influences their engagement level. At Thornbury Castle Hotel, diverse
strategies are adopted so to engage the customers so that they experience wide services pre,
during and post usage.
Accommodation types: These also drives customer engagement level with the hotel as
various attractive accommodations are offered by hospitality institutions to the customers as per
their desires and interests (Pandey and Chawla, 2018). Respective hotel offers huge types of
accommodation according to suitability, preferences and wants of customers so to engage them
with the hotel in order to build image in their mindsets.
TASK 2
P3. Customer experience map
Customer experience map is one of tool that helps in identifying and organising each counter that
the customers could have with the entity and brand. With this, business manager traces
interactions that takes place among potential guests and organisation. Thornbury Castle Hotel
managers attempts practices to examine customer experience map so to evaluate experiences of
different guests through using wide techniques along with tools to convey messages. The steps in
customer experience journey map in context to customers of the hotel are the followings:
Discovering and exploring: The customers journey begins when they initiates activities
to discover and explore information for the packages offered by hotel. In context to Thornbury
castle Hotel, customers contact with the hotel for first time so to acquire information through
organisational website and social media.
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Comparison and evaluation: When customers have explored information, they begins
comparing packages which the entity offers with different competing Hotels for reaching
particular decision. In order to improve customer experiences in this stage, the management team
of Thornbury castle Hotel timely updates information on its website and Internet.
Booking services: When customers reaches on final determination, they makes bookings
for the accommodation by using online or offline modes. Thornbury Castle Hotel provides both
options in which online bookings are made on its BOOK MY SERVICE application and offline
bookings are made through telephones by the customers.
Entrance at Hotel: In this stage, potential guest enters in the hotel for availing services.
Authorities of Thornbury Castle Hotel welcomes their guest and serves refreshments.
Availability of room: In this stage, the reservation administrator allot rooms to the
customers according to booked packages. Customers at this phase are not required to wait for
long as they gets faster services as per defined interest at the respective hotel. They experiences
excellent room interiors with ocean view from their room window.
Complimentary Breakfast: Respective hotel also offers complimentary breakfast to its
customers till the duration they stays with hotel. They feels great with such service.
Dinner: According to customer demands and taste, dining services are served. They are
provided dinner after thinking and ordering according to their preferences to eat in hotel room or
with others.
Checkouts: The procedures of check-outs at Thornbury Castle Hotel are quite easy
addition to convenient. In this stage, managers also takes feedbacks for analysing customer
journey and their experiences.
P4. Discussion on the ways customer touchpoints creates opportunities for business.
Customer touchpoints are said to the points which customers uses to contact with
organisation (Schallehn and et. al., 2019.). Few of the touchpoints through which customer
interacts with the Thornbury Castle Hotel are discussed underneath:
Websites: With this touchpoint, information about commodities or services offered are
provided for large custom Assessment 1: Induction - Understanding Customerser scale. Through
this touchpoint, customers of Thornbury Castle Hotel interacts for collecting information that is
updated on website. The respective company posts content along with images related to its
rooms, bars and dining halls that attracts huge customers.
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Hotel Staff: Customers also interacts with business through hotel staff members (Shieh
and Lai, 2017). The manner in which hotel staff of Thornbury Castle Hotel treats and talks with
guests, it influences their experiences. The hotel staff are the first element through which
customers generally interacts when they enters in the premise.
Customer touchpoints are considered as significant tool that improves interaction among
company and potential guests through exchanging information addition to experiences. By using
touchpoints of websites and hotel staff, customers interacts with Thornbury Castle Hotel. These
touchpoints creates opportunities for the respective hotel as they assist the company in improving
relationship with large customer base, understanding desires and perceptions of customers,
developing strategies and additional accommodation packages, investing efforts and resources
for developing internal people and handling all issues related to customer queries and many more
helps the company (Zacharias and Pinedo, 2017). Through all these aspects, various business
opportunities are created through using touchpoints effectively.
CONCLUSION
The above report concludes that managing customer experience is essential as it
strengthens brand image through varied differentiated experiences of guests. Business managers
works with purpose to meet demand of current customers addition to attract new clients such that
their demands and wants are fulfilled and they are convert into loyal customers of company.
Organisational managers considers customer engagement as important concept as it aid in
enhancing interactions, and sharing informations addition to experiences that builds brand image
among wide customers mindset. Touchpoints related to website and staff members provides
various opportunities to business.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Ailawadi, K. L. and Farris, P. W., 2017. Managing multi-and omni-channel distribution: metrics
and research directions. Journal of retailing. 93(1). pp.120-135.
Ieva, M. and Ziliani, C., 2018. Mapping touchpoint exposure in retailing: Implications for
developing an omnichannel customer experience. International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management. 46(3). pp.304-322.
Kasemsap, K., 2019. Facilitating customer relationship management in modern business.
In Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in Digital Marketing and
Entrepreneurship(pp. 44-56). IGI Global.
Mrass, V., Peters, C. and Leimeister, J. M., 2018. Managing complex work systems via
crowdworking platforms: the case of Hamburger Hochbahn and Phantominds.
In Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2018).
Ou, Y. C. and Verhoef, P.C., 2017. The impact of positive and negative emotions on loyalty
intentions and their interactions with customer equity drivers. Journal of Business
Research. 80. pp.106-115.
Pandey, S. and Chawla, D., 2018. Online customer experience (OCE) in clothing e-retail:
exploring OCE dimensions and their impact on satisfaction and loyalty–does gender
matter?. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management. 46(3). pp.323-346.
Ponsignon, F., Durrieu, F. and Bouzdine-Chameeva, T., 2017. Customer experience design: a
case study in the cultural sector. Journal of Service Management. 28(4). pp.763-787.
Pousa, C., Mathieu, A. and Trepanier, C., 2017. Managing frontline employee performance
through coaching: does selling experience matter?. International Journal of Bank
Marketing. 35(2). pp.220-240.
Schallehn, H., and et. al., 2019. Customer experience creation for after-use products: A product–
service systems-based review. Journal of cleaner production. 210. pp.929-944.
Shieh, H. S. and Lai, W. H., 2017. The relationships among brand experience, brand resonance
and brand loyalty in experiential marketing: Evidence from smart phone in
Taiwan. Journal of Economics & Management. 28. pp.57-73.
Zacharias, C. and Pinedo, M., 2017. Managing customer arrivals in service systems with
multiple identical servers. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. 19(4).
pp.639-656.\
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