In order for organisations to assess customer service delivery, they must undergo procedures and practices to meet the quality criteria.
Below is an interview conducted with the manger of Thistle Hotels. Within this interview, is a description of importance of customer service, the potential of customer service, and effectiveness of customer service:
Importance of Customer service for Thistle Hotels
What is the importance of customer service?
Customer service is of primary importance because through good customer service, our organisation is able to build a good relationship with our customers, and maintain customer loyalty. This will then lead to repeat business as we keep current customers and attract new ones. Furthermore, our organisation monitors customer service through; the placing of comment cards by the checkout to get feedback from customers, a mystery guest report (once a month) where a staff member appears as a guest and interacts with customers to get feedback, and empowerment to staff, where the organisations gives money to staff to provide to customers
How does customer service achieve:
- More customers & increased sales?
Customer service helps our organisation gain more customers & increased sales through maintaining customer loyalty. We maintain customer loyalty be doing extra duties such as making courtesy calls, checking to see if guests have settled into their room, and offer to bring any beverages they may want from the bar to their rooms. Furthermore, we maintain customer loyalty by introducing promotional activities for new customers, and offering ½ price for rooms, which is known as Rooms Deluxe. This will then influence customers to return
Customer service helps our organisation achieve a better public image by creating a relaxed atmosphere making customers feel welcome and comfortable. For example, we are currently refurbishing to create a boutique style atmosphere from flowers and music.
Customer service helps our organisation achieve a competitive edge through the feedback we receive of the hotels in the area and market, which is gained from customers and mystery guests at these hotels. Once we find out what they are not doing we apply that to our organisation. For example we offer ours customers bathrobes, slippers, water, and other complimentary gifts, which other organisations may not offer.
- A happier efficient work force?
Customer service helps our achieve a happier efficient workforce by motivate our staff to be customer focused whenever we receive low reviews from customers. For example, one recent month, a low result was recorded on our quality of bar service. As a result two South African barmen were hired who were very customer focused, and talked to the guests in a very friendly money. This created a friendly warm image of the staff
- Customer loyalty and repeat business?
How can customer service be improved?
Ways in which our customer service can be improved are by always thinking ahead and being alert of competitors’ activities
How do you gain customer feedback?
Our organisation gets customer feedback from mystery shoppers, conduction surveys, and comment cards (suggestion boxes)
Quality Criteria for Thistle Hotel
To produce good customer service, organisations must undertake procedures and strategies to meet the quality criteria. Below is a table showing the practices and procedures used by Thistle Hotel to meet the quality criteria:
THISTLE HOTELS SERVICE GUARANTEE
Customers are entitled to expect the following service standards from Thistle Hotels. These standards are accessed regularly, to check whether or not the procedures and practices used by the organisation meet the quality criteria, and whether or not they need revising. Customers are free by any means to share any enquires to any member of staff by filling out a comment card.
Price
Costs of rooms are dependent upon the type of room that is ordered and the time of day it is purchased. Regular customers receive contracted pricing, which is when regular customers can purchase rooms at a reduced rate. Concessions are offered to families and groups.
Value for money
Consistency/Accuracy
Customers must always be greeted and treated politely and equally. Staff must always clear and accurate when providing customers information. When receiving feedback, staff must retain a minimum of 45 comment cards (suggestion boxes) a day. Transport, room service, and bars
Reliability
When bookings are made, staff must make them within the maximum of 7 minutes. When receiving feedback, staff must retain a minimum of 45 comment cards (suggestion boxes) a day. Furthermore, the feedback from the comments must have at least 85% positive feedback
Staffing levels
There are minimum of 15 members of staff on duty each day, with at least 1 member of staff from each of these departments; Food Beverage, Reception, Concierge, Housekeeping, Accounts, General Managers Office, and Personnel
Qualities of staff
Staff are to always be polite, efficient, fair and to always wear required uniforms at all times. Staff must receive a qualification from the Guest Training Programme, and must possess at one language skill
Enjoyment of experience
Health & Safety
Cleanliness/Hygiene
The schedules for the cleaning staff are 7AM-9AM (for the hotel) 9.30AM-12PM (for the hotel rooms) and 4-6PM (for the hotel room). Cleaning staff must always meet these required schedules, and keep the hotel clean, safe, and comfortable at all times. Furthermore, public toilet facilities are to be inspected ever hour.
Accessibility
Assistance is always provided for all customers (including disabled), for accessibility around the hotel. Car parks are available for customers when entering hotel, however, the car park can only hold up to maximum of 45 cars. Fire exits must always remain unlooked and accessible at all times. Customers have access to their rooms at all times except during cleaning hours.
Availability
The hotel is filled with up to 91 bedrooms, 6 meetings rooms and has a Bar & Lounge. The bar is available 24 hour but only for residents/guest only. Customers can have any room of their choice, and are provided with an alternative if the selected choice is unavailable.
Provision for individual needs
Frail menus are provided for customers that are blind. There who speak who foreign and are available for foreign customers. Catering staffs provide food for dietary customers. Business travellers are provided transportation if they request for it. There are staff on board for customers who have any medical problems
OBSERVERSATION & ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR THISTLE HOTEL
Below is a table showing an analysis of the practices and procedures used by the organisations staff to meet the quality criteria. Furthermore, within this table is a rating of how well the actual level of service was delivered:
Below is an interview conducted with the manger of UCG Cinema. This interview, describes of importance of customer service, the potential of customer service, and effectiveness of customer service
Importance of Customer service for UGC Cinemas
What is the importance of customer service?
Customer service is very importance because through good customer service, our organisation is able to connects well with the public and customers, and maintain customer loyalty. This will then lead to repeat business as we keep current customers and attract new ones.
How does customer service achieve:
- More customers & increased sales?
Customer service helps our organisation gain more customers & increased sales through maintaining customer loyalty. We maintain customer loyalty be doing extra duties such as making courtesy calls, checking to see if guests have settled into their room, and offer to bring any beverages they may want from the bar to their rooms. Furthermore, we maintain customer loyalty by introducing promotional activities for new customers, and offering ½ price for rooms, which is known as Rooms Deluxe. This will then influence customers to return
Customer service helps our organisation achieve a better public image by creating a relaxed, friendly atmosphere making customers feel welcome and comfortable. For example, we are currently refurbishing to create a boutique style atmosphere from flowers and music.
Customer service helps our organisation achieve a competitive edge through the feedback we receive of the hotels in the area and market, which is gained from customers and mystery guests at these hotels. Once we find out what they are not doing we apply that to our organisation. For example we offer ours customers bathrobes, slippers, water, and other complimentary gifts, which other organisations may not offer.
- A happier efficient work force?
Customer service helps our achieve a happier efficient workforce
- Customer loyalty and repeat business?
Customer service helps our organisation achieve customer loyalty and repeated business
How can customer service be improved?
Ways in which our customer service can be improved is always listen and act upon the feedback we get from customers
How do you gain customer feedback?
Our organisation gets customer feedback from mystery shoppers, conduction surveys, and comment cards (suggestion boxes)
Quality Criteria for UGC Cinemas
UGC CINEMAS SERVICE GUARANTEE
Customers are entitled to expect the following service standards from Thistle Hotels. These standards are accessed regularly, to check whether or not the procedures and practices used by the organisation meet the quality criteria, and whether or not they need revising. Customers are free by any means to share any enquires to any member of staff by filling out a comment card.
Price
Costs of tickets are dependent upon the type of ticket that is purchased and the time of day it is purchased. For example, students are only able to purchased discounted tickets before 5pm (MON-FRI). Concessions are offered to families, students, unemployed, elderly or OAP’s (MON-FRI).
Value for money
Consistency/Accuracy
Customers can expect a full showing of all the films and cartoons available. Staff must always clear and accurate when providing customers information about what they have purchased
Reliability
When bookings are made, staff must make them within the maximum of 5 minutes. When answering phone calls, staff must answer calls within one minute. Seats must never be over booked and when customers purchase their tickets, they are free to choose where they can sit.
Staffing levels
There are is to be a minimum of 10 members of staff on duty each day, with at least 1 member of staff from each of floor out of 3.
Qualities of staff
Staff are to always be polite, efficient, fair and to always wear required uniforms at all times. Also staff are to give out a positive open body language when greeting staff and around the organisations. Staff must maintain customer focus, which is to always be aware of customers’ needs, expectations, and to always give their attention to the customer. Staff must have abilities to lead others to maintain strong teamwork which will strengthen the working environment leading better performance of customer service. For example, staff must always be willing to assist staff who are having problems with customers.
Enjoyment of experience
Health & Safety
Cleanliness/Hygiene
The schedules for the cleaning staff are 12AM-12PM. Cleaning staff must always meet these required schedules, and keep the hotel clean, safe, and comfortable at all times. Furthermore, public toilet facilities are to be inspected ever hour.
Accessibility
Assistance is always provided for all customers (including disabled), for accessibility around the cinema. Lifts are available for disabled. Fire exits must always remain unlooked and accessible at all times. Customers have access to the cinema only between the times of 9AM-1AM (Mon-Sat), and 11AM-11.30PM (Sun).
Availability
The cinema is filled with up to 3 floors, 9 screens, and has a canteen. The canteen is available only during opening hours of cinema. Customers can have any seat of their choice.
Provision for individual needs
Customers who are blind are to a companion to assist them. There are staff who speak who foreign and are available for foreign customers. A loop system is available for customers who are deaf. There are staff on board for customers who have any medical problems, such as epilepsy.
OBSERVERSATION & ANALYSIS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR UGC CINEMAS
Below is a table showing an analysis of the practices and procedures used by the organisations staff to meet the quality criteria. Furthermore, within this table is a rating of how well the actual level of service was delivered:
COMPARISON
Below is a table show the comparison of the quality criteria for both organisations, indicating which organisation had the better customer service delivery:
Above is a graph showing a comparison of the customer service quality criteria for both organisations, which indicates that overall, Thistle Hotels have better customer service.
CONCLUSION/SUMMARY
Overall I found this investigation to be quite successful, and beneficial to me as I gained knowledge of what organisations does to achieve customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Also, it was beneficial to me as I was able to explore the activities for working in these organisations, which influenced me to consider employment within these organisations. Furthermore after completing this investigation, I found that Thistle Hotels provided better customer service, particularly with the assistance they provided me for this investigation. What really impressed me of their customer service was their empowerment programme, which showed their courteousy towards their customers as they provide them with extra services. Furthermore, their competitive edge strategy, I also found impressive because instead of copying their competitors’ activities, they take advantage of what their competitors don’t to strengthen their own customer service. Despite Thistle Hotels providing the better customer service, I found that UGC cinemas also provided good customer service, as the customers seemed generally satisfied with customer service. Furthermore, the members of staff that were present, were still able to provide good teamwork which created a relaxed atmosphere for communication between customers
RECOMMENDATIONS
Below is a table suggesting the possible recommendations to improve customer service for both organisations:
Another recommendation is for both organisations to improve their feedback techniques, with the use of informal feedback and focus groups.
