Happy workface (job satisfaction):
Good internal customer service means that staff will get more job satisfaction. This simply means they will enjoy their work more and are more likely to do it to their full capacity. This means that customer service will be greatly improved.
Unhappy and inefficient workforce (no job satisfaction) – in an organisation if the staff are not happy, then it will lead to de-motivated staff and the customer will not be satisfied with the organisation.
Dissatisfied customers
the organisation customer service might not be excellent and if this is the case the customers will be dissatisfied with the organisation customer service e.g. the might have not helped the customer when they needed help or the staff might have been rude to the customers; therefore the customer will walk away from the organisation and possibly write out a formal complaint which the organisation will have to deal with.
Chester zoo
First impressions
I did some research before I went to the zoo and found out that the Zoo is one of the foremost zoos in the UK, but when we arrived at the zoo my first impression was that it didn’t really pull me in as much as I expected, and my opinion is that the zoo is failing to attract the 16-24 age group because it’s not offering much for this age group there’s wheelchair facilities for old and disabled people, push chairs for babies and play area for children.
However, the staffs were very welcoming and helpful.
My first impression of the website is that it is aimed at young children, then as you look a little bit deeper you see articles about conservation and information about the zoo’s breeding programs of different animals. This information is welcomed on a website, but somewhat undermined by the impractical churlish font.
Company image
Chester Zoo is one of the best zoos in the UK because of its sheer size and diversity of its collection, in the compelling innovation of its design, and in the breathtaking beauty of its gardens, it has had a profound influence upon the style and development of zoological gardens all around the world. So they would want to come across as very professional, easy accessible for domestic and inbound tourists with road, train, air and possibly even by sea.
It may seem extraordinary that a small Roman city in the North of England should hold such an outstanding zoo, but then the founder of Chester Zoo was a remarkable and redoubtable man. His name was George Mottershead, and he was one of the last great animal collectors of this century. So Chester zoo is not only popular because of its size and collection of animals but history with it. So they are aiming to build there zoo as a brand image.
Speed and accuracy of service
Chester zoo were very good dealing with customers as they had a lot of staff on site and there is also a leader so it prevents from customers waiting for too long. You can also book your ticket online, so overall the speed and accuracy of their service were up to standard.
Products and services offered/meet customer needs
Chester zoo is a non-profit organization and its aim is to support and promote conservation by breeding threatened animals, providing excellent animal welfare, high quality public service, recreation, education and science.
Facilities that are offered in general are Zoofari Overhead Monorail, Waterbus, Children’s farm and Aquarium. For catering they have 3 restaurants where you can enjoy anything from a hot meal through to afternoon tea or you can bring your own lunch and enjoy a picnic in one of their beautifully landscaped gardens. For children they offer a children’s adventure playground, interactive activates, discovery trail and face painting. For disabled people Chester Zoo is fully accessible for all, disabled toilets, parking, wheelchair hires, hearing and visual aids.
Consistency
Chester zoo were very consistent the service they provide to each customer is at the same speed, quickly and efficiently.
Offering information and advice
After buying your ticket at the reception they hand you a leaflet which all the information about Chester Zoo the leaflet includes the different species of animals, a map of the entire zoo, places to eat, timetables for animal feeding and much more.
Complaints procedures
Chester Zoo has a complaint form which you can get from the reception or call in to the customer service number which can be found on their website.
Advice and information can be obtained from the Animal Division if the complaint relates to animal management.
If in the Zoo the staff deals with it and take the customer to a quieter area to calm them down then deal with it.
The benefits of excellent customer service and the consequences of poor customer service
Meet and exceed customer expectations
Meeting customer needs is important because the customers will be satisfied with the organisation in this case the zoo and will come back with other friends or family, therefore the Zoo will in increase profits and become more popular.
A large part of any travel and tourism operations involve dealing with customers and satisfying their needs in my opinion Chester Zoo did. Therefore it makes sense that providing a high standard of customer service is the main priority.
The dictionary defines satisfaction as to adequately meet expectations, this is not the case in travel and tourism as adequate is the minimum that needs to be done. In travel and tourism a company should exceed the customer’s expectations to provide the best possible service.
Meeting customer expectation means to show what customer expect such as providing excellent service and to recruit staff that are knowledgeable so when the customer asks a question about the zoo for information or for advice they should be able to answer them straightaway the staff at Chester Zoo were very knowledgeable because every employee has to go through a vigorous training program which also includes knowing things about animal welfare.
Maintaining safety in a Zoo is very important. When a customer enters the Zoo they should feel safe and secure. There are signs throughout the zoo such not feeding animals through the cages, Zookeepers; Zookeepers are the people who do the day to day work of feeding and cleaning the animals. They also take care of the area where the animals live. Zookeepers prepare the food and feed the animals, clean their areas of waste, make repairs, and help provide a happy home for the animals.
Repeat business
The point of good customer service is to give the zoo a good reputation, so that the customers return and so that they will recommend the organisation to others and vice versa if you provide bad customer the service customers will recommend not returning back to the zoo. To repeat business Chester Zoo give special offers for repeating customers.
A better public image
If Chester Zoo provides good customer service they will get a good public image. Existing customers will be pleased with the Zoo and possibly write good reviews which will lead to new customers being encouraged to visit the zoo.
Poor public image – if the zoo gets bad public image possible customers will not return back to the zoo.
An edge over the competition
Providing excellent customer service will lead the zoo having a competitive edge from their competitors and the customers will come back again, therefore the other zoos will have decreased their sales and profits.
Lack of competitive edge –They will lose in their competition because if they have unsatisfied customers then the competitors will gain more sales and profit.
Happy workface (job satisfaction):
Good internal customer service means that staff will get more job satisfaction. This simply means they will enjoy their work more and are more likely to do it to their full capacity. This means that customer service will be greatly improved.
Unhappy and inefficient workforce (no job satisfaction) – in an organisation if the staff are not happy, then it will lead to de-motivated staff and the customer will not be satisfied.
M1
Macdonald Hotel
Macdonald hotel meets specific customer needs as they have facilities for every type of customer. Individual guests using a single room may benefit from a reduced rate at selected hotels. When no single room is available, individual guests may book a double or twin room for sole occupancy. These rooms may carry a supplement at select hotels.
Children under the age of five can stay and eat free at Macdonald hotels, when sharing a room with two paying adults on the same meal basis.
For guests with impaired mobility the hotel offers modified facilities such as TTY for the telephone, visual or flashing fire alarm, and a vibrating alarm clock. Other special facilities such as having main level access to public areas and in-room accessibility which includes
- An accessible path from the room entrance to the window
- An accessible path from the room entrance to at least one side of the bed
- An accessible path from the room entrance to the toilet
- Accessible hardware and minimal resistance to open the door
- Accessible temperature controls
- Accessible window coverings
For people with disability the hotel has wheelchair accessible common areas.
Accessible bathrooms with a hand-held shower grab bars at the tub, grab bars at the toilet and a raised toilet.
Accessible paths of travel with a flat or ramped path that is 36 inches wide to and from the parking lot to the front desk and from the front desk to some or all of the guest rooms.
For the deaf they have TTY for the telephone, visual or flashing fire alarm, and a vibrating alarm clock.
For visitors that have brought their dogs with them on vacation Macdonald hotel are able to accommodate dogs, at the manager's discretion, but in some cases for an extra charge.
Guests that have travelled with their cars have the facility of free car parking but mostly limited availability.
For health, leisure and well-being Macdonald hotels have excellent leisure and spa facilities such as a swimming pool, steam room, sauna and spa pool. People that are interested in leisure may book this specific hotel for the treatments.
Macdonald hotels also cater for Asian Weddings
They accommodate up to 450 guests and with room hire starting from £4,000, including a dedicated wedding co-ordinator and private kitchen facilities.
Wedding packages includes; Dedicated wedding co-ordinator, private sculptured gardens for photographs, inchyra foyer with red carpet for reception drinks, Inchyra suite, seating up to 450 guests with staging, Inchyra banqueting kitchen, serving staff for up to 6 hours, including kitchen porter, prayer room and executive bedroom for Bride and Groom on wedding night.
They meet the needs of these customers as they will be mainly Muslims that are attending the wedding so they have a prayer room to recite their prayers that take place throughout the wedding and halal food on the menu and a section for vegetarians.
Macdonald hotel have conference accommodation offer business hosting a meeting for 8 or more representatives they have an exclusive offer of overnight accommodation at the £125.00 including full English breakfast.
Rate includes:
- Overnight accommodation in a classic bedroom
- Full English breakfast in the award winning Vellore restaurant
- Complimentary Spa use
Meeting and conference facilities offer the very best space for business functions and appeal to business visitors. They can hold there conference at Bath and also pick Macdonald hotel over there other competitors. They meet the needs of the business visitors as they offer free break at an award winning restaurant, a room to hold their meeting and then relax in the afternoon at the Spa.
People that are not staying at the hotel but need a place to eat Macdonald hotel offers great deal allowing a late checkout and two course Alfresco lunch.
£25.00 per person and includes a free late check out until 2pm and a 2 course lunch in the Alfresco Restaurant. This appeals to every type of customer and if they like the service that they provide they may even stay over at the hotel in the future.
Also for Christmas and New Year, you can celebrate in true English style this festive season by joining friends and family at Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel.
You enjoy a relaxing stay, an office party, a family gathering, or for lunch in the run up to Christmas. It offer historic and cultural attractions of this World Heritage City, exclusive shopping and the Thermal Bath Spa.
This attracts a lot of visitors at Christmas as visitors can come in small, medium or large group. The package is also fairly cheap at £39.95 pp. if you book early considering it is in the Christmas festive season so it is ideal for every age group. It meets all the customer needs as the package includes three course meal, festive table novelties, DJ and dancing until midnight and also accommodation package available.
For New Year’s Eve you can celebrate with family and friends. The evening commences with a glass of Champagne and canapés followed by a fabulous six course dinner whilst listening to sounds from evenings live entertainment.
Chester Zoo
Chester zoo have incorporated a range of services and facilities to make them accessible as possible for everyone, including visitors with disabilities.
For disabled visitors coming to Chester Zoo with their car don’t have to worry about parking as they have 100 disabled parking bays at the front of the car park, near the main entrance so it is easy for them.
They have this meets the needs of disabled people as they don’t have to get their own wheelchair to the zoo.
Registered Assistance Dogs are welcome in the zoo as long as they are on a lead. This will appeal to customers that are on holiday and brought their dogs along with them, as hotels don’t allow leaving dogs alone in the hotel room.
Accessible toilet facilities, including a changing places facility inside the Jubilee toilets, height-adjustable sink with soap dispenser, automatic paper hand-towel dispenser, and warm air hand-dryer. There are also easy-access hand-rails and a hoist that lets you get to everything easily.
Wheelchair lifts at Oakfield House and in the Realm of the red ape and glass panels at the enclosures to make it easy to see the animals.
People that are visiting the zoo but are from different backgrounds such as Asians that are Muslim they can have lunch as Chester Zoo as they have halal food on the menu and food for vegetarians.
With discounted admission for groups of 15 or more paying visitors they are very alluring to organizations like brownies, mum & toddlers or the WI.
Booking in advance and customers can get up to 30% discount and book before your visit to make sure you get exactly what you want out of your group day out. Also for 30% off and beat the queues with Fast Track admission.
There are many benefits of booking as a group which attract more customers
• Discounted admission for groups of 15 or more paying visitors
• for kids and zoo maps
• Free all day coach parking and free admission for coach drivers
Facilities for groups
• Plenty of coach parking within metres of the entrance
• • Plenty of toilets including accessible toilets throughout the zoo
• Plenty of restaurants, kiosks and sheltered picnic lodge for snacks
• Full disabled access
• Wheelchair, scooter and buggy hire available
• Gift sets available to order & collect from £3 per child
• Take a guided tour and learn more with your personal tour guide
• Monorail and waterbus tickets ready to travel
• Ask away at the daily animal talks
D1
Make recommendations for how a travel and tourism organization can improve its customer service provision to meet specific customer needs
Macdonald hotel offers free Wi-Fi but if they can increase the speed and offer dedicated bandwidth of up to 100 megabytes per second so it would offer conference organizers extra and would be ideal for delegates who need to use multiple devices at the same time or to download large documents and presentations from the internet.
They also can interpret carbon saving initiatives such as reducing electricity, heat and water and make them more efficient. They can reduce electricity by switching to energy saving lights throughout all there hotels, reduce heating to ease fossil fuel usage and change all the A rated boilers and reduce water by installing low-flow showerheads and taps. This would ensure guests can expect and receive the quality of hospitality experience that is expected by the 5* Macdonald hotel.
In order for Macdonald hotels to deliver service that meets customer expectations, I would recommend that they first know and understand what the customers expect, as it is important to realize each customer may have different expectations.
They can find out how customers want to be contacted, whether that is by email, SMS, or phone. Then, ask customers a series of simple questions that enable them to tailor the kind of service that Macdonald hotel provide and the information the customer receives.
By asking some simple questions, the hotel can make better choices about how they interface with customers. And, once delivered the relevant and personalized service to the customer they can keep asking the customers what they want and by adopting a customer-guided service and communications strategy, they will be able to continuously obtain specific information about the customers’ needs and then provide excellent customer service to satisfy the customer and ultimately build loyalty.
Adding value will eventually increase room sales and anything that adds value will attract attention and stimulate sales providing people know about it, so it will give people an incentive to try out or make a return visit. Macdonald hotel can create and promote special packages and packaging allows masking actual room rates with features which add benefits to staying at the hotel and then they can also promote and display the packages on their website. There are many other hotels that fit with a consumer's needs for location, accommodations and budget so it's a highly competitive industry, and to be successful they can create more packages more often. Offering guests discounts for their next visit in exchange for filling out a survey about their stay would also appeal to customers and by asking questions on the survey about their experience interacting with the employees and how they would rate the customer service in the hotel.
Chester zoo
A number of improvements can be recommended at Chester zoo. To attract more visitors, they could run their own transportation system such as coaches so that it would be easier for people to reach the destination. Also, it would save visitors money spent on travelling. Also, they could start running these coaches from various cities in the UK so that people from various parts of the country could visit the zoo. Having access to coaches and trains would make it easier and more accessible for people to travel to and from their city.
Other facilities such as local shops, ATM machines and promoting goods from Chester zoo, this would allow people to spend more time at the attraction without thinking of having to go some other place in case they needed different types of food or for cash. Tourists and visitors could be offered with a discount on their next visit; this will not just attract more tourists to the attraction bus also make it popular as the word of mouth will spread Visit Chester zoo can be combined with other tourist packages at a discount rate.
There are a few facilities that could engage parents of people with very young children, thus the implementation of a crèche for toddlers and children, would attract a wider scope of people and families. Chester zoo does have a play area for children but not one with staff looking after the children as the parents go away to visit the zoo so they can either adapt the play area by adding staff there and making a secure as possible environment or build a complete new one. They should implement this because some people with younger children may fear that bringing children to a zoo would be a problem as they might get scared, bored or tired of walking as the zoo is very big, thus building a crèche would allow people to leave their child in a safe and secure environment where they can play with toys and with other toddlers whilst the rest of the family can enjoy a great day out. The cost of hiring staff could be covered by charging a little extra with a family ticket and if there is an emergency such as the child getting sick or having an accident the parents can leave their phone number to contact them.
Whilst visitor numbers have recovered recently, following years of decline, it is estimated that without substantial investment numbers will decline. Chester Zoo competes with a range of leisure based activities including with retail shopping spend and other tourism attractions in the UK and Zoos internationally. There is a need to invest and reinvent itself if it is to remain competitive for leisure based expenditure. They can add more entertainment animal shows, food and beverage venues, 4D short movies related to animals (sea-life centre already has this) and simulated safari rides, to appeal more to the teenager market.
by
mifthaus_salehin (student)
