Welcome to Customer Service! (Section 4.1)
Hi everyone! Travel and Tourism is an industry built on experiences, and the quality of that experience often comes down to one thing: Customer Service (CS).
This chapter is super important because even the most beautiful hotel or the fastest plane ride can be ruined by bad service. Let's explore why good CS is the heart of T&T!
What Exactly is Customer Service in T&T?
Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by an organisation to people who buy or use its products or services.
In Travel and Tourism, unlike manufacturing, the "product" is mostly a service (which is intangible and perishable). Good CS is the moment where the intangible service becomes a positive experience.
Analogy: Imagine you buy a ticket to a concert (T&T product). The music is great, but if the staff member checking your ticket was rude, or the usher gave you the wrong directions, you won't remember the music as fondly. The service delivery matters just as much as the product itself!
4.1 The Importance of Customer Service
Customer service is vital because it determines success in a highly competitive industry. It is often the *only* thing that separates one travel company from its rivals.
1. Service Delivery in Different Travel and Tourism Organisations
Service delivery must be tailored based on the type of organisation. Here are a few examples of what good service looks like:
A. Accommodation Providers (e.g., Hotels)
- Speed and Efficiency: A quick check-in process, especially for tired travelers.
- Problem Solving: Immediately dealing with room issues (e.g., a broken air conditioner).
- Personalisation: Remembering a guest's preference, like their choice of newspaper or coffee.
B. Transport Providers (e.g., Airlines, Rail Companies)
- Clear Communication: Keeping passengers informed immediately during delays or cancellations.
- Safety and Security: Ensuring all safety protocols are followed while maintaining a friendly attitude.
- Comfort: Providing assistance with luggage and comfortable seating arrangements.
C. Travel Agents and Tour Operators
- Product Knowledge: Having excellent product knowledge to recommend the best holiday that meets the customer's specific needs.
- Accuracy: Ensuring reservations and booking details are 100% correct.
- Handling Enquiries: Giving detailed directions, creating itineraries, and offering relevant local information.
Quick Review: Service delivery is all about how the staff interact with the customer, ensuring the experience is smooth, informed, and enjoyable from start to finish.
2. Delivering Customer Service to Different Customer Types
Not all customers are the same! Good CS means recognising and adapting to the needs of different market segments (different types of tourists).
A. Families
- Needs: Safety, entertainment, convenience.
- CS Provision: Offering kid-friendly facilities (e.g., high chairs, designated swimming times), suggesting family rooms, and providing information on nearby attractions suitable for children.
B. Business Tourists (MICE)
- Needs: Speed, connectivity, efficiency.
- CS Provision: Express check-in/out, guaranteed high-speed Wi-Fi, 24-hour business centre access, and clear transport links. Time is money for them!
C. Tourists with Specific Needs
- Needs: Mobility, visual, hearing, dietary, or language requirements.
- CS Provision: Ensuring access (ramps, lifts, braille signage), providing dietary alternatives (e.g., gluten-free meals), having staff who speak multiple languages, or offering interpretation services.
Did you know? Failing to provide adequate service to customers with specific needs is not just bad service, it can be illegal under accessibility and anti-discrimination laws in many countries!
3. Customer Service Standards
To ensure consistency, travel organisations set Customer Service Standards. These are specific rules or benchmarks that staff must follow when delivering service.
Why are Standards Important?
- They ensure that every customer receives the same minimum quality of service, regardless of who serves them.
- They help train new staff on expected behaviour and processes (e.g., procedures for handling complaints).
- They allow the organisation to monitor and evaluate staff performance.
Examples of Standards:
- "All telephone enquiries must be answered within three rings."
- "Every customer must be greeted with a smile and offered their name at least once."
- "Complaints must be logged and a resolution proposed within 48 hours."
- "Staff must demonstrate good product knowledge by correctly answering 9 out of 10 common customer questions."
4. Sustainability Standards and Customer Service
In modern tourism, good customer service includes encouraging responsible tourism and sustainable practices. CS staff are often the link between the company's sustainability goals and the tourist.
How CS Promotes Sustainability:
- Paperless Transactions: Recommending and using e-tickets, mobile boarding passes, and email confirmations to reduce waste.
- Recommending Local Providers: Suggesting customers eat at a small, locally-owned café or use a local guide instead of large international chains. This supports local economies.
- Sustainable Options: Informing customers about public transport or bicycle rental services instead of immediately suggesting a car hire.
- Resource Usage: Gently reminding hotel guests about reusing towels or switching off air conditioning when they leave the room.
Remember: Sustainability standards show customers that the organisation cares about the destination, improving the company’s reputation.
5. The Impacts of Good and Bad Customer Service
The quality of customer service has massive financial and reputational consequences for T&T organisations.
A. Impacts of GOOD Customer Service (Positive Outcomes)
1. Increased Profitability and Sales:
- Happy customers spend more money (e.g., upgrading services).
- They create repeat business and customer loyalty, meaning the company doesn't have to spend as much on marketing to find new customers.
2. Positive Reputation and Brand Image:
- Tourists share their positive experiences, leading to Word-of-Mouth (WOM) recommendations.
- Good online reviews (on sites like TripAdvisor or Google) attract new bookings and provide a competitive advantage over rivals.
3. Better Staff Morale:
- Staff enjoy working where customers are satisfied and appreciative, leading to lower staff turnover and better service continuity.
B. Impacts of BAD Customer Service (Negative Outcomes)
1. Loss of Sales and Market Share:
- Unhappy customers will take their business elsewhere for future trips.
- The company may have to pay compensation or issue refunds, which reduces profit.
2. Negative Reputation and Damage to Brand:
- Bad reviews can go viral quickly on social media, damaging the brand image in minutes.
- Once a reputation is ruined (e.g., known for rude staff or dirty facilities), it is extremely hard and expensive to fix.
3. Loss of Customer Loyalty:
- Customers become "one-off" buyers. If they have a bad experience, they are highly unlikely to book with that travel company again.
Key Takeaway: The CS Equation
The travel product is often standardised (a plane ticket is a plane ticket), but the service delivery is unique. Excellent customer service is the most effective way for a travel organisation to gain a competitive advantage, ensure repeat business, and build a lasting, positive reputation.