http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Issues and Complications

of Customer Service

BTEC Travel and Tourism

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

The Big Issue

Many travel and tourism

organisations talk about delivering

good customer service:

•

They include it in their mission

statements.

•

They talk about making customers

feel special.
But the key is consistency.

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Consistent Customer Service

•

Making customers happy 100%
of the time is the aim.

•

It’s no good getting it right one
moment and then failing to maintain
customer service the next.

•

Inconsistent service leads to
customers not knowing what to
expect.

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Inconsistent Customer

Service

•

Will they want to book that hotel room,
this flight or that cruise next time?

•

Faced with uncertainty, customers will
probably choose to book through
a competitor.

•

The previous session showed that it is
about five times as expensive to win
over a new customer as it is to work
with an existing one.

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Benefits of Consistency

•

An organisation with consistently

high levels of customer service has

an edge over its competitors.

•

It may lead to lower marketing costs.

•

People may pay more to be certain

of the service they’ll receive.

•

This may help the firm achieve a

higher profit margin on its activities.

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Importance of Employees

•

Employees are vital in this attempt to
achieve consistently high customer
service.

•

Organisations must have the right
systems
in place in order to achieve their goals.

•

If staff cannot take the right action when
dealing with customers, the business
will suffer.

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

Helping Staff Achieve

Effective staff in travel and tourism:

•

Take pleasure in seeing that their

customers are happy.

•

See the value of their work.

•

Are empowered to deliver high levels of

customer service.
Travel and tourism organisations should

work hard to recruit people who fit this
bill

http://www.bized.co.uk

Copyright 2007 – Biz/ed

What Next?

•

Think about how travel and tourism
staff can be motivated to be good at
customer service.

•

Go to the Activity to practice your skills
in recruiting customer-focused staff.

•

Find out more about a case where
external events can shape the customer
service experience.