Personalized

Customer Service

By Jeffery Neil Wacaster

 Introduction
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, Van
Buren, Missouri
A small family vacation resort
One of 70 Jellystone Parks
Relatively new, 5 years
www.currentriverjellystone.com
“Attention Getter” 1 min. video
Service when making reservations
 QuickTime™ and a
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 Introduction
Overview
Define personalized customer service
Explain what other campgrounds are doing
Explain the potential benefits and costs
Explain what Jellystone Park, Van Buren,
Missouri is doing and ways that we can improve
customer service
 Definition
What is customer service?
Being “customer-responsive”
i.e. “Employees are friendly and courteous,
accessible, knowledgeable, prompt in responding
to customer’s needs, and willing to do what is
necessary to please the customer.” (Robbins and
Judge, pg. 22)
What is personalized customer service?
“Do what is necessary to please” each individual.
 Other Campgrounds
What are other campgrounds (other Jellystone
Parks) doing for personalized customer service?
Escort campers to their campsite
Have better reservation system
Provide free breakfast
Go above and beyond in other unique ways
Other Campgrounds
Example of going above and beyond:
Yahoo! Local Review of North Java, NY
Jellystone Park, July 2009
“Their customer service is also top notch. At
one point our firewood was wet. Even though it
was after hours they delivered new dry wood
to our camp site.”
 Other Campgrounds
Benefits campgrounds have received?
Very best Jellystone Parks receive major awards
from the franchisor, customer service is a big
factor in determining winners
Most important: Intangible customer satisfaction
Costs campgrounds have incurred?
Training employees
Hidden cost: Employee labor
 Improving Our Park
Example 1
Pancake Breakfast
Now: customers must
walk up to the
restaurant and may be
surprised how much it
costs, as much as $7
per person!
 Improving Our Park
Example 1
Pancake Breakfast
Improvement: Free
room service breakfast
delivered to campsite.
On weekdays, the
breakfast is free.
 Improving Our Park
Example 2
Parking at Campsite
Now: customers
receive no help backing
into campsites. If there
is a problem, they must
go back up to the office
to report it.
 Improving Our Park
Example 2
Improvement: all
customers with RVs will
be escorted to their
campsite. If there is a
problem, the employee
can take care of it right
away.
 Conclusion
Review
Personalized customer service is “Do what is
necessary to please” each individual.
Other campgrounds are going beyond
customers expectations. To stay competitive,
we need to match and exceed them.
 Conclusion
Review
Benefits and costs of personalized customer
service:
Benefits: customer satisfaction
Costs: Employee labor
What can my campground do better?
Breakfast and helping campers park
 Is it worth it?

Have you had experiences like those in the

“attention getter” video?
Businesses should be “customer-responsive.” In
particular, they should focus on personal customer
service, because shoppers who feel special will
often become lifelong customers.
Questions and Answers