Assignment – WAC of Oberoi Hotels: Train whistle in

the tiger reserve

1. What is the guest complaint? how do you recommend to Vikram to respond ? what is
the primary driver of your recommendation?

Answer:
 A complaint was raised by a guest because his sleep was disturbed by the sound of
the train which raised a question on the outstanding service model of Oberoi
vanyavilas.
 Mr. Vikram had three options to address this complaint:
I. Refund the charges of the third night of the guest’s stay with an apology
letter which was proposed by ratna malhotra.
II. Refunding the charges of whole stay with an apology letter.
III. Writing a heartfelt apology letter.
 Mr. Vikram needs to handle the situation with utmost caution as the hotels
reputation is at stake.
 If the amount is refunded then it will set an example to other customers that at the
slightest discomfort they can leave the hotel and the amount will be refunded.
 The customers should also realize that they asked for an outdoor experience during
their stay so there will be some noise level. In order to mitigate this the customers
can be made aware of this situation so they make a conscious choice.
 But Mr. Vikram should not do nothing which will portray that the hotel doesn’t care
about the customers.
 The following can be done in order to mitigate the situation:
1. The guest can be given a coupon which will be worth the third night’s stay
charges along with an apology letter.
2. The customer can be given a complimentary night’s stay at a different place
which will satisfy him.
3. The guests staying can be informed prior regrading the noise so that thye can
make a conscious choice about their stay.

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 4. The hotel can find a better alternative to the tents which will reduce the noise
level.

2. What is your assessment of eMpower, Oberoi’s HR initiative and how the incentives
work to create a front line who are empathetic and attentive? Would you expect it
work well in this context over time
Answer:
 The empower program was used to make the service personalized and more
memorable.
 The employees had the freedom to go above and beyond to maintain the brand’s
reputation for outstanding customer service.
 The employees could maximize the use of empower to give an excellent service
which can be as simple as buying a fridge magnet for the customer which tells about
how thoughtful they are or offering a pouch to a guest who carried a lot of adapters.
 These became standard service offerings of the Oberoi hotels.
 The top performers and champions of empower were appreciated.
 Changes can be made to this program by making it more automated.
 The staff can be incentivized on the basis of their empower logs.
 They can try to know their guests well in advance so the staff can better utilize this
program.

3. What advise do you have regarding the Oberoi’s growth plans.

 The growth plan needs to be strategic and curated so that it benefits the hotel and the
customers.
 As it was earlier done by Vikram Oberoi that he used to travel as a guest and
understand what amenities others provide and something similar can be done where
they strategize about what can set them apart from others.
 They can cater to the low-end customers as well with similar hospitality.
 They should have a well-defined positioning in the market in order to differentiate
them from their competitors.
 They can also expand their customer base and also the different locations.

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