TOURISM UNIT 2

MODULE 1
TOPICS

1. THE SCOPE OF THE TOURISM PRODUCT

2. CUSTOMER’S NEEDS AND EXPECTATION
3. STANDARDS
4. THE ‘IDEAL’ TOURISM PROFESSIONAL
5. CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SERVICE QUALITY
6. CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
KEY TERMS

1. TOURISM
2. TOURISM PRODUCT
3. TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS TOURISM?

Tourism is the commercial organization and operation of holidays and visits to

places of interest.
WHAT IS A TOURISM PRODUCT?

A tourism product is "a combination of tangible and intangible elements, such as

natural, cultural and man-made resources, attractions, facilities, services and
activities around a specific center of interest which represents the core of the
destination marketing mix and creates an overall visitor experience including
emotional aspects for the potential customers.
WHAT IS TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT?

Tourism product development means bringing new and innovative products,

experiences, and services to the market for tourists to buy.
THE SCOPE OF THE
TOURISM PRODUCT
TYPES OF TOURISM PRODUCTS

1. TANGIBLE PRODUCTS
2. MAN- MADE RESOURCES
3. INTANGIBLE PRODUCTS (SERVICE COMPONENT OF THE TOURISM
PRODUCT)
TANGIBLE PRODUCTS

What are tangible products? A tangible product is a physical object that can be perceived by
touch.
Examples of tangible tourism products are:
1. Natural, marine and terrestrial parks
2. Volcano
3. Caves
4. Wildlife cultural products
5. Artisan items
6. Food and beverage
7. Clothing
8. Nutraceuticals
MAN-MADE RESOURCES

What are man-made resources? Resources made by humans using natural resources are
manmade resources.

EXAMPLES OF MAN-MADE RESOURCES:

1. Hotel and attractions facilities

2. Museum

3. Gallery
INTANGIBLE PRODUCTS (SERVICE COMPONENT OF
TOURISM PRODUCTS)
What are intangible products? Intangible products are goods sold by a company/ business
that are not physical in nature.

EXAMPLES OF INTANGIBLE TOURISM PRODUCTS

1. Entertainment-based
2. Education-based
3. Service encounters
CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM SERVICES
There are 6 characteristics of tourism services. They are as follows:

1. Intangibility: This means tourism services cannot be touched, such as a short break holiday
2. Perishability: This means tourism services once they have been used once, the product has
'perished' or they cannot be saved for later use such as an airplane seat.
3. Inseparability: This means tourism services cannot be separated from the provider, that is, it is
inseparable.
4. Psychological: Primarily, it is the understanding of clients´ motivation to visit particular
destination, use available services, clients´ needs and satisfaction
5. Fixed supply: The supply of a tourism product is fixed in the short run and can only be
increased in the long run following increased demand patterns.
6. Variability: expresses the notion that a service may vary in standard or quality from one
provider to the next or from occasion to the next.
PUSH AND PULL FACTORS

The push factors are defined as the desire to travel in a person, socio-psychological impulses in
a person for a journey. Pull factors are defined as the characteristics of destinations that
stimulate the motivations to travel.

PUSH FACTORS PULL FACTORS

ESCAPE CLIMATE
REST AND RELAXATION HISTORICAL SIGHTS
PRESTIGE SCENIC BEAUTY
HEALTH AND FITNESS SUNSHINE
ADVENTURE BEACHES
SOCIAL INTERACTION CULTURAL EVENT
ROLE OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN TOURISM PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT
Who is a stakeholder? A stakeholder is any person or entity who has a vested interest in a
company, project or industry and can either affect or be affected by business’ operations
and performance.
TOURISM STAKEHOLDER GROUPS:
1. Government
2. Tourists
3. Private Sector Business (including staff, managers, etc)
4. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
5. Tourism Organisations
6. Community
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
1. Policies: the government make policies pertaining to the operation of businesses in the tourism
sector.
2. Legislation, and regulations: At the destination level the government sets regulation and
creates legislation to ensure that the industry operates at a particular standard and that the visitor
has a safe experience.
3. Permits: Government issues permits for certain development/ business activities to take place.
4. Developmental orders: Documents that regulate and control the use of the land; ensure that the
land is not misused.
5. Human resource certification: HR certification is, at its core, a recognition of your
professional experience, skills, and knowledge
6. Infrastructure: Government provide the necessary infrastructure such as sewage, water,
disposal (solid waste), electricity, airport, seaports, etc.
ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR
1. Provision of services:This one of the main role of the private sector is to provide tourism
service (including products) for tourists to enjoy.
2. Amenities:something that helps to provide comfort, convenience, or enjoyment. hotels with
modern amenities. providing residents with the basic amenities. usually amenities : something
(such as a conventional social gesture) that promotes smoothness or pleasantness in social
relationships
3. Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is when an individual who has an idea acts on that idea,
usually to disrupt the current market with a new product or service.
4. Development of tangible products: Not only is it the responsibility of the private sector to
provide the products required by tourist but also do development them or other words make
them. Whether they are made by the company themselves or involve a third party.
ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR
5. Use of certification systems in human resource development : HR certification helps you gain
new knowledge, skills, and experience through courses, assignments, and exams, and demonstrate this
to your (potential) employer. It is a popular way of career advancement for HR professionals.

6. Natural and cultural resource preservation and protection: It is also the role of the private
sector to ensure the environment is preserved and protected therefore there should be no
deforestations, littering, etc by the company.
ROLE OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANISATIONS(NGOs)
1. Lobbying: “Lobbying” means communicating with any official in the legislative or
executive branch for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or
administrative action or a ballot issue.Some NGOs lobby influential decision-makers
to take account of the interests of poor and marginalized people. NGOs lobby for
change at the local, national, and global levels.
2. Natural and cultural resource preservation and protection: NGOs intervene to
ensure that natural and cultural resources are preserved and protected by trying
influence decisions that may be seen as threats to the environment.
Community

1. Participation in tourism decision-making: The community must be able to

make decisions/ participate in tourism decision-making especially if it will
cause changes their way of living or affect their environment.
2. Natural and cultural resource preservation and protection: It is the role of the
community to ensure they protect and preserve their environment for others
to enjoy it. It also their role to implement sustainable development practices.
3. Management, development of community experiences/packages for tourism:
Community members should lobby to government for training so they can
enter the tourism industry as entrepreneur and workers.
CUSTOMER’S NEEDS AND
EXPECTATION
CUSTOMERS’ NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS

Who is the customer? A customer is a person who buys goods or

services from a shop or business.
TYPES OF CUSTOMERS

There are two types of customers. They are:

1. Internal customers: An internal customer is anyone who works within the company
or stakeholders that interact with people inside the business as part of their job or
responsibility. Examples may include business owners, employees, subcontractors,
and in some cases, suppliers.
2. External customers: An external customer is a person who is not directly connected
to your organization other than by purchasing your product or service. This customer
could be a one-time purchaser or a person who've you worked with long-term and to
whom you've provided add-ons or customization options.
NEEDS AND EXPECTATION OF INTERNAL
CUSTOMERS
1. Training: It is expected by internal customer to be trained so they can better
understand what is required of them.
2. Recognition and Rewards: Recognising and rewarding internal customers serves as
motivation to encourage them to continue working to the best of their ability.
3. Fairness, Equity, Diversity, Gender: Internal customers are expected to be treated
fairly without bias of gender by their employees as a need of feeling a sense of
belonging.
4. Opportunities for professional development: Internal customer expect employers
to give them a chance to grow through provision of additional training and provision
of necessary resources.
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF EXTERNAL
CUSTOMERS
1. Value for money: External customers expect that what they pay for, it is worth their
money.
2. Reliability: External customers expects and needs to be able to rely on service providers to
satisfy their needs and wants.
3. Responsiveness: External customers needs businesses that they are doing business with to
shows that they care about them and their experience with the company through meeting
their needs, wants and desires.
4. Assurance: External customers expects business to provide them with information they
need to assure them of their services or product.
5. Empathy: Customer expects and needs to be heard and feels understood by the business.
NEEDS AND EXPECTATION OF EXTERNAL
CUSTOMERS
6. Tangibles: Customers expect to be given tangibles by the business in return for their money.

7. Results: Customer expect to see results from using a business’ product/service.

8. Functionality: Customers expect when they use your product it is actually works, therefore
functional.

9. Design: Customers expects the design of the product suits their needs.

10. Performance efficiency: The ability of destinations to exploit the capacity of their hotels, labor,
and attractions to maximize their tourism demand. Customers expect the business to meet their needs.

11. Information: Customers need and expect the business to simply provide them with information.
NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF EXTERNAL
CUSTOMERS

12. Accessibility: Customers expects service providers to make it easy for them to
access and enjoy tourism experiences.

13. Convenience: Customers expects a a comfortable, uncomplicated service with

high quality and customer orientation.
MASLAW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
DETERMINING CUSTOMER NEEDS
1. GATHERING DATA
Companies should engage their shoppers and ask for honest feedback on their product range, customer
experience, and additional suggestions. Depending on the business type, managers can send surveys via-

Email
Phone
Website pop-up
Text message
Checkout
DETERMINING CUSTOMER NEEDS
2. Sorting information by customer needs: Now it is time to organize the free text data into
structured groups based on the customer's need. Any physical paperwork should be converted to
digital copies, so all information is kept in a centralized database

3. Analysing data- Once the data is organized, management can analyze each need at a time.
Depending on the business, information can be analyzed using-

Sentiment Analysis - This method summarizes feedback as positive, negative, or neutral to

gauge the overall view of the consumer.
Keyword extraction - This technique detects specific keywords in feedback when
customers talk about products so businesses can improve their features and quality.
DETERMINING CUSTOMER NEEDS

4. Visualising- Sometimes data is overwhelming and hard to understand. By using

visualization aids, such as charts and graphs, managers can break down
complicated concepts to executives.
5. Aligning Goods and Services with Customer Needs- After the relevant insights
are extracted, companies have the information necessary to make the needed
improvements. While some businesses may need to add new features to products,
others may need to focus on enhancing their customer support.
Meeting Customer Needs
STRATEGIES IN FULFILLING THE NEEDS AND WANTS
OF CUSTOMERS
1. Produce quality goods and services that are free from defects and faults.
Customers especially in tourism settings demand high quality goods and services,
mainly because vacation is considered a luxury. Quality therefore, should be a
“built-in’ feature of tourism products and services.
2. Tourism products should be well- priced. They should not be ridiculously
expensive or extremely low cost. Ideally tourism facilities offer different service
packages to suit multiple income brackets.
3. In order to fulfil customers’ needs and wants, tourism providers should be on time
with their product; there should not be a delay that creates a bad climate between
organisation and the customer. This will build trust worthiness between the tourism
providers and customers
IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMERS

1. Repeat visits and purchases: there is a principle in business that says it is easier and
cheaper to keep an old customer than try and get new ones. Therefore, when tourism
facilities are able to meet the needs, wants and expectations of customers, they are
also marketing, having potential influence repeat visits.
2. Increased revenue: With the value that customer receives through good quality
service the organisation may have the ability to earn more from that customer through
additional spending, may be able to earn high gratuity (tips) based on how satisfied
the customers are.
3. Referrals (good vs bad): Referrals these days are instant, thanks to social media
platforms such as FaceBook,Instagram, Whatsapp and Twitter. Potential customers
depends on reviews from their friends and family via these networks. These are read,
questions are asked and feedback is instant and dependable for the most part.
Monitoring and
Evaluation Tools
(STANDARDS)
What are standards?

A standard is an authoritative principle or rule that usually implies a model or pattern

for guidance, by comparison with which the quantity, excellence, correctness, etc.
Importance Of Standards

1. To develop the customers’ confidence in the quality of the product, e.g, if a

restaurant is HACCP certified customers will feel confident when they eat
knowing that their food is likely to be safe for consumption.
2. Raise the level of demand nationally, regionally and internationally for
products and services that meets tourism standards.
3. Promote competitiveness within the industry
4. Reduce instance of legal liability and lawsuits being brought against the
company by the customers and employees.
5. Provides valuable and reliable information on quality standards for the tourist
and travel industry.
6. Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, thereby building a reputation that
generates repeat visits and new business.
TYPES OF STANDARDS IN TOURISM

1. HAACP
2. ISO [9001-family business management, and 14001, 27001, 31000, 5001,
Occupational Health and Safety – 45001
3. Service Excellence Standards
4. Hospitality Assured (CTO)
5. Competency-based Standards; for example: NVQ, CVQ and global standards
HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System: The purpose of the
HACCP is to identify, monitor and control danger of food contamination. The
system has seven steps:

1. Assess hazard
2. Identify the Critical Control Point
3. Set up procedures for monitoring critical control points
4. Establish corrective actions
5. Set up record keeping systems
6. Verify that the system is working
HACCP
HACCP begins with a concept called the flow of food. This term refers to the movement of food
through a food service operation, from receiving the movement of food through various stages of
storage, preparation and service, until it gets to the final consumer. This flow of food is different
for each item being prepared. Some menu items involve many steps, for example a lunched dish
of creamed chicken and vegetables over rice might have the following steps:
1. Receiving raw ingredients
2. Storing raw ingredients
3. Cooking and preparation
4. Holding and serving
5. Cooling and storing leftovers
Managers must ensure that all employees are trained to follow procedures and have the
equipments needed to do the job.
ISO (International Organisations Of Standards
ISO 9000(quality management) - this is a family of standards that provide guidance and tools for
companies and organisations that want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet
customers’ requirements and that quality is consistently improved. The ISO family includes:

1. ISO 9001 (2015):sets out requirement of quality management systems

2. ISO 9004 (2009): Focuses on how to make a quality management system more efficient and
effective.
3. ISO 19011(2011): sets out guidance for internal and external audits of quality management.
4. ISO 50001: ISO 50001 standard ensures that your organization has a healthy energy
management system, reducing energy consumption, environmental impact and increasing
profitability.
ISO
5. ISO 14001- ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an
environmental management system.

6. ISO 27001- ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security. It sets out the
specification for an effective ISMS (information security management system).

7. ISO 31000- , Risk management – Guidelines, provides principles, a framework and a process for
managing risk. It can be used by any organization regardless of its size, activity or sector.

8. ISO 45001- ISO 45001 is an international standard for health and safety at work developed by national
and international standards committees independent of government. Implementing ISO 45001 may help your
organisation demonstrate compliance with health and safety law.
Service Excellence Standards

ISO 23592- This document specifies service excellence terminology, principles and model
to achieve outstanding customer experience and sustainable customer delight.

Total Quality Management: A core definition of total quality management (TQM)

describes a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction. In a
TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products,
services, and the culture in which they work.
Hospitality Assured Certification

Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) issued licenses.

Hospitality Assured seeks to actively encourage tourism and hospitality

businesses in the region, put in place a service quality framework that meets that
requirements for the European Foundation for quality Management Excellence
Model. It was created to improve the quality of services.

Hospital Assured promotes a culture of quality service excellences and

continuous improvements in the Caribbean which are driven by international
standards and certification in order to strengthen the business performance and
overall competition/ competitive of tourism enterprise.
Hospitality Assured Framework

1. Improve leadership and management skills

2. Improve staff morals and employee motivation
3. Reduce staff turnover, employer are perceived in a positive light
4. Increase market share and prove that you are the best in the industry.
Competence-Based Standards

1. NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications) are based on national occupational

standards. These standards are statements of performance that describe what
competent people in a particular occupation are expected to be able to do.
2. CVQ (Caribbean Vocational Qualification) is an award that is based on the
assessment of competency towards workplace performance. Like other vocational
qualifications in developed countries, it is based on occupational standards that are
informed by recent industry practices.
3. Global Standard- The Global Standard is a reference standard that civil society
organisations (CSOs) can adopt and implement to strengthen their accountability practices.
Government Policies, Regulation and Licenses

1. Requirements for operations (for example, fire extinguishers, entrance and

exit signs, disclaimers, assembly points);
2. Public health protocols: Sanitary convenience(sanitary inspector), running
water, regular health and safety inspection by government, food handlers
permit and staff nurse and well maintained sick bay.
3. Human resources standards
4. Safety and security: safety equipment such as life jackets, seat belts for
passengers, well lit facility, safety guards and police patrol, reporting incidents
to the police.
Government Policies, Regulation and Licenses
1. Procedures for Emergency Management (natural disasters, terrorism, fire): Disasters can happen at
any given time as such tourism businesses are expected to have established plans in place to save lives
and minimise casualties in the event of a disaster. Procedures for emergency management should
include but not limited to natural and man-made disasters. This plan should be reviewed periodically.
The following are some typical emergency management measures: 1. Staff should be properly
informed of all emergency plan, procedures and routes. 2. Emergency routes should be posted in well
lit open area for all staff, guest and visitors to see. 3. All staff members should be made aware of the
location of the first aid kit.
2. Business licences
3. Amusement licences: these are fees paid to a local counsel, municipal co-operation or a parochial board
by event planners and promotes to gain their permission to stage events. The approval of the events is based
on the discretion of the counsel and the chief police personnel governing the area.
Monitoring and Evaluation Instruments
Quality Management Checklist - A QC checklist will help improve communication between you and
your suppliers. For example, when you have a quality control checklist, you can be sure to
communicate your specific requirements to your suppliers. This helps to ensure that they understand
your expectations and that they can meet them.

Sustainability Indices: Sustainability indexes are useful tools in benchmarking your businesses'
non-financial performance. Measuring your impact is the first step in improving it, and disclosing to a
sustainability index allows your business to track progress and make credible plans for improvement.

Carrying Capacity Studies- The maximum number of people that may visit a tourist destination at
the same time, without causing destruction of the physical, economic, socio-cultural environment and
an unacceptable decrease in the quality of visitors' satisfaction.
CONCEPT OF
BENCHMARKING
What is Benchmarking?

Benchmarking is a process where you measure your company’s success against

competitors to discover how to improve your performance. Studying the best-practice of
other companies can highlight what it takes to enhance your company’s efficiency and
become a bigger player in your industry. Using benchmarking this way has allowed
businesses to gain strategic advantage over competitors and grow industry averages.
Types of Benchmarking

1. Internal Benchmarking: comparison of practices and performance between

departments, branches, divisions or locations within an organisation.
2. External Benchmarking- comparison of organisation performance to other
organisations such as rival firms in the same industry in order to improve their
performance, profits and reputation in the industry.
Types of External Benchmarking

1. Competitive Benchmarking: measure the performance of your organisation

against that of your competitors, which is useful for positioning your place
within the industry.
2. Process/ Best- Practice Benchmarking: measures business practices and
processes that are important to the performance of the organisation. Process
benchmarking involves the identification of the best practice used regardless
of the industry, a study of them and the implementation of these practices
into another organisation.
3. Strategic Benchmarking: This compares strategies, business approaches and
business models in order to strengthen your own strategic planning and
determine your strategic priorities.
GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

Green Globe Certification for sustainable tourism

Membership is reserved for companies and organisation that are committed to

making positive contribution to people and planet.

- Provide certification of sustainable management and operation of conference

centres, hotels and resorts, attractions, transportation, travel industry and golf
courses( Green Globe,2016).
Benefits Of Green Globe Certification

1. Save money while they are saving the planet from pollution and waste.
2. Attract greater business from more people interested in making the best
travel and conference.
Blue Flag

Operating under the auspice of the foundation for Environmental Education, and
head- quarter in Copenhagen, Denmark. In order to qualify for this prestigious
award, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety related and access
related criteria must be met and maintained(Blue Flag,2016). Blue Flag
certification is given to specific beaches and marine facilities.
Blue Flag Programme Component

1. Education: Blue flag program aims to connect to the public with their
surroundings and encourage them to learn more about their environment.
2. Information: Visitors should be provided with information about the site that
they are visiting. This allows people to easily navigate the indigenous flora
and fauna.
3. Monitoring : Stringent criteria and the regular spot checks help to ensure the
compliance of the flag site, which are also subjected to comprehensive audit.
4. Management: Appropriate local organizations such as NEPA are selected to
implement and enforce the necessary criteria and thereby ensure consistency
of standards
5. Safety: Safety measures must be in place at all times, to ensure the staff,
public and environment remains safe.
BLUE FLAG BEACHES IN JAMAICA

1. BLUEFIELDS IN WESTMORELAND
2. ERROL FLYNN MARINA IN PORTLAND
3. OCHO RIOS BAY ST. ANN
IDEAL TOURISM
PROFESSIONAL
WHO IS A TOURISM PROFESSIONAL?

As the name suggests you have to provide the information and advice about holiday
destinations to your clients. Apart from providing detailed information and providing
itineraries, you will majorly trade in holiday packages
Characteristics of An Ideal Tourism Professional
To be considered an ideal tourism professional, one must attain the following:

1. Knowledge- One must have knowledge of the destination and the tourism product,Types of knowledge that an ideal
tourism professional should have are as follows:

a. Flora-Flora describes the many species of plants or vegetation

b. Fauna-fauna depicts animals, birds, invertebrates, and fish lives
c. Heritage- must be able to tell tourist and visitors about the history of the business/ product that they selling
d. Culture- must know about the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.
e. Customer- must know who are your customers in order to suit their needs, wants and exceed their expectations.
f. Regulation- must know about the business policies and regulation
g. Sustainability- the interlinked set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that enable effective, embodied action in
the world with respect to real-world sustainability problems, challenges, and opportunities, according to the context
Characteristics of An Ideal Tourism Professional

2. Skills- An ideal tourism professional should have skills such as:

a. Customer service
b. foreign language
c. Computer literacy
d. Digital capabilities
e. Communication
Characteristics of An Ideal Tourism Professional

3. Attributes- attributes of an ideal tourism professional should include:

a. Personality traits: being friendly and welcoming

b. Positive attitude: always having a positive attitude despite the situation
c. Tact: skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues.
d. Diplomacy:the profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations,
typically by a country's representatives abroad.
Characteristics of An Ideal Tourism Professional
4. Competencies- the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. for example,

a. Teamwork: must be able to work in teams effectively to achieve company goals

b. Multitasking: must be able to complete multiple task at a time
c. Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability to adapt and respond to the changing environment
and to constructively create opportunities for change through active participation.
Benefits Of Professional Development and
Professionalism
1. Acts as a motivation for employees to excel as they perform their duties especially if
they are able to update and upgrade their qualifications
2. Maintenance and awareness of the latest industry trends and issues as well as the
business climate.
3. Dedicate themselves to best practices which will lead to increased trustworthiness.
4. Opportunities to network with other stakeholders in the industry at developmental
seminars to exchange best practices.
5. Increased profitability as sales may increase with employees awareness of their role
in the success of the business.
6. Self-confidence and self-worth off employees may improve.
Importance of Human Resources

Human resources is important because tourism is a service industry and relies on

the interaction between service providers and customers. Companies can also
gain a competitive advantage based on the expertise, education, experience,
productivity and professionalism of their workforce. Service quality is core to the
tourism product, As we learned earlier; tourism services are inseparable; more
services cannot be stored and are performed in the presence of the customer. The
human resource is therefore a component of the product as the workers
determine to a large degree the extent of customers satisfaction.
Challenges of Human Resources

1. Long hours: Many fail to maintain a healthy work/life balance and see both their
mental and physical health impacted.
2. High levels of staff turnover- When your employee turnover rate is high, you
will feel its effect with reduced productivity and increased time spent recruiting,
training, and onboarding new employees. High employee turnover can also lead
to a decrease in employee morale, which negatively impacts your company's
reputation.
3. Seasonal employment: Seasonal employment is temporary work to meet an
organization's temporary needs during certain times of the year
CUSTOMER
SERVICE AND
SERVICE QUALITY
What is customer service? What is service quality?
Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use
its products or services. This can be done by meeting customer needs, wants and exceeding their
expectations. (2)Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both before and after
they buy and use your products or services — that helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience
with you.

Service Quality is a measure of how an organization delivers its services compared to the expectations
of its customers.
Characteristics Of Good Customer Service

1. Promptness-Promises for delivery of product must be on time. Delays and

cancellation of products should be avoided.
2. Politeness- Politeness is almost in lost art. Saying “hello”, “ good afternoon”,
“sir” and “thank you” are apart of good customer service. For any business, using
good manners is appropriate whether the customer makes a purchase or not.
3. Professionalism: All customers should be treated professionally, which means
the use of competence or skill expected of a professional. Professionalism shown
the customer they are cared for.
4. Personalisation- Using the customer’s name is very effective in creating loyalty.
Types of Service Encounter

1. Remote- It can happen without any direct human contact. Ex: ATM, Internet website,
Billing statement.
2. Virtual- Service encounters with virtual agents: an examination of perceived
humanness as a source of customer satisfaction
3. Phone-This will occur between and customer and the firm. Organisations such as
insurance, telecom department will use this.
4. Face-to-face- Determining and understanding service quality issues in face-face to
contexts is most complex of all verbal and nonverbal behaviours are important
determinants of quality.
Elements Of Service Encounter
1. Customer- The customer is the most important element of a service encounter. The ultimate
objective of an encounter must be the satisfaction of the customer. The customer’s perception
of service quality, her overall satisfaction with the service, and repeat purchase decision all
depend to a large extent on her perception of the service encounter.
2. Service provider- The service provider or employee is the other crucial human element in
service encounters. As a human being, hexpects courtesy from customers and fellow
employees, and would like to be appreciated by customers and management. He has to have
the requisite knowledge and proper training to perform his tasks.
3. Delivery processes and systems- : Delivery system consists of equipment, supplies,
processes, programs, and procedures, as well as the rules, regulations, and organizational
culture. Many service organizations assume that if its departments or functions are organized
to operate in the most effective and efficient way according to well-established principles of
the relevant field, this will also assure customer satisfaction.
PROCESS FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS
1. Listen- Thank the customer for bringing the matter to your attention. Apologise and accept
ownership, don’t blame others and remain courteous.
2. Empathise- Let them know that you sincerely care about the problem even if you don’t agree
with their comments. If you or your company made a mistake, admit it. If it is a
misunderstanding, you can respond in a supportive, concerned tone of voice, “I can see how that
would be incredibly frustrating for you.”
3. Apologise- It really doesn’t matter who caused the problem. Sometimes the customer is the one
who made the error. What you are apologizing for is the fact that they are upset about the
situation. An apology implies ownership. It lets the customer know that you are going to help
them through the process.
4. Offer solution- This happens only after you have sufficient details. Know what you can and
cannot do within your company’s guidelines. Making a promise you cannot commit to will only
set you back. Remember, when offering a solution, be courteous and respectful.
PROCESS FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS
5. Implement solutions- After offering a solution, it’s important to discuss the options that are available. This
can help the customer feel heard and valued, as well as that you take their complaint seriously and work
towards resolving it.

6. Follow up- Contact the customer to find out if they were satisfied with how their complaint was handled.
Let them know what you are doing to avoid the problem in the future.
PROCESS FOR HANDLING DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS

● Remain calm.
● Practice active listening.
● Repeat back what your customers say.
● Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.
● Explain the steps you'll take to solve the problem.
● Set a time to follow up with them, if needed.
● Be sincere.
● Highlight the case's priority.
APPROACHES TO SERVICE

The four Customer service arenas by Patricia Spampinato (prezi.com)

STEPS IN OFFERING A FANTASTIC CUSTOMER
SERVICE
Steps in Offering Fantastic Customer Service| Customer Service and Service
Quality| Tourism Unit 2. - YouTube
Using the marketing tools to deliver excellent
customer service.
Difference Between Internal and External Customers |The 4P's of Marketing and Customer
Service. - YouTube
Service excellence as a strategic tool

1. Survival
2. Competitive advantage
3. Increased profitability
4. Sustainable growth
5. Development.
Evaluating customer service
ISO 9000 Service Quality Management| Methods of Assessing Customer Satisfaction| Customer Service.
- YouTube
Impact of Good Customer Service

1. Satisfaction
2. Repeat business
3. Customer loyalty
4. Repurchase intention
5. customer satisfaction
6. Improved brand
7. Image recognition
IMPACT OF BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE

1. Loss of customer
2. Loss of sale and profit
3. Loss of brand image
4. Reputation.
Challenges Associated with Tourism Product
Development
1. Lack of stakeholder buy-in;
2. Lack of political will;
3. Lack of awareness of the planning stages;
4. Lack of resource allocation.
NICHE MARKET
Niche market is a small, specialized market for a particular product or service.

1. Ecotourism- all nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the
observation and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas
2. Sport tourism- Sports tourism refers to travel which involves either observing or participating in a
sporting event while staying apart from the tourists' usual environment.
3. Heritage and cultural tourism- the practice of travelling abroad to places of historical or cultural
interest.
4. Health and wellness tourism- Wellness tourism therefore involves travel with the intention of
improving ones state. of health – be it mentally or physically.
5. Community tourism- Community tourism refers to travel experiences owned, led and run by
communities – non-profits, cooperatives, social enterprises.
6. Agro tourism. Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that
brings visitors to a farm or ranch
 NICHE MARKET
7. Events (for example, Sumfest – Jamaica; Carnival – Trinidad and Tobago; Jazz Festival - St Lucia; St Kitts
and Nevis; Kadooment – Barbados).

8. Spa Tourism- Spa tourism is part of the wellness tourism in which the experience is associated with
activities that involve health improvement through hydrotherapy or balneotherapy.

9 Religious Tourism- Religious and spiritual tourism refers to travel for religious or spiritual purposes, such
as undertaking a pilgrimage and visiting sacred sites.

Culinary Tourism- Culinary tourism or food tourism or gastronomy tourism is the exploration of food as the
purpose of tourism
SUMMARY VIDEO

https://youtu.be/bodLZl2OWK4