Intro to Tourism & Hospitality
Chapter 9

Copyright
Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC by
Morgan Westcott, Editor, (c) Capilano University is used
under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
This chapter is by Ray Freeman and Kelley Glazer and is
used under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
Learning Outcomes
 Explain the importance of customer service
 Describe the characteristics of exceptional
customer service and its benefits
 Explain how the quality of customer service
differentiates a destination
 Describe how to recover from service failure
 Explain how social media impacts customer service
delivery
Overview
 The success or failure of our
businesses and destinations
depends on service
 Customer service has been a
big focus since Expo ‘86
 The “human element” is a
critical part of Destination
BC’s Remarkable
Experiences program (DBC,
2014)
Figure 9.1: Checking in with great service
A Key Issue for Employers
 A 2010 Tourism Vancouver
Island survey found that
customer service was one of
the most significant issues
for industry
 A 2014 LinkBC Roundtable
also saw this as a top
concern, and that many
students and grads were
missing customer service
fundamentals
Figure 9.2: Great service takes place
across many platform
Quality of Customer Service

An experience of feeling valued
or heard

Customers have ever-increasing
expectations

Quality service is important
way to achieve profitability
(Erdley, 2002)

Higher client satisfaction =
higher revenues for hospitality
businesses (Cornell, 2012)
Figure 9.3: Does this sign send the right
message to customers?
Total Quality (TQ) and TQM
 Total quality (TQ) is a strategic approach to
integrating all staff (front level to management) in a
process of continuous learning
 Goal is increasing customer satisfaction
 Examining all encounters and points of interaction
to find ways to improve
 TQM in tourism and hospitality = expectations
created by the whole team, delivered
collaboratively (Kapiki, 2012)
Benefits to Employers
 Many employers struggle with justifying expense of
training
 Especially hard to defend in seasonal tourism businesses
 Can be hard to measure benefits
 Studies show improved employee
attraction/recruitment, retention, engagement,
innovation
 Training should be focused on developing potential, not
fixing deficiencies (Saunders, 2009)
Benefits to Employees
 Training provides a
foundation for effective
service delivery
 Improved attitudes, better
communication skills, better
understanding of workplace
practices
 Increased morale, increased
participation, more
advancement, more
independence (Grey, 2006)
Figure 9.4: Customers enjoyed this
experience and posted a picture online
Customer Orientation

Set of activities, behaviours and
beliefs

Place high priority on
customers’ interests

Continuously create superior
customer value

Must be fostered in training
(goes beyond individual
attributes)
(Kim, 2008)
Figure 9.5: Service has always been a
key component of our industry
SERVQUAL
1.
Reliability
 Five dimensions of service
2.
Assurance
 When these are consistently
3.
Tangibles
4.
Empathy
5.
Responsiveness
met, a company is on its way
to being customer oriented
CRM and Loyalty
 CRM: customer relationship
management
 Manage every point of
interaction (first visit to the
website, personalized
touches on arrival, follow-up
cards and newsletters)
 Loyalty programs help
businesses identify, maintain
contact with, and reward
frequent customers
Figure 9.6: Customer loyalty cards are
common in our industry
Moments of Truth: Outstanding Service
 Tamara Turcotte, Sidney
Airport Travelodge: found
accommodations for
hundreds of stranded
travellers (including in the
homes of friends and family)
 Agazzi Abbay: reported for
work after JetsGo closed
down, to allow angry
customers to vent as a
sympathetic ear
 Andrea Chan, Holiday Inn
and Suites: accompanied a
sick guest to the hospital
after her shift was over,
made sure she was okay
 Moments of truth: when a
customer’s interaction with
a front-line employee
changes their perception of
the company (Beaujean,
2006)
Recovery from Service Failures

Service recovery: action that
results in the customer
becoming satisfied overall

Empathetic ear

Apologize

Offer a solution

Compensate

Follow-up

Reassure
Figure 9.7: Handle complaints before
guests take them online
Exceed Expectations: Remarkable Service
 There is no formula
 Get support from
management
 Use your observation skills
 Have a willingness to “go the
extra mile”
 Always: make eye contact,
smile, greet warmly, use the
customer’s name
Figure 9.8: We set the bar high when
we welcomed the world in 2010
Social Media and Customer Satisfaction
 Use social media to “listen”
 Respond to comments
frequently and
professionally
 Monitor Yelp, TripAdvisor,
Facebook, Twitter in a
coordinated way
Figure 9.9: Management and staff
should respond to online comments
Tourism and Hospitality HR Support
 Canadian Tourism Human
Resource Council (CTHRC)
 Industry associations (e.g.
the Association of Canadian
Travel Agents)
 WorldHost (formerly
SuperHost)
 Educational Institutions
Figure 9.9: We’ve come a long way since ‘86
Conclusion
 Employers named customer
service as the most
important training topic
 Customer service will make
or break any marketing
strategy
 From Expo 86 to WorldHost
workshops, our province
places a premium on
customer service skills
Figure 9.10: A satisfied guest shares the news
References
Beaujean, M., J. Davidson, & Madge, S. (2006). The ‘moment of truth’ in customer service. Retrieved from
www.mckinsey.com/insights/organization/the_moment_of_truth_in_customer_service
Cornell Hospitality Research. (2012). Summit 2012: Building service excellence for customer satisfaction.
Retrieved from www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/roundtableproceedings/roundtable17003.html
Destination BC. (2013) Remarkable service in the age of social media (video). WorldHost Training Services.
Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q471_ano2E&feature=em-share_video_user
Destination BC. (2014) Remarkable experiences program. Retrieved from:
http://strategy.destinationbc.ca/how-we-will-win/foster-remarkable-experiences/remarkable-experiencesprogram/
Erdly, M. & Kesterson-Townes, L. (2002). Experience rules, IBM Business Consulting Services’ vision for the
hospitality and leisure industry. IBM Business Consulting Services.
Grey, A. (2006). Upskilling through foundation skills: A literature review.Report prepared for the Department
of Labour. New Zealand. Retrieved from www.dol.govt.nz/PDFs/upskilling-through-foundation-skills.pdf
References
Kapiki, S. (2012) Quality management in tourism and hospitality: An exploratory study among tourism stakeholders. Retrieved
from
www.academia.edu/1160667/Quality_Management_in_Tourism_and_Hospitality_an_Exploratory_Study_among_Tourism_S
takeholders
Kim B. (2008). Mediated effects of customer orientation on customer relationship management performance. International
Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 9(2), 192-218.
LinkBC. (2014). LinkBC roundtable 2014: Dialogue cafe. Retrieved
from http://linkbc.ca/siteFiles/85/files/2014RoundtableDialogueCafeReport.pdf
Saunders, R. (2009). Employer investment in workplace learning. Canadian Policy Research Networks. Retrieved
from www.ccl-cca.ca/pdfs/WLKC/EmployerTrainingInvestment_FinalSynthesisReport_EN.pdf
Tourism Vancouver Island (TAVI). (2010). 2010 Training and needs assessment survey. Retrieved
from: www.tourismvi.ca/research/pdf/2010-Training-and-Education-Needs-Assessment-Survey.pdf
WorldHost Training Services. (n.d.). WorldHost: Hall of fame. Retrieved from www.worldhosttraining.com/halloffame/
WorldHost Training Services. (2013). Remarkable service in the age of social media. Retrieved
from www.worldhosttraining.com/elearning/
Attributions
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Figure 9.1 Family Checking In – WorldHost by LinkBC is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.2 Woman on Headset – WorldHost by LinkBC is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.3 huh? by Liz is used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.4 Happy Birthday from Mom by Peter Lee is used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.5 1954- Service by James Vaughan is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.6 new currency by Roy is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.7 Complaints button by SEO is used under a CC BY SA 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.8 Welcome to Vancouver 2010 by roaming-the-planet is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.9 Accent Inns Online Review by LinkBC is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.
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Figure 9.10 Man on Blackberry – WorldHost by LinkBC is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.