SERVICE QUALITY MEASUREMENT

Service Quality Measurement Tourism Services Management And Marketing Using The Mystery Shopper Technique

Service Quality Measurement Tourism Services Management And Marketing Using The Mystery Shopper Technique

Introduction

Rather than take the usually futile approach of repeatedly addressing the symptoms of service problems, managers should dig deeper until they reach the root causes of those problems. Even better is to enlist employees' participation in determining the causes. (Zeithaml et.al 2000). The process of listing hot spots and touch points can help work groups see where problems exist (hot spots) and identify chances to impress guests with excellent service (touch points). Managers can also use an employee-tools grid, which lists specific steps that can be taken to improve service in any of the following five categories:

define and communicate issues,

train and educate employees,

improve processes,

evaluate results and provide feedback, and

celebrate successes.

Case study

Thomas Cook Service Management

We worked with the Thomas Cook AG board to help it to come up with a significant and meaningful mission and vision for the next ten years. First, we interviewed the three board members individually. Then we brought them together for two in-depth workshop sessions, where we used visual stimuli to represent the diversity of Thomas Cook's businesses and to stimulate thinking, debate and creative problem solution.

Once we had the first cut of the mission and vision, it was taken in person to every business board around the world for feedback. We could have simply e-mailed a presentation pack, but we felt there is no substitute for face-to-face communication. People genuinely appreciated the fact that we were making an effort to visit them in their country, in their business, taking on board their views and engaging with them in person.

Each business was asked to comment and input feedback, with particular focus on the implications the mission and vision might have on them locally. When developing a mission and vision on this scale, it is imperative that differing cultures are taken into consideration. What may be accepted in one country may not be in another. A questionnaire was also given to the business boards, which supplied both qualitative and quantitative information. The feedback from the face-to-face sessions and the questionnaire was consolidated to help to inform the final mission and vision and to clarify the level of buy-in to both content and process.

Co-operative Travel Service Management

In the midst of economic downturn, the travel industry is feeling the pinch more than most. One reason is that people have less disposable income. Fewer people have a job while, for those in work, pay increases are often failing to keep pace with price rises. Meanwhile, more people are choosing to holiday in Britain as the fall in the value of sterling against the dollar and the euro has made foreign travel more expensive. People who would once have taken a couple of long holidays each year, plus a number of short breaks spread across the year, are now limiting both the number and length of their trips ...