Developing Multi-Channel Customer Relationship Management Strategy for Hotel Operation
Marian International (MIIM) Kuttikkanm, Kerala, India
The 4TH Research Symposium in Service Management “Service Imperatives in the New Economy” Enhancing Customer Experience- July 2nd -6th, 2013
ABSTRACT
Satisfying the customer is a never--ending process. The aim of satisfying customers is to retain them, as customer retention directly reflects on the hospitality industry’s profit. Though most businesses have a good coordination between customer satisfaction and customer retention, the rate of retention may be influenced by high market competition, lack of differentiation among services/products, lack of interest among customers about that service-/-product and lack of involvement among customers about that service/product. Thus, going beyond customer satisfaction leads to high customer retention, otherwise called customer loyalty.
The success of every organization is underscored by the satisfaction of its customers. This is especially true in the hospitality sector where the success of a company is dependent on its ability to meet its customers’ needs and expectations. This entails that all staff, to avoid trouble-causing potentials, must be well trained in areas where performance has a possibility of falling below expectations. To sustain progress in the hospitality sector, satisfying the customer in all respects must be the prime and essential focus of management. Based on a review of the literature on customer satisfaction, study discusses and examines its benefits in the hospitality industry, factors that influence customer satisfaction, major considerations for improving customer satisfaction and strategies for improved customer satisfaction. Moreover, using Kano’s model of customer satisfaction, the study examines in detail how attributes of customer satisfaction can be divided into three categories: threshold, performance and excitement attributes. These attributes play an important role in encouraging customer satisfaction and loyalty, thereby ensuring the long-term success of a business in the hospitality sector.
Key Words: customers, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, quality service, Kano’s model, threshold, performance and excitement attributes
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