CUSTOMER SERVICE IN HOTELS

According to (Ward 2014), customer service refers to a practice of providing people with a positive helpful experience before, during and after buying or utilizing the services. Continued revenue and success of hospitality is based on customer satisfaction.

Customers are looking for a memorable experience and unique service where it counts. Customers feel good when treated like they are important and ongly sales or revenue generators, so hotel operators need to deliver as promised to keep their customers happy,( Moutry 2014).

Alluding to customer service, Muller (2007) identified types of service as follows;

•          Low touch customer service

A customer is not given any assistant unless when he/she returned something then the service provider just take the item and give back the money. Service is usually provided by vending machines or self-service counters.

•         High touch customer service

High touch is characterized by high level of personal contact with customers, for example meeting and greeting.

•          Transparent customer service

Customers see exactly how things are working and even welcomed to manage things at the level of their preference, foristance in restaurant trolley kind of service.

•        Clueless Customer Service

In this type service providers are not trained ongly given scripts to refer to. It is common in call centers.

•         Evil customer service

The goal for the type of service is to trick customers into paying more or convince to something. Rather than doing what customers ask for, they bully them into what the company wants.

Customer service may seem easy from the surface but it requires certain skills that no one may have.

Hotels operators need to keep up with the new current communication methods, medias to be in contact or interact with customers so they get feedback of the service and should quickly act on those areas of improvements highlighted by customers. This will be vital also on new products, and on improvement updates, (Hotel cluster 2013).

The researcher recommend hotels to train all their employees on customer service and ensure that every employee has information about the hotel in their fingertips so they are able to provide service every time.

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

Hotel Cluster Blog (2013) 8 emerging hospitality Industry trends in 2013 http://www.hotelcluster.com/blog/8-emerging-hospitality-industry-trends-in-2013/html.

Muller T. (2007).8 Types of customer service [Online]. Available at:http://blog.gestsatisfaction.com/2007/0214/8-types-o-customer-service/html. Accessed on 14 April 2014.

Moutry L. (2014) Customer service in Hospitality Industry: Demand Media [online].Available on:http://smallbusiness.chron.com/customer-satisfaction-hospitality-industry-15722.html.Accessed date 14 April 2014.

Ward S. (2014).Customer service [Online].Available at: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/g/custserv.html.Canada.About.com.smallbusiness. Accessed date 14/14/201

CURRENT TRENDS IN HOSPITALITY

 

TIPS

 

Tips are form of thank you for service rendered. A tip is a sign of appreciation in a form of small amount of money or anything (Lynn 2013).

There are theories and myths about history of tips. According to Azar (2010) tipping originated in 1950s at England where tourists to private homes developed the habit of tipping hosts servants in exchange for services. The word tip originated in London, where commercial establishments employees put small bowls on tables with `To Insure Prompt Service` message on them and then abbreviated it to TIPS ( Lynn 2013).

Tipping customs differs from country to country per establishments. In Japan and Russia tipping by tourists or guests is often considered an insult (Caneva 2013).

Lynn (2013) identified tips problems which are;

·         Tips create classes of clients and discrimination.

·         Waiters neglect other customers and focus on regular tippers.

·         Tips encourage selfishness rather than team work.

·         Cash tips encourage tax cheats because that is also income.

According to Bly (2008), restaurants in America replaced tipping practice and added an optional service charge on bills, which will be shared by all employees in establishments.  The trip advisor (2014) outlined advantages of service charge as follows;

·         Service fee reduces diners bias and discrimination.

·         Eliminates unreported cash tips.

·         Helps when crediting or appraising servers.

·         The tip will be shared by all employees in establishments.

The researcher criticizes service charge system because it is ripping money from customers after paying for meals to motivate servers to do their work. She recommended that servers should be paid to market level. Organizations should find ways that will force servers to declare all their tips for taxing and leave tips to be customers decisions.

 

REFERENCES

Azar O.H. (2010). The History of Tipping - From Sixteenth-Century England to United States in the1910s [Online] Available at: http://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/wuwpeh/0309001.html. Accessed on the 05/03/2014.

Bly L. (2008). The tipping point: Will service charges replace voluntary gratuities? [Online].Available at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/news/2005-08-25-tipping_x.html. Accessed on the 11/03/2014.

Caneva A. (2013). Let’s talk about gratuities in tourism. [Online] Available at: http://www.jobintourism.it/job/articolo_print.php?id_articoli=23343.Accessed on the 09/03/2014.

Lynn W. M. (2013). Race differences in tipping: UK, Cornell University of hotel administration.[Online].Available:http://www.hotels.schools.cornell.etiquette/chr/pdf/showpdf/chr/research/tools/lyntippingtoo/find.pdf : Accessed date 11/03/2014.

Trip Advisor (2014) United States Tipping and Etiquettes [Online] Available at: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html. Accessed date: 10/03/2014.

 

KERALA STATE IN INDIA

Kerala, popular tourism destination is a state on the lush tropical Malabar Coast of south western India. It is divided into 14 districts with about 500 hotels and resorts. Vivanta by Taj and Palm Tree Hertage are top hotels in Kerala, they offer great atmosphere and delicious cuisine.

Kerala is India`s cleanest and greenest state. The most powerful attraction of Kerala is inherent harmony. According to the National Geographic Traveler it is one of the ten paradises of the world.

Kerala is also known as celestial land (God`s Own Country); every nook and corner in Kerala are Hindu tempels, Muslim mosques, Christian Churches and unlike other parts of India, live happily without communal riots and great religious tolerance; it is nestled between the Arabian Sea and lush western Ghat mountains, intense network of rivers and lagoons thick forest, exotic wildlife tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters and a long shore of serene beaches make it a traveler’s paradise. The state is gifted with greenery and water, lot of tourism sports. Spectacular snake boat races, assemblage of painted bejeweled elephants during the harvest festival Onam.

Kovalam is a well-known beach; Thekkaydy is equally known for its wildlife. For people who love silence there is silent valley which is the only forest where insects don`t make any sound.Kerala is famous for its ecotourism initiatives. It has a unique culture and traditions developed through acculturation and assimilation of various facilities of civilized culture. Kerala has several tribal art forms like the famous colorful dance mask of Malabar, traditional martial arts form cultural expressions that offer vignettes of a rich living heritage.Many of these native art forms are largely to tourists or at youth festivals and are not a popular among ordinary Keralities. Every place in Kerala has an association charm, a distinct beauty hard to forget for lifetime.

Kerala topped on properties in service relaxation, spa category. The awards were based on trip experience posted by tourists on the travel website, organized by the Trip Advisor. Kerala is a well accepted destination for medical tourism globally.

http://travel.siliconindia.com/travel-article/indias-most-hospitable-states-aid-506html. [Online]

SiliconIndia (2006)

Date accessed: 17/02/2014