1. Delivering Quality Tourism Services • About Tourism Services : • Intangible : cannot be placed in inventories • Highly perishable : lose their value with the passage of time • Services, where actions are performed by one person on behalf of another : ticket reservation.

2. Tourism & Quality • In tourism, these two words are inseparable • Market full of tourism suppliers • Increasing competition • Quality is crucial • What is quality?

3. Defining Quality • Quality = Excellence ? • Form of measurement, like a thermometer • We talk of high, bad, good or poor quality • Quality is objective: room size / arriving on time • Quality is subjective: people have different values • → Quality is not always excellence • → Quality is always important. Why?

4. Quality is Important Because... • When people believe that a product is superior in quality, they are ready to pay higher price • Superior quality can generate brand-loyal customers. These customers will accept no substitutes, will not respond to competitor’s promotion • Superior quality can lead to increase market share.

5. Satisfaction Equation • Actual Service > Expectations = “Delighted” • Actual Service < Expectations = “Dissatisfied” • Actual Service = Expectations = “Just Satisfied”.

6. Delighted Customers • Quality in Service > Expectations = “Delighted” • Studies show that delighted guest: • Spread a positive word-of-mouth • Spend more money • Don’t pay attention to competition advertising • What is expectation?

7. People Develop Expectations in 4 Ways • Word of mouth • Personal needs or desire • Past experience • Marketing communication • What is quality?

8. 5 Dimensions When Judging Quality in Service • Tangible, physical aspect: Buiding, equipment, uniform, employee, signs & communication material • Reliability, ability to provide by the personnel a service accurately & consistently • Responsiveness, involve willingness to help guests • Assurance: How Professional, Trained, Trustable, Knowledgable • Empathy: How to Recognize a guest, understand, care about the guest, even anticipate de guest need, how to make a guest someone special.

9. Organizational Excellence • Encouraging employee to deliver value and quality,at all level • Develop employee commitment, innovation • Create a workplace where everyone is motivated to excel and cares about organizational success • How?

10. Organizational Excellence • Effective recruitment selection • Training program • Team-building program