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Alton Towers Resort. Business of Leisure. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Why is it important to an organisation that its customer’s return and / or speak positively about their experience?. Importance of customer service. If visitors have an enjoyable experience they will return again.
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Alton Towers Resort Business of Leisure
Why is it important to an organisation that its customer’s return and / or speak positively about their experience?
Importance of customer service • If visitors have an enjoyable experience they will return again. • If visitors feel they have received a good service, they will tell their family and friends. • If visitors spread the word about their positive experience by telling family and friends, the organisation will build a good image.
What is customer service? • Write a definition of customer service and good customer service.
Think about customer service you have received in the past - one good and one bad experience. Share these with the person sitting next to you. How did the experiences make you feel? How should the person have behaved?
Definitions • Customer service means serving the customer. It involves all contact with the customer, be it face-to-face, or indirect contact (i.e. dealing with complaint letters). • Good customer service involves putting the customer first. It means serving them in a way that they feel is excellent.
Customers Who are Alton Towers Resorts internal and external customers? • Internal customers • Those who work for the organisation • 1,600 Theme Park and 600 Hotel employees • Permanent and Fixed Term • Vital that they receive excellent training to deliver a good service • to external customers • External customers • Those who visit an organisation to purchase or use • goods/services
Customers • Why are both important? External – guests Internal - employees Guests are the most important factor to the leisure and tourism industry Employees are vital to providing good customer service; ensuring a positive experience for guests
Customer types • Alton Towers Resort aims to offer memorable and unique experiences that everyone can enjoy! • This means they have a range of ‘customer types’: • Young and old • Families, couples, singles • Students, professionals • Different ethnicities from all over the world • Customers with special needs Alton Towers Resort must understand and recognise the needs of these different customers to ensure it can cater for them and offer a good service.
Customer needs To offer a good service and positive experience to all customer types, Alton Towers Resort has to cater for their different needs: • Rides to appeal to all ages Families / kidsThrill seekers
Customer needs Facilities and services to cater for customers with special and additional needs: • First Aid centre to cater for special needs; including storage of medical equipment and cold storage of medicines • Food to cater for people with food allergies or dietary requirements • Special ride access, toilet and changing facilities for guests with disabilities • Wheelchair hire facilities • Access for guide dogs • Recognisable and clear signage for non-English speaking guests.
Customer service channels Alton Towers Resort uses a range of methods to deal with its customers. This helps to ensure that: • Customers can easily access Alton Towers Resort’s products, services and gain a unique experience • Alton Towers Resort can gather feedback from its customers.
10 rules of good customer service • Warm welcome – the key to a successful attraction. • First impressions – are lasting and our visitors will remember the impression you give. • Stars of the show – you are part of the show, your presence can bring the attraction alive. • Appearances count – you are on show, look the part to meet our visitors. • Excuse me? – know the attraction and be ready to answer questions.
10 rules of good customer service • Fun, fun, fun – you are in the entertainment business, show you enjoy your work. • Be prepared – for unexpected emergencies and know how to handle any situation. • Positive thinking – take the initiative; make suggestions to make your attraction even better. • Litter – is everyone’s problem, so take pride in your site. • Winning team – work together and use your talents to the best.
Customer satisfaction at Alton Towers Resort Customers loyal and tell family and friends to visit too Good reputation for Alton Towers Resort Safe environment for customers and staff Effective customer service encourages… Increased sales and custom to the attraction Positive environment for customers and staff Job satisfaction of Alton Towers Resort staff An increase in profits Benefits of good customer service: Example answer
Customer complaints • All Alton Towers Resort employees are trained on how to deal with complaints. • Alton Towers Resort uses the HEART acronym H Hello (Introduce yourself) E Empathise (I can understand…) A Apologise (I’m very sorry this has happened to you) R React (Do something to help) T Thank You (Thank them for their feedback)
Customer complaints • Complaint handling process: • Complete form • Use satisfaction pad (where necessary) for complimentary coffee/meal/retail item • Complaints entered into database and monitored monthly • Review complaints and take necessary action.
Measuring Customer Service • Market Research tells Alton Towers Resort what its customers think of their experience and helps to identify areas for development. • Alton Towers Resort uses a range of research methods to measure customer service: • Questionnaires – exit interviews and on park • Database – customer and sales data helps to understand the types of customers visiting, trends etc • Feedback forms – via face to face, web, phone • PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) – small digital device that is used to ask quick questions and provides immediate results • Mystery shoppers.
Measuring Customer Service • The results are analysed and used to inform business decisions: • What audiences are we attracting? • What is their intention to return? • Who should we target / invest in? • Did they enjoy their experience? • How can we improve our customer service? • How can we improve our services / rides?
Organisations like Alton Towers Resort are keen to find out more about their customer experiences through customer satisfaction questionnaires. Before visiting Alton Towers Resort, create your own customer satisfaction questionnaire. On what criteria will you judge your experience? Complete the questionnaire during your visit. Devising customer satisfaction questionnaires
Considerations Overall enjoyment
Considerations Value for money
Considerations Customer service
Considerations Cleanliness
Considerations Toilet facilities
Considerations Length of time queuing
Considerations Signage
Considerations Range of rides