Introduction
The service industry in most cases aims serve its clients in a way that will leave them with memorable experiences. This is done in order to win the customers’ approval for another visit or even a referral. This paper will briefly outline a service experience in the restaurant sector from the perspective of the customers’, the providers’ point of view and then a conclusion is made on how a service encounter contributes to customer satisfaction.
From the Customer Point of View
Customer One
The first customer interviewed was quite excited about the experience he had while on a tour abroad. He claimed that what made the experience so memorable was the appropriate use of technology. He particularly pointed out the poor infrastructure in the country he was visiting and the restaurant filled in that gap appropriately. Specifically he pointed out the journey from the airport to the hotel as memorable. The hotel car had a good selection of music which he enjoyed listening and he easily got along with the driver. He particularly claimed that the driver was very informed and helped him to learn a lot of things as they got to know each other.
Customer Two
The second customer had just arrived from Africa. His experience was great too. He specifically admired the mature way in which the hotel staff did things. It was as if there was no protocol to be followed and yet everything flowed so smoothly. She claimed to have requested a number of things which she thought would take some time to implement due to protocol but to her surprise they were implemented immediately as if they were ready to work on those particular requests. For instance, she requested for an electronic engineer to give her some assistance and this was arranged for her so quickly she was surprised.
Customer Three
The fourth customer was generally happy about the warmth of the hotel staff. She claimed that the hotel staff was so friendly, understanding and accommodating. The hotel she booked in took customer preferences and hobbies. She was surprised that the hotel management made an effort to see at least a good portion of preferences were met. This made the four days she spent at the hotel quite memorable for her. She claimed that the hotel went an extra mile to fetch her movies she preferred to watch and this made her feel really cared for.
Customer Four
The forth customer had complained about the hotel he had booked in. He claimed that although it had the state of the art equipment and was abreast with the latest technology he felt that it was too flashy. He admitted having funny at the hotel and a memorable experience though he still felt that he had spent just too much for the three days. Asked if he would visit the hotel again someday in future he said he would think about it. It was clear that though the client had spent a lot of money, the experience he had must have excited him.
Administrative Point of View
One administrator was interviewed on the issue of customer experience in the restaurant industry. His views were that the industry is highly volatile in the sense that the customers are quite observant and slight mistakes can easily lead to loss of a huge client base. This makes the industry quite challenging and requires that the staff take extra measures to ensure that the customers are served well to their satisfaction. The administrator however noted that ensuring the customers are served well to their satisfaction was very necessary for the success of a unit in this industry. It was also noted that ensuring that the customers have a memorable experience at the hands of the hotel/restaurant was a sure way of ensuring that the customer will come back for another services again. The administrator was not specific on what should be done to create memorable experience but insisted on application of creativity in doing what others do not do.
My Point of View
I have booked into a number of hotels and what I have come to realise is that the hotel industry is quite competitive. Their services are quite similar and with almost the same touch. For a hotel to create an outstanding experience it has to go an extra mile of being creative. One memorable experience I have is that of one of the hotel staff members presenting us (my friends and I) with some special cards with our names printed on them to thank us for the time we had spent at the hotel. It was a nice experience as the cards were nicely done.
Service Encounter As a Building Block of Satisfaction
Globalization has continuously stiffened competition almost in all sectors of the economy. This has led to the emergence of concepts such as internal marketing in the service industries. The hotel business is one such sector which has stiff competition. Most of the hoteliers have resorted to leaving their clients with memorable experiences as a way of staying afloat in the industry. There is no particular formula which can be forwarded to assist in creating memorable experiences for customers; there is a need to depend on creativity. As McAlpine has argued, creativity is a must if the customers are to have a lasting experience (1). McAlpine advises that cooperation among the staff and between the staff and the management is very significant in assisting to resolve failures to deliver. The views of the staff shall never be ignored as they have a firsthand experience with the clients and as such can offer vital advice on improvement (McAlpine 1). The hotel industry has risen to the level of not just satisfying the customer but making an extra effort to ensure that a memorable experience is left on the minds of the customers (Kuzmeski 107; Lindgreen, Vanhamme and Beverland 270).
Works Cited
Kuzmeski, Maribeth. The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print.
Lindgreen, Adam., Vanhamme, Joëlle., and Beverland Michael. Memorable Customer Experiences: A Research Anthology. New York: Gower Publishing, Ltd, 2009. Print.
McAlpine, Peter. “What You Must Do To Create A Hotel Experience Based On Service At The Level Of Creating Truly Memorable Experiences?”Hotel Online 2006.