TOUR06076 2022 Service Quality and Customer Relations
Full Title
Service Quality and Customer Relations
Transcript Title
SQ and Customer Relations
Code
TOUR06076
Attendance
N/A %
Subject Area
TOUR - Tourism
Department
MKTS - Marketing, Tourism & Sport
Level
06 - NFQ Level 6
Credit
05 - 05 Credits
Duration
Semester
Fee
€
Start Term
2022 - Full Academic Year 2022-23
End Term
9999 - The End of Time
Author(s)
Mary O'Keeffe
Programme Membership
SG_BINTE_B07 202200 Bachelor of Business in International Tourism with Event Management
SG_BINTM_B07 202300 Bachelor of Business in International Tourism with Event Management
Description
Despite extensive evidence connecting profits to service excellence and customer loyalty, many organisations still do not understand the significance of service as an interactive process to build and maintain customer loyalty. This module aims to develop the learner's capacity and confidence to deliver service excellence in a tourism setting.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
1.
Identify critical role of customer service in delivering exceptional customer experiences and introduce RATER and GUEST models of SQ.
2.
Describe the current trends in tourism customer service.
3.
Recognise the service interaction as a “social encounter” and understand impact of key techniques / verbal / non-verbal comms on customer / provider interactions.
4.
Introduce the concept of the Service-scape and recognise how service design is used to position tourism firms and manage tourist behaviour and flow.
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Delivery of module via face to face lectures and tutorials.
Use of tourism specific customer service problems / scenarios, podcast and case study materials.
Industry Service Quality & Satisfaction Studies / Cases
Module Assessment Strategies
Continuous Assessment and Final Exam
Identification of Customer Service Issues & Suggest Service Remedy Actions / Approach.
Tourism Industry Related Mystery Shopping Exercise
Repeat Assessments
As appropriate to assess failed elements -repeat exam / repeat project elements
Indicative Syllabus
Introduction
Definition, Role of Customer Service, Understanding Customer Needs, Customer Perception Gap, Trends in Customer Service, Exceeding Customer Expectations.
Customer Interactions
Interactions as Social Encounters, Influence of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communications, Interactive Marketing Techniques, Dealing With Challenging Customers, Customer Service Training.
Service Quality
Concept of SQ, RATER & GUEST Models of SQ, Measuring Service Performance / Customer Feedback & Mystery Shopping.
Service Environment
Intro to Service Setting / Role, Design Elements of Servicescapes, Effects on Consumer Behaviour / Interactions, Managing Customer Flow & Queueing Strategies.
Technology & Customer Service
Communication & Technological Developments, Use of Technology and Customer Decision Journey, Service Delivery via Electronic / Virtual Channels.
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework & Continuous Assessment
30 %
End of Semester / Year Formal Exam
70 %
Coursework Assessment
| Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assignment 1 | Coursework Assessment | Assessment | 30 % | Week 5 | 3 |
End of Semester / Year Assessment
| Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terminal Semester Exam | Final Exam | Closed Book Exam | 70 % | End of Semester | 1,2,3,4 |
Full Time Mode Workload
| Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | Tiered Classroom | In Class Lecture | 2 | Weekly | 2.00 |
| Tutorial | Flat Classroom | Group Work | 1 | Weekly | 1.00 |
| Independent Learning | Not Specified | Research & Reading | 3 | Weekly | 3.00 |
Total Full Time Average Weekly Learner Contact Time 3.00 Hours
Required & Recommended Book List
Required Reading
2017-09-30 Customer Service in Tourism and Hospitality Goodfellow Publishers Ltd
ISBN 9781911396475 ISBN-13 1911396471
2017-09-30 Customer Service in Tourism and Hospitality Goodfellow Publishers Ltd
ISBN 9781911396475 ISBN-13 1911396471
A fully revised and updated new edition of this bestselling text. New material covers issues such as the sharing economy, technology (Virtual Reality and use of robots) and use of big data to personalize experiences and encourage loyalty.
Required Reading
2010 Tourist Customer Service Satisfaction Taylor & Francis
ISBN 0415578043 ISBN-13 9780415578042
2010 Tourist Customer Service Satisfaction Taylor & Francis
ISBN 0415578043 ISBN-13 9780415578042
Customer satisfaction and loyalty in the tourism sector is highly dependent upon the behaviours of front-line service providers. Service is about people, how they relate to one another, fulfill each other's needs and ultimately care for each other. Yet surprisingly there are few or any books which focus on the detailed specifics of the social exchange and interaction between the service provider and customer. Tourist Customer Service Satisfaction fully explores this relationship by defining the specific kind of verbal and non-verbal messages needed for successful exchanges, outlining how the service provider ought to behave & cope in a situation as well as detailing positive approaches that enhance a service provider's role performance. The book uses encounter theory to examine the customer provider relationship as well as drawing on current research and theories from hospitality, tourism, management, psychology bodies of literature. In doing so the book offers important insight into how employee centric competitive advantage in this sector can be achieved in various markets. This book is unique in its approach by focusing on the specifics of the social exchange and interaction between the service provider and customer. It therefore offers a novel synthesis of knowledge on service satisfaction in the tourism sector which will serve as valuable pedagogical and research reference for students and academics interested in hospitality and tourism.
Module Resources
Non ISBN Literary Resources
IT Sligo / Yeats Library Customer Service Guides
Updated Literary Resources
Journal Resources
Journal of Customer Service in Marketing & Management
Tourism Management
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research
URL Resources
www.etc-corporate.org
www.emerald.com
journals.sagepub.com
www.researchgate.net
www.world-tourism.org
www.wttc.org
Other Resources
Tourism Practitioner Customer Service Guides
Fáilte Ireland / Tourism Ireland Publications & Resources
Irish Tourism Industry Council / www.itic.ie
Association of Visitor Experiences & Attractions
Ireland Association for Adventure Tourism / www.iaat.ie
THRIC Conference Proceedings
Additional Information
www.avea.ie
European Travel Commission Publications
World Travel & Tourism Council Research / Publications