5 Gap Model of Service Quality • customers lack knowledge of their roles and

responsibilities.

Gap 4 – communication gap

* “not matching performance to promises made

by the company”

• not managing customers expectation through

all forms of communication.

• overpromising in promotions & through

physical evidence cues.

Gap 5 – service gap

* “difference between what the customers

expect to receive and their perception of service
that is delivered”

Service Quality Gap model is a broad model that • this gap is the most critical and the ultimate
describes the barrier that companies face in the goal should be in narrowing or closing this gap.
real world in terms of providing service Significance of quality in hospitality and tourism
perceived as high quality. industry
Gap 1 – knowledge gap Customer Satisfaction
* “not knowing what customers expect” Customer satisfaction is defined as a
• lack of interaction between management and measurement that determines how happy
customers. customers are with a company's products,
services, and capabilities. Customer satisfaction
• insufficient communication between contact information, including surveys and ratings, can
employees and managers. help a company determine how to best improve
Gap 2 – standards or policy gap or changes its products and services. Quality
services and experiences directly impact
* “not selecting the right service design and customer satisfaction, leading to positive reviews
standards” and repeat business.
• poor service design This is 2 example of customer satisfaction.
• absence of process management to focus on [Link] customer loyalty: These surveys give
customers requirements. customers a chance to share feedback that yields
their propensity to be a loyal customer.
Gap 3 – delivery gap
Companies can use this information to better
* “difference between specified standard and retain customers.
delivery teams actual performance on these
[Link] customer trends: Surveys allow
standards”
companies to identify trends in customer
satisfaction over time. For example, if several Customer Loyalty
customers have the same complaint about a
Customer loyalty is an ongoing positive
product, there may be a shift happening in the
relationship between a customer and a business.
market that your business hasn't noticed yet.
It's what drives repeat purchases and prompts
Acting on this feedback can keep your business
existing customers to choose your company over
ahead of the curve to not only keep existing
a competitor offering similar benefits. Consistent
customers but acquire new ones who are
quality leads to customer loyalty and repeat
interested in that same trend.
visits, reducing the need for costly customer
Reputation and Branding acquisition.

Brand reputation refers to how a brand is That said, here some reasons why customer
perceived by the public, customers, competitors, loyalty is essential:
and stakeholders. It is the sum of all associations
• Repeat customers spend more than first-time
with your brand and comes from how people
customers. They have a way higher average
perceive it, how they interact with it, and what
order value that increases with the duration they
their experiences are using a brand's products or
services. Maintaining high quality builds a have been doing business with a brand.
positive reputation and brand image, which is
crucial in a competitive market. • Loyal customers produce higher conversion
rates. Existing customers have way higher
Two Examples of Reputation and Branding conversion rates than new ones. The average
1. Dove -Dove, a brand owned by Unilever, went conversion rate of a loyal customer is 60% to
viral in 2017 after it aired an advert for bodywash 70%, while that of a new one is 5% to 20%
that featured a black woman who turned into a
white woman in the advert. Given that the advert • Retaining an existing customer is cheaper than
was for soap, the implication was that Dove acquiring a new one. It is cheaper to keep an
could 'wash away her blackness'. existing customer than to bring a new one on
board. Studies show that getting a first-time
2. Shein - A brand that has a consistently bad customer is 5X more expensive than retaining a
reputation is Shein, the Chinese fast-fashion loyal one.
giant. They're universally known for extremely
poor quality, inconsistent sizing, stealing other Marketing and Public Relations: Quality
brands' designs, slow shipping, and non- existent services are often used as a marketing tool. It's
after-sales service. easier to market an establishment with a track
record of quality service, and positive public
Differentiation relations can enhance a business's image.
Differentiation refers to "learning experiences in Destination Development: What is Destination
which the approach or method of learning is Development? The development of a destination
adjusted to meet the needs of individual is the process of evolving the location's supply
students, focusing on the 'how' of personalized side of tourism in order to meet the area's
learning." Quality sets businesses apart from tourism demands. Quality attractions and
competitors, making them more attractive to services enhance the appeal of destinations,
travelers. driving growth in tourism.
Regulatory Compliance: Hotels are subject to a Customer Service Strategy
huge number of laws and regulations, from rules
A customer service strategy is a well-thought-out
that affect the building itself or the services
plan on how to handle interactions with
rendered, to tourism regulations and even local
customers. Many brands strive to offer a
ordinances. Hotels that operate internationally
consistent experience throughout all channels,
must adapt to the local laws of each country,
but it can be difficult to implement if you don’t
which may vary substantially within the
first take a step back and think about what it
European Union and even more when countries
means to create a winning customer support
around the world are taken into account, with
strategy — one where the customer sees the
laws and regulations that are specific to each
benefits and the company can scale effectively.
location Adherence to quality standards and
regulations ensures the safety and well-being of 6 ways to Maintain a Strong Customer Service
tourists. Strategy
Sustainable Tourism: Sustainable tourism is • Regularly Communicate and Engage With
defined by the UN Environment Program and UN Customers.
World Tourism Organization as "tourism that
takes full account of its current and future • Close the Feedback Loop.
economic, social and environmental impacts, • Create a Longstanding Program.
addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the
environment and host communities." • Invest in Self-Service Solutions.
Sustainable tourism refers to types of travel • Use Automation to Create a Personalized
where tourism's environmental, social, and Customer Experience.
economic impacts are factored in and where
relevant adjustments are made to minimize • Improve Your Digital Customer Service.
these negative consequences. It considers the
Developing a Customer Service Strategy
needs of travelers, but also the needs of host
Involves:
communities, local businesses, and the natural
world. Quality practices contribute to 1. Understanding Customer Needs:
sustainable tourism, meeting the evolving
Identify your customers' needs, preferences, and
preferences of environmentally conscious
pain points through research and feedback
travelers.
2. Setting Clear Objectives
5 dimension of quality in HM
Define specific, measurable goals for your
• Tangibility • Reliability
customer service, such as response time or
• Assurance • Responsiveness customer satisfaction scores.

• Empathy 3. Training and Empowering Staff

Other tools for improvement Ensure your customer service team is well-
trained, motivated, and empowered to solve
• Bench Marking
customer issues effectively.
• Mystery Shoppers or Guest

• Audit reports
4. Choosing Communication Channels Customer ServiCe Strategy examples:

Select the right channels (e.g., phone, email, 1. Personalization Service

chat, social media) based on your audience and
Tailoring interactions to individual customer
their preferences.
needs and preferences, using data and insights to
5. Consistency anticipate their requirements.

Maintain a consistent and positive customer 2. Omnichannel Support

service experience across all touchpoints.
Providing a seamless experience across multiple
6. Feedback Loop communication channels (e.g., phone, email,
chat, social media) for consistent and convenient
Establish a system for collecting and acting on
service.
customer feedback to continuously improve.
3. Self Service Option
7. Technology Utilization
Offering knowledge bases, FAQs, and chatbots to
Implement relevant tools and technology (e.g.,
empower customers to find answers on their
CRM systems, chatbots) to streamline processes
own, reducing the need for direct support.
and enhance support.
4. Proactive Outreach
8. Monitoring and Analytics
Anticipating and addressing customer issues
Regularly track and analyze key performance
before they arise, such as sending product usage
indicators to measure the success of your
tips or alerts for potential problems.
strategy.
5. Feedback Loops
9. Personalization
Encouraging and acting upon customer feedback
Tailor interactions to individual customer needs
to continually improve products, services, and
and history.
the customer experience.
10. Crisis Management
6. Employee Training
Prepare for handling crises and escalations
Investing in ongoing training and development to
effectively.
ensure that customer service representatives are
11. Cultural Alignment knowledgeable, empathetic, and capable of
resolving issues efficiently.
Ensure that your company's culture supports a
7. Community Building
customer-centric approach.
Fostering a customer community where users
12. Resource Allocation can connect, share experiences, and help each
Allocate resources effectively to meet service other.
demands. 8. Emotional Intelligence
13. Legal and Compliance Training customer service agents to empathize
Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, with customers, listen actively, and manage
such as data protection laws. emotional situations effectively.
9. Data Analytics

Using customer data to identify trends, pain

points, and opportunities for improvement in the
service experience.

10. Service Level Agreement (SLAs)

Establishing clear response and resolution times

to manage customer expectations and hold the
customer service team accountable.