Customers Unit Code: SITXCOM001A (Work with colleagues and customers) Week (6)

Outcomes  At the end of this chapter the student will be able to understand:-  Different types Customer  (Internal and external customers)  Customer with special needs  Customer types and their expectations  Factors to determine customers’ expectations & need

Define Customers: A Customer is someone who buys a service or product from another person or organization. A customer may be internal or external. Internal customers : individual colleagues or groups of colleagues at your workplace with whom you are required to communicate and with whom you work. They are non paying guests. Good customer relations start with good internal staff relations.

External Customers External customers: those from outside the organization with whom you are required to liaise or provide with services and products. External customers are those upon whom the industry relies entirely for the success of their business and for whom they are expected to provide quality products and services

Cont. Whether the person is an internal or external customer, the service offered should always be of a high standard. Dissatisfaction of internal customers could lead to poor communications and working relationships that are not harmonious, and that may result in inefficient and unprofessional operations.

Customers with special needs those with a disability those with special cultural or language needs unaccompanied children parents with young children pregnant women aged people.

CUSTOMER TYPEEXAMPLES OF NEEDS/EXPECTATIONS Business personprompt service and availability of secretarial services/support Newlywedsdiscreet service and privacy Family groupchild minding and value for money Young single person entertainment and sporting activities Overseas touristcurrency/travellers cheque exchange and language interpreter Aged persondisability access and special meals This table identifies customer types and general expectations.

Why customers are important for the business-success: The outcome from dissatisfied external customers can be negative publicity when they inform other family members, friends and colleagues of their unpleasant experience. Not only will the dissatisfied customer never return, other potential customers will not be encouraged to visit.

Customers ( cont) In the Hospitality & tourism industry, our customers come from all walks of life. When you look at your own upbringing and how your friends were brought up, you can easily see that everyone has a different set of values in life. Customers are the focus of your work. How you treat them and relate to them helps determine the success of your workplace. Customers are entitled to good service from efficient, friendly staff, all the time. Without customers, there would be no jobs.

cont. Customer needs and expectations are many. All customers should be treated as individuals, although they do have something in common, and that is their expectation of service.

The definition of ‘service’ in terms of customer expectations is that they all need: to feel welcome and respected to be dealt with in a friendly, efficient and courteous manner to receive help and assistance when needed to be in clean, comfortable surroundings to feel recognised and remembered to be listened to and understood

Needs, wants and expectations To offer better service to the customers, we need to know their needs, wants and expectations. A Need :- For example, you may feel the need for a drink if you have not drunk for some time. A want: reflects an individual's demand for particular goods or services to satisfy a need. For example, you may need a drink and want a cup of coffee Expectations: are the extent to which a customer thinks their needs and wants will be satisfied. For example, the customer thinks that the cup of coffee will satisfy their thirst

NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS Within the Tourism and Hospitality Industry there is a wide variety of customers, each with their own particular needs and expectations. These needs and expectations are often determined by: cultural factors – which may include language, values and religious beliefs, special dietary meals and comfort requirements socio-economic factors – which includes their level of income and therefore their spending capacity

Cont. personality/mood – which may include those who are bright and bubbly and looking for stimulating activities as opposed to those who are quieter and seek subdued activities areas of interest – which may include a hobby or sporting activity

Cont. health factors – which may include special dietary meals, degree of mobility or exercise facilities available time – which may include the purpose of the visit. For instance a business person may have less time than a holiday maker age – which may include elderly customers as opposed to those in their 20s

Quality Service The delivery of high quality service is very much dependant upon you, the employee. Your actions can and will determine whether the service you offer has been regarded as merely satisfactory or considered of the highest quality possible.

Quality Services Are:- communicating with a customer in a manner which promotes good will, trust and satisfaction accurately identifying potential hidden customer needs ensuring customer needs and reasonable requests are met

cont. providing friendly and courteous offers of assistance beyond the customer’s original request promoting the organisation’s services and products to encourage repeat visitation displaying positive body language to ensure customer comfort

Before a customer service plan can be designed to satisfy customers’ needs and expectations the organisation must:- Have full knowledge of the product and market demand Understand customers needs and expectations Be committed to its goals and strategies

Some features of successful service are :- Pleasant environment Friendly and well groomed staff Informed staff with helpful supervisors Willing assistance Quick and professional service Politeness – Good manners