Improving Service Quality: A Consultation Report

Importance of Managing and Measuring Service Quality

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated Knowledge

1. A critical understanding of the main theories and principles surrounding the management of service quality

2. A critical understanding of the range and importance of tools used for assessing service quality Skills

3. The ability to critically appraise the management of service quality for a given service organization

4. The ability to critically evaluate a range of theories and sources associated with service quality

You are a quality management consultant for Visit England’s QIT and have been appointed by a service organization to improve their current service delivery. Your task is to write a report to the Management team which should include the following:

1. Justify the importance of managing and measuring service quality, recommending the adoption of appropriate service quality management methods.

2. Reading the case study you can establish their current service delivery/practices. However you need to assess the impact this will have on the front-line employees, their engagement and also managerial implications.

3. Finally, produce a Customer Feedback System (CFS) framework that the organisation can utilise to monitor and continually improve service quality. Your answer can be justified and illustrated by specific examples of best practice organizational operations.

You will be given credit for –

1. Ability to draw on a range of sources (academic and industry specific)

2. Clearly structured answer

3. Use of relevant examples from the area of hospitality, tourism or events.

4. demonstrating analytical powers

5. Original or imaginative thinking

6. Ability to explore a theoretical argument that has clear implications for service businesses.

7. Critical appraisal of the main theories and principles associated with the management of service quality.

Make a reasoned argument in an academically well written report that leads the reader through argument and debate to a clear conclusion. The argument will therefore embrace the service concept whilst identifying a range of theoretical quality models.

The Hotel attracts both business and leisure guests, and has recently been refurbished; updating the reception area, restaurants and rooms. Since the refurbishment and development of the conference and banqueting suite, the Canary Wharf Hotel has had a 200% increase in room and event bookings combined. However, whilst profits have significantly increased, customer complaints have also risen within this period. In the last six months Trip Advisor reviews have been highlighting variousissues within the Hotel – a sample of some of the comments can be found below:

· “Great facilities but poor service”

· “1 hour wait to check-in!”

· “When I enquired whether we would be compensated, the member of staff said that it was not her decision and we would need to call the Manager when he was back in the office next week. This created a nuance of problems and after multiple phone calls it was almost a month before we gota response, however we were refunded in full and invited to stay again. We would have been happy with a simple upgrade or free breakfast; I don’t know whether we will ever visit the Canary Wharf Hotel again so it was a bit pointless.”

· “The front desk was so busy I didn’t want to ask how to book a table for the restaurant so we took a taxi into the city centre”

· “The staff tried really hard to accommodate all of our wedding guests but they were clearly understaffed and unable to cope”

· “The waiter acted like it wasn’t his problem and told us we would have to speak to the manager as there is nothing he can do to rectify the situation, we only wanted an apology.