Describe the customer service skills required to meet customer needs in travel and tourism
contexts.
Communication Skills:
Communication Skills are vital in the Travel and Tourism industry as they make everything easier for
the customer in order for them to communicate their wants and needs.
Face-to-face
Lots of customers prefer face-to-face communication as it allows them to gain an in depth response, which
would be prompt and would also allow them to ask any questions they may have. The person they are
speaking too will also be able to give a personal response to them and give their opinion. Furthermore, it
may be hard for some to talk online as they may not be good with technology and therefore would prefer to
talk to someone to their face. The person that the customer would speak to would need to have the skills of
being friendly, informative, warm and open in order for the customer to feel like their needs are met
accordingly. Face to face communication is in about almost any sector of the travel and tourism industry such
as travel agents to cabin crew. It would be important for the organisation to make sure that face-to-face
communication is performed well as they would not like a bad review/complaint as they may loose business.
It is important for the Cabin Crew to speak face-to-face to a customer as it is polite and they want them to be
safe, they can also demonstrate things to the customer.
Telephone eg. call centre
Telephone communication has advantages and disadvantages, such as the cost it would be to
make a telephone call, the waiting time for them to be answered and the risk of scams. However
many people like to use the telephone to communicate in the Travel and Tourism industry as it is
quick and easy to communicate if the people live are far away. The employee would need to be
friendly, good at describing, patient, good at interpreting what people say as they may not be
native speakers and thick skinned as they may face abuse from the other end of the phone line.
It is important for the organisation as they want the customers to have ease of access wherever
possible in order to make the whole experience more enjoyable for the customer.
Building rapport
It is important for the employee to build rapport as this means to build a connecti on with the
customer which therefore helps the customer feel more welcomed and in turn make them buy
from the company. It would be vital in a Travel Agency as they would want the customer to
purchase from them and therefore would want to build a connecti on as then they will be able to
build a bett er holiday for them and the customer will be more inclined to buy from them,
therefore this is good for all three – the employee (as they will get commission), customer (they
will get a holiday suited to their needs) and organisati on (they will get more tracti on).
Effective listening
They would also need to be an effective listener as they would need to take into account the needs
and wants by the customer. If they were not to listen well, then the customer may get frustrated,
fed-up and may choose to go somewhere else as they will feel as if they are not a priority. To make
sure the customer is being know they are being listened to, it is a good idea to make eye contact and
to repeat back certain phrases to them, and to act understanding and have the ability to emphasise
with them. This is vital in all aspects of customer service facing roles such as being a receptionist as
they may have to deal with a problem or complaint that arises and would have to make sure they are
listening to the customer.
Questioning
It is important for questions to be asked on both sides – the employees and the customers. This is
because the employees can find out information such as if they customer needs anything or if they
are feeling OK or not, and therefore the employee can try to help them out as much as possible and
, inform the customer in case they have any questions. It is important for the organisation as they
want to receive good feedback and therefore have an improved representation and thus gain more
knowledge about how they are treating the customers and how they can improve. It is important for
the customer to ask questions and be questioned in order for their needs to be met and completed
to a high standard. Questioning would be important in organisations such as a hotel, such as Premier
Inn, as they would want the customer to feel ‘at home’ and comfortable with their services.
Developing a dialogue
Developing a dialogue means to have a speech plan ready and to know what to say to the
customers. It is important as if the customer has any questi ons or concerns then they will
then be informed thoroughly by the employee. This helps the customer feel as if they
employee is trustworthy and knows what they are saying. It would be important in travel
and tourism organisations such as a call centre as they would need to know what to say in
advance to the customer and to help deal with their issue. It is benefi cial to the
organisation as they customer will feel as if they only employee people who are
professional, informed and know what they are doing.
Non-verbal communication eg. body language, eye contact
Non-verbal communication is vital to ensure that the customer feels welcomed by not only the employees
words but their actions too as body language helps to reassure customers. Customers like non-verbal
communication as they help to feel a better connection and many are able to tell things from body
language such as if the person they are speaking true is being truthful. It is also very polite for the
employee to use appropriate body language such as eye contact, which will then reflect well on the
organisation. Using non-verbal communication would be good in the job of cabin crew as they want to
make sure the passengers understand them and to help reassure any nervous passengers.
Written communication
Written communication is also vital in order to make sure that everything is going correctly.
Therefore the employee would have to have good English (or whatever language is spoken in the
country) writing skills, good detailing and their writing would have to be somewhat clear and
understandable. Written communication is a vital skill in almost every sector, for example, if a
cruise crew member had to write down what safety equipment is on board, but people do not
understand what is written then it is risking the safety of passengers. The organisation must make
sure they are writing to the customer and employee about numerous things as this makes them
both feel connected and happier with the organisation. In return, the employee will perform well
and therefore meet the customers needs and wants and thus reflecting back on the organisation
as they will gain more traction.
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