,Executive summary
X is a company founded by X, who is a tour operator specialised in chalets. X is
responsible for the management in several chalets villages in X and X is their
biggest chalet park with fifty chalets and a restaurant. About five hundred people
can stay in the park and the restaurant has space for sixty-five guests. This
research report is designed to research how the sales of products and services
can be increased by making the management of X more efficient. To research this,
a market research and satisfaction study has been conducted.
The products that X relies on for profit are ski passes, ski lessons and ski rental.
The sales of ski passes and ski rental have been holding steady for the last 2
years. However, from the questionnaire results we can conclude that there is a
possibility to increase the sales. Sales of ski lessons have experienced a dramatic
decline in sales. Therefore, it is important to establish how the sales of ski passes,
ski rental and ski lessons can be improved. To answer this, a satisfaction study
was conducted.
An important asset to the company is ‘x’, which includes the restaurant and
reception of X. X used to be a very successful restaurant, but since X took over,
the restaurant started failing. Also, the costs for renting ‘x’ are very high. Therefore
it is important to establish how X can attract more guests to the restaurant. To do
so a satisfaction study was conducted.
The structure of the organisation of X changes every year since X hires other
employees to manage the park every season. As a result there are no clear
guidelines and the organisation did not improve their management over the last
years. It is important to investigate how the efficiency of the local management can
be improved. To do so, previous seasons have been compared to each other and
a new model for the organisation is proposed.
To increase the satisfaction of the guests it is important for X to change important
procedures. For example, one source of irritation for guests is the waiting time
before they can check in. A study is conducted to explore how the internal
procedures can be improved.
After conducting this research, it was possible to answer the main research topic,
how the sales of products and services can be improved by making the
management more efficient. From this research it was possible to see which
procedures or services need to be improved in the future. This study made it
possible to recommend how to improve local management in X. The SWOT-
analysis and the marketing mix are important tools which indicate the weaknesses
and strengths and to formulate the recommendations.
Finally, several recommendations are made to improve the efficiency of the local
management. Firstly, by automating the check-in process and by hiring more staff
,the sales of ski lessons and passes are expected to increase. Moreover, the final
cleaning needs to be obligatory for the guests. Secondly, the restaurant can attract
more guests by opening the restaurant and bar on Saturdays and by giving
promotional discounts to X guests. Thirdly, it is necessary to strengthen the
relationship with the locals by organising events and by hiring local employees.
With the information presented in this research report, X can improve their local
management and increase sales. With the following the recommendations the
sales of products should improve, the number of guests in the restaurant are
expected increase and by simplifying internal procedures guests and employees
will be happier.
,Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................6
1.2 X...............................................................................................................................................7
1.3 Bestuur Bedrijfsvoering Vakantiewoningen.............................................................................8
1.4 Services and products offered by X.........................................................................................9
1.4.1 Ski passes..........................................................................................................................9
1.4.2 Ski and snowboard rental.................................................................................................9
1.4.3 Sales of ski lessons............................................................................................................9
2.0 Analysis of the environment......................................................................................................11
2.1 Destep analysis......................................................................................................................11
2.1.1 Demographic and socio-cultural aspects........................................................................11
2.1.2 Technological aspects.....................................................................................................11
2.1.3 Economic and political aspects.......................................................................................11
2.1.4 Legal aspects...................................................................................................................12
2.2.2 X.....................................................................................................................................13
2.2.3 X......................................................................................................................................13
2.2.4 Comparison of competitors............................................................................................14
2.2.5 Conclusion......................................................................................................................17
2.3 SWOT analysis.......................................................................................................................18
2.3.1 Internal analysis..............................................................................................................18
2.3.2 External analysis.............................................................................................................21
2.3.3 Confrontation Matrix......................................................................................................23
2.3.4 Advised strategy.............................................................................................................26
3.0 Market research........................................................................................................................27
3.1 How to increase the sales of the services and products?......................................................27
3.1.1 Ski passes........................................................................................................................27
3.1.2 Ski or snowboard-Rental.................................................................................................29
3.1.3 Ski lessons.......................................................................................................................30
Speeding up the check-in process...........................................................................................32
....................................................................................................................................................33
3.2 The restaurant X....................................................................................................................34
3.2.2 How to increase the number of guests in the restaurant during dinner time?...............36
3.3.2 Changes made by X during previous seasons.................................................................39
3.3.3 How to improve the local management of X in X?..........................................................39
4.0 Marketing Plan..........................................................................................................................42
4.1 Segmentation........................................................................................................................42
, 4.2 Positioning strategy...............................................................................................................42
4.3 Marketing mix........................................................................................................................43
4.3.1 Promotion.......................................................................................................................43
4.3.2 People.............................................................................................................................43
4.3.4 Psychical evidence..........................................................................................................44
5.0 Conclusions and recommendations...........................................................................................45
5.1 Conclusions............................................................................................................................45
5.2.1 Recommendations to increase the sales of ski passes and ski lessons:..........................47
Automating the check-in procedure........................................................................................47
To hire more staff....................................................................................................................47
5.2.2 How to increase the profit from the ski rental?..............................................................47
5.2.3 How to increase the number of guests in the restaurant during dinner time?...............47
5.2.4 How to improve the local management of X in X?.........................................................48
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................50
Téléphérique X Express, (2024) X Express cable car scheduled to reopen on 20 December 20.
Retrieved October 18 2024 from Téléphérique X Express website:
http://xexpress.blogspot.com/2024/03/x-express-cable-car-scheduled-to.html...........................50
, Introduction
X is a company founded by X in 1998 and their main task is to manage the chalet parks in
X. X is X biggest chalet park with fifty chalets and a restaurant. About five hundred people
can stay in the park and the restaurant has space for sixty-five guests. Even though the
chalets are extremely popular, the chalets are aging and there needs to be more attention
for maintenance.
Three years ago X decided to take over the restaurant ‘X’. Unfortunately, the restaurant is
not professionally managed and therefore, the restaurant is failing. X and X are both in a
bad financial position, seeing that it is important to concentrate on improving the sales
during this research.
The purpose of this research is to establish how the sales of products and services can be
increased by making the management of X more efficient.
First, it was necessary to make a description of all the companies competing with X and of
all the services and products that X offers as you can find in chapter one.
In chapter two an external analysis is conducted, based on the DESTEP method.
Furthermore, research is done on who the strongest competitors of X are.
To answer the main research question, it was necessary to conduct a questionnaire
among the guests of X. This research explains the buying patterns of the guests and
shows how the sales of the services and products can be increased. In addition, the
questionnaire highlights the guests’ opinion about the restaurant ‘X’. The results from the
questionnaire show how X can attract more guests to the restaurant.
The satisfaction study illustrated important issues, which guests were not satisfied with. As
a result, it was possible to point out which internal procedures can be improved. The
results of this study are described in chapter three.
Chapter four describes X target groups, the positioning strategy, and the following P’s:
promotion, people, process, physical evidence.
Finally, chapter five will conclude with the recommendations for the sales of products and
services, the restaurant and management. Furthermore, in chapter five an answer is given
to the central research question, how the sales of products and services can be increased
by making the management of X more efficient.
