Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Groups
example of a city-centre hotel in Manchester, the range
of customers could well include:
Dealing with groups can be an altogether more skilled
task than meeting the needs of individuals. There are
many occasions in travel and tourism when customer
service staff are called upon to deal with group situations,
e.g. an overseas representative hosting a welcome
meeting for new holidaymakers, a courier dealing with
a coach full of school children or a guide leading a
group on a tour of historic sites. Dealing with groups
calls for excellent organisational and communication
skills, so that every member of the group turns up in
the right place at the right time! Although the group
you are dealing with may be very large, it is important
to make every effort to treat the members of the group
as individuals by, for example, addressing people by
name and taking time to talk to them on a one-to-one
basis, particularly those that you feel may need a little
more attention or support.
•
Individuals - leisure and business customers;
•
Groups;
•
People with special needs, for example those
needing wheelchair access, people with sensory
disabilities, on special diets and those with young
children;
•
People from different cultures;
•
People of different ages;
•
Non-English speakers.
Providing high standards of customer service to such
a wide range of people with very different needs
requires commitment and enthusiasm on the part of
the staff involved and the correct training provided by
a supportive management team.
There are certain 'ground rules' that you need to
adopt when communicating information to a group of
customers, including:
Individuals
•
Make sure that all members of the group can see,
As you know, people come in all shapes and sizes!
We all have different leisure needs and, in the
context of travel and tourism, are looking to friendly
and effi cient staff to meet these needs. Meeting the
needs of individuals is all about building a one-to-one
relationship. Customers like to feel that they are special
and want to be put at ease and have the full attention
of the member of staff serving them. Staff should not
become distracted when dealing with individuals and
should be trained in prioritising requests for their time
and attention when dealing with many customers at
the same time.
hear and understand you;
•
Communicate effectively with simple language
using a clear, confi dent tone of voice;
•
Make sure that everybody has understood what
you have said by allowing time for questions at the
end;
•
Make yourself available afterwards if people want
further clarifi cation on a one-to-one basis.
Activity 4.6
Customers who are on business trips, perhaps attending
a conference or visiting an important supplier, often
have very distinct needs when it comes to travel
arrangements. They may need to travel at short notice
and sometimes want premium services, such as fi rst
class travel and fi ve-star accommodation, plus access
to business services while on the move, e.g. fax and
internet access.
Take turns at playing the role of a tour guide by
taking the rest of your group on a tour of your school/
college or the local area. When the tour has fi nished,
the 'customers' should discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of each guide, concentrating on how
well they met their individual needs.
This activity is designed to provide evidence for P2.
