Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CASE STUDY
Customer Service in Center Parcs
Introduction
Center Parcs is one of the success stories of B
r
it
i
sh tourism in recent years. The company revolutionised the
holiday market in Holland more than 30 years ag
o
and did the same in the UK when it opened its fi rst village
here at Sherwood Forest in 1987, by offering short break holidays on a year-round basis. Three more sites
were developed up to the mid-1990s, at Longleat in
Wiltshire, Eleveden Forest in Suffolk and Oasis Whinfell
Forest in Cumbria. Center Parcs has plans to open a fi fth UK village on the Bedford Estate near Woburn in
2013. The Center Parcs' concept is based around a high qualit
y
holiday that cannot be spoiled by the weather.
All UK sites have covered leisure pools with controlled temp
er
ature and atmosphere. Accommodation is in
fully-equipped villas, apartments and lodges, which are set in f
o
rest environments. The villages offer a mix
of bars, restaurants and shops, plus a range of indoor and outdo
o
r sports and leisure facilities.
Customer Service
Center Parcs is renowned for its commitment to high standards of custom
e
r service. This commitment is built
around its mission statement, which is:
'Every day, the perfect break naturally'.
The company considers that 'the guest is king' and states on its website:
•
We give guests a unique and positively memorable experience;
•
We are obsessed with value, guest satisfaction and quality;
•
We are commercial, but not to the extent that we alienate valuable quests or compromise service and
safety standards.
Staff are trained to respect and care for guests and treat them individually. Training covers interpersonal
skills development, written and oral communication, problem solving, team building, managing people and
target setting.
The Center Parcs' formula certainly seems to be working as its villages enjoy occupancy rates of o
v
er 90 per
cent and repeat bookings or more than 60 per cent within a year.
