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Unlock This CourseCustomer service is everything an organisation does to meet the needs and expectations of its customers before, during and after their experience. In travel and tourism, this is absolutely massive. Think about it: people are spending their hard-earned money on holidays, trips and experiences they've been looking forward to for months. If something goes wrong, or staff are rude or unhelpful, it can ruin the whole thing.
Good customer service isn't just about being friendly. It's about being reliable, knowledgeable, efficient and professional every single time.
Key Definitions:
These are the people who pay for and use the service. In a hotel, the external customer is the guest. On an airline, it's the passenger. At a theme park, it's the visitor. Their satisfaction directly affects the organisation's reputation and income. Without happy external customers, the business simply won't survive.
These are colleagues and departments within the same organisation. For example, the cabin crew on a flight rely on the ground crew to prepare the aircraft properly. If internal service is poor, it affects external customers too. A hotel receptionist who doesn't get correct information from the reservations team will struggle to help guests effectively.
The travel and tourism industry is highly competitive. There are thousands of airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agents all competing for the same customers. Great customer service is often what makes one organisation stand out from another especially when prices are similar.
Happy customers come back. A family who had a brilliant holiday with a tour operator is very likely to book with them again next year. Repeat customers are cheaper to keep than finding new ones.
People talk especially online. A bad review on TripAdvisor or Google can seriously damage a hotel's reputation. Positive reviews and recommendations bring in new customers for free.
When two airlines fly the same route at the same price, customers choose based on service. Friendly staff, easy booking and smooth check-in all make a difference to which airline people pick.
Research shows it costs five times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. This is why travel companies invest so heavily in customer service training keeping customers happy is simply good business sense.
Different types of travel and tourism organisations deliver customer service in very different ways, depending on their purpose, their customers and the type of experience they provide. Let's look at the main types:
Airlines deal with millions of passengers every year. Their customer service covers everything from the moment you search for a flight to the moment you collect your luggage. Key service delivery points include:
Budget airlines like easyJet focus on efficiency and speed fast boarding, no frills, low cost. Full-service carriers like British Airways offer more personalised service, lounge access and in-flight meals as part of the experience.
easyJet targets price-conscious travellers. Their service delivery is focused on getting passengers on and off the plane quickly and cheaply. Staff are trained to be efficient and friendly, but there are fewer extras. British Airways, on the other hand, targets business travellers and those wanting a premium experience. Their service delivery includes dedicated check-in desks, business class lounges, multi-course meals and personalised attention. Both deliver customer service well but in completely different ways suited to their target markets.
Hotels are one of the most customer-service-intensive businesses in travel and tourism. Guests might stay for one night or two weeks and during that time, every single interaction matters. Service delivery in hotels includes:
Five-star hotels like The Ritz deliver highly personalised service. Staff remember guests' names and preferences. Every detail from the temperature of the room to the type of pillow can be customised. The ratio of staff to guests is very high, meaning customers rarely have to wait for anything.
Budget chains like Premier Inn focus on consistency and value. Customers know exactly what they're getting a clean, comfortable room at a fair price. Service delivery is more standardised, with self-check-in kiosks and smaller teams. Their Good Night Guarantee is a great example of a service promise that builds customer trust.
Tour operators put together holiday packages flights, hotels, transfers and sometimes excursions and sell them as one product. Companies like TUI and Jet2holidays are major UK tour operators. Their service delivery is unique because they're responsible for the entire holiday experience, not just one part of it.
Key service delivery areas for tour operators include:
TUI employs resort representatives (reps) at holiday destinations around the world. These reps are the face of the company abroad. They greet customers on arrival, host welcome meetings, sell excursions and are the first point of contact if anything goes wrong from a noisy room to a medical emergency. TUI trains its reps extensively in customer service, product knowledge and problem-solving. A good rep can turn a difficult situation into a positive experience and save a customer's holiday which is exactly why TUI invests so much in this role.
Travel agents act as the link between customers and travel providers. They can be found on the high street (like Hays Travel) or online (like Expedia). Their service delivery is all about advice, knowledge and trust. Customers come to a travel agent because they want expert help choosing the right holiday.
Good service delivery for a travel agent means:
Theme parks, museums, zoos and heritage sites all need to deliver excellent customer service to keep visitors happy and coming back. Service delivery at attractions focuses on:
Even the best organisations sometimes get it wrong. Several factors can affect how well service is delivered:
Well-trained staff deliver better service. Training covers product knowledge, communication skills, complaint handling and cultural awareness. Without proper training, even motivated staff will struggle.
Booking systems, check-in apps and customer databases all support service delivery. When technology fails like a crashed booking system service quality drops immediately and customers get frustrated.
Too few staff means long waits and stressed employees. Busy periods like school holidays require extra staff. Organisations that don't plan ahead will struggle to maintain service standards when it gets busy.
Organisations use a range of methods to find out how well they're delivering customer service and where they need to improve:
In your exam, you may be asked to compare how two different types of travel and tourism organisations deliver customer service. Always think about: who their customers are, what those customers expect and how the organisation's size and type affects the way it delivers service. A budget airline and a five-star hotel both aim for customer satisfaction but they go about it in very different ways!
Across all types of travel and tourism organisations, the best service delivery shares the same core qualities: