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Unlock This CourseImagine you walk into two different hotels. In one, the receptionist smiles, greets you by name and sorts out your problem in minutes. In the other, you wait ages, nobody seems to know what to do and you leave feeling ignored. The difference? Very often, it comes down to whether the business has a proper customer care policy and whether staff actually follow it.
A customer care policy is a written document that sets out exactly how a business will treat its customers. It covers everything from how staff should greet people, to how quickly complaints must be answered, to what happens when something goes wrong. It is essentially a promise the business makes to its customers and a set of rules for staff to follow.
Key Definitions:
The iGCSE syllabus expects you to understand not just what a customer care policy is, but why businesses create them, what they contain and how they affect the customer experience. You may be asked to evaluate a policy or suggest improvements so understanding the detail really counts.
Travel and tourism is a people business. Customers are often spending significant amounts of money on holidays, flights or hotel stays and they have high expectations. A customer care policy helps a business deliver consistent, high-quality service every single time, regardless of which member of staff is on duty.
Different businesses will tailor their policies to their own needs, but most customer care policies in travel and tourism cover the same core areas. Think of it like a recipe the ingredients might vary slightly, but the dish is always recognisable.
Here are the main sections you would typically find in a customer care policy for a travel and tourism business:
How staff should speak to customers in person, on the phone and in writing. This includes tone of voice, use of the customer's name and response times for emails or messages.
The correct process for taking bookings, confirming details and issuing documentation. Ensures every customer receives the same accurate service.
A clear process for handling complaints who deals with them, how quickly and what outcomes are acceptable. This protects both customer and business.
Clear rules about what happens when a booking is cancelled by the customer or the company. Customers need to know their rights before they book.
How the business will support customers with disabilities, dietary requirements, language barriers or other specific needs. A legal requirement in many countries.
How customer information is stored, used and kept secure. Especially important now that most bookings are made online and personal data is collected digitally.
Marriott International, one of the world's largest hotel chains, publishes a detailed customer care framework called the "Spirit to Serve" programme. It sets out specific service standards for every department from housekeeping response times (under 10 minutes for urgent requests) to front desk greeting protocols (acknowledge the guest within 30 seconds of arrival). Staff are trained on these standards during induction and assessed regularly. The result? Marriott consistently ranks highly in customer satisfaction surveys and their repeat booking rate is significantly above the industry average. This shows how a well-written and properly enforced customer care policy directly improves business performance.
One of the most important parts of any customer care policy is the inclusion of service standards specific, measurable targets that tell staff exactly what "good service" looks like. Vague statements like "we will be friendly" are not enough. Good service standards are clear and easy to check.
Here are some examples of service standards you might find in a travel and tourism business:
In the exam, if you are asked to evaluate a customer care policy, always check whether the standards are specific and measurable. A policy that says "we aim to respond quickly" is much weaker than one that says "we will respond within 24 hours." Examiners love it when students spot this difference!
A customer care policy is only useful if staff actually know about it and follow it. This is why training is such a critical part of delivering customer care. The policy sets the standard training makes sure staff can meet it.
Travel and tourism businesses use a variety of training methods to make sure their customer care policy is embedded in everyday working practice:
When a new member of staff joins, they are introduced to the customer care policy as part of their induction. They learn the company's values, service standards and what is expected of them before they start dealing with customers. For example, a new TUI holiday rep would spend their first week learning the company's service standards before going on resort.
Staff practise real-life situations handling a complaint, dealing with an angry customer, or supporting a passenger with a disability. This helps them apply the policy in a realistic setting. Many airlines, including easyJet, use cabin crew role play exercises based on their customer care standards.
Training is not a one-off event. Good businesses carry out refresher training regularly especially when the policy is updated, when new products are launched, or when customer feedback shows a particular area needs improvement.
easyJet's customer care policy includes specific commitments around punctuality, communication during delays and support for passengers with reduced mobility. To make sure staff deliver on these promises, easyJet runs a structured training programme called "Orange Spirit" named after the brand's signature colour. Cabin crew are trained not just on safety, but on how to communicate delays clearly, how to assist elderly or disabled passengers and how to handle complaints professionally. When easyJet introduced new accessibility standards in 2022, all existing staff received updated training within six weeks. This is a strong example of a policy being actively maintained and communicated to staff.
Some businesses take their customer care policy one step further by publishing a customer charter a simplified, public version of the policy written directly for customers. Rather than being an internal document for staff, a customer charter is displayed on the company website, in brochures, or at reception desks.
A customer charter typically includes:
Eurostar, the high-speed rail service connecting London with Paris and Brussels, publishes a clear customer charter on its website. It commits to specific standards including: informing passengers of delays within 20 minutes of the delay occurring, offering full refunds for cancellations and providing assistance to passengers with disabilities at all stations. Crucially, the charter also explains exactly how to claim compensation if Eurostar fails to meet these standards giving customers real power. This transparency builds trust and encourages people to book with confidence.
Writing a customer care policy is just the beginning. Businesses need to regularly monitor whether the policy is working and review it to keep it up to date. If the policy is never checked, standards can slip and customers will notice before management does.
There are several methods businesses use to check whether their customer care policy is being followed and whether it is achieving the right results:
Questionnaires sent after a stay, flight or holiday asking customers to rate their experience. Results are compared against service standards set in the policy. TripAdvisor reviews also act as informal feedback.
A trained assessor visits or contacts the business pretending to be a regular customer. They evaluate whether staff follow the policy without staff knowing they are being assessed. Common in hotel chains and travel agencies.
Tracking the number, type and outcome of complaints over time. A rise in complaints about waiting times, for example, might suggest the policy's response time standards are not being met.
When monitoring reveals a problem, the business should review and update the policy. This might mean tightening service standards, retraining staff, or changing procedures entirely. A customer care policy should be a living document not something written once and forgotten about.
If an exam question asks you to evaluate a customer care policy, use this checklist: Is it specific and measurable? Does it cover all key areas (communication, complaints, accessibility, refunds)? Is it realistic for staff to follow? Is there a system for monitoring it? Does it protect the customer? A strong answer will cover both strengths and weaknesses.
Even well-written policies can fail if they are not properly implemented. Here are the most common reasons a customer care policy breaks down in practice:
In 2017, Ryanair cancelled over 20,000 flights due to a rostering crisis, affecting approximately 700,000 passengers. Customers reported that communication was poor, refunds were slow and staff appeared unsure of the correct procedures. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) formally warned Ryanair that it was not meeting its legal obligations under EU Regulation 261/2004 which sets minimum standards for passenger rights. This is a powerful example of what happens when a customer care policy either doesn't exist, isn't enforced, or isn't kept up to date with legal requirements. Ryanair's reputation suffered significantly as a result.
Let's pull everything together. Here is a summary of the key points from this session: