Importance of Understanding the Customers - Marriott

In the below report, the importance of understanding the customers has been discussed. Further, the customer experience map along with their touchpoints has been discussed. In addition to this, this report also highlights factors that influence customer engagement towards the brand has been analyzed.

LO 1

P1. Explaining the value and importance of understanding the needs, wants, and preferences of target customer groups.

Marriott must have ability in order to know the importance of their targeted customers. Thus, having depth knowledge regarding this plays crucial role in understanding what the targeted or segmented customer actually wants (Bilgihan, 2016). Therefore, importance of understanding this is been discussed as per below context

As being the leading company, they need to comprehend about the type of person is most likely to need and want the product or service. If Marriott will understand the actual requirement of their clients and also about customers expectations, then they have ability in order to work on customising the customer experience that creates loyalty and also repetitive business profits of Marriott. Further, if cited company analyse or understand the needs wants and also p[references of the customers than they don't have to put additional promotional efforts in order to maximise sales and also will result in repeated purchases. The basic importance to reach the needs of customers are described as per below context-

• They can attract great amount and high volume of customers.
• They can set the best and high price for the product or services they are offering.
• Marriott can also increase the amount of customers spending.
• They can also increase the sales accordingly.
• This will also help Marriott in enhancing customer service.

Market segmentation

Market segmentation is a process in order to divide a market of potential customers into groups or segments that is generally based on particular characteristics. Therefore, Demographic segmentation is one of the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups. Businesspeople or business travelers are one of the customers that Marriott focus the most. People who work in business industry can't avoid travelling around the world for business purposes. So Marriott have few brands such as Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites are for businesspeople.

P2. Exploring different factors that drive and influence customer engagement of different target customer groups.

Customer engagement is a term that refers to as the connection of business communication between stakeholders and the cited company with help of various channels of correspondence (Homburg, Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). This term is also been used in order to define customer to customer correspondence with regard to product, communication, service or brand. Thus, factors that influence the engagement of customers of different target customer groups of Marriott has been discussed as per below context-

• Listening to people- this is the important factor that drives customer engagement towards the cited company. People gives feedback with regard to product or service that has been offered by Marriott. The feedback that has been received may be positive or may be negative. Positive feedback helps the cited company to maintain their service quality and negative ones may lead Marriott to make changes accordingly. As it is termed as main drivers that influences customer engagement towards the brand.
• Being available all times- The trend of social media is rising extremely. Therefore, customers expect that Marriott must remain available 24/7. So it becomes important for the cited service sector to remain available and connected to every customers. This later leads in engaging huge volume of customers and segmented target market.
• Changing social conversations- Marriott must adopt good way in order to convey social media. They must use in that way as customers actually wants to use. Marriott must inspire their targeted customers and engage them towards the brand by advocating on their behalf. It has also been analysed in research that customers use social media in order to remain connected with family and friends or follow trends or products on it.
• Accessibility- the cited company must also ensure that customers are easily able to find and access the products and services that has been offered by them that to without any type of trouble. The customers must also reach the company easily and utilise the services in effective manner. The company must also try to give them required assistance in order to make decisions regarding their purchase of products or services.
• Choices- the more choice the customers get in terms of product or service, the more likely they feel in control of experience that they have with Marriott. The stated company must offer their clients with number of choices and also enable them in order to figure out optimal choice that will be perfect for them. Thus, this will help them in engaging huge volume of customers and will help the company to achieve long term success.

M1. Reviewing customer engagement factors determining customer on boarding strategies for different target customer groups.

Customer on-boarding is that term that is used to describe process in entire way that is gone through the users from start to the end of their journey in terms of customers (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Thus, the customer engagement factors that determines customer on-boarding strategy within Marriott has been discussed as per below context-

• Be unique- Marriott can be unique and share their stories to their targeted customers. They can also give good examples by taking their stories into consideration. This might help the company to attract large number of customers towards the targeted brand.
• Keeping it simple- Information that is overloaded is the major obstacle that has been faced by the cited company during experience of on-boarding. Therefore, they must adopt simple process which will help customers in selecting service or product easily.
• Gathering data- Marriott must gather data in terms of customers which will help them to go through the process of on-boarding in easy and simple manner. The data that has to be gathered or collected by the cited company must be buying tendencies of customers, customers fairs in overall market, etc.
• Communication- This also plays essential role in leading brand towards success. The process of communication must be good and consistent on the on-boarding. Marriott must try to remain with the customers during their initial stages that is right from engagement to the buying of a particular product or services. They also have to make the customers know that they and their needs are being valued and that they are always available for them as and when needed.

LO 2

P3. Creating customer experience map for Marriott.

The term customer experience map is defined as the strategic process in order to communicate and capture customer interactions that are very complex (Venkatesan, Petersen and Guissoni, 2018). Thus, the activity in terms of mapping helps in building knowledge across the organisation. Thus, the elements used in customer experience mapping has been discussed as per below context-

• Websites- As people are getting more connected with phone and prefer online shopping. Therefore, Marriott must have the ability to design their website in innovative and creative way that it helps in attracting large number of customers towards the brand. They must also mention the offers that they are offering to customers on particular products and services. The image of their brand that is being posted on websites on any other social media must be innovative that attracts the customers and can easily make decisions in selecting the best one easily.
• E-mails- The interactions on social media and online services are incraesing continously. Therefore, customers prefer to visit those brands for which they find advertisements and promotions easily. Due to this, the cited company must try to share all the important information regarding business along with price and services via email. This will help in attracting customers easily and faster.
• Telephone- Telephone also plays important and significant role in business. The cited company must try to contact maximum customers that are targeted and offer them services on phone. They must use calm and sweet voice to transmit their conversation. Telephone in being majorly used by consumers in order to know booking status of Marriott. They must also use customer service department that may help them in resolving the queries and problems of customers and make them feel valued. This will help visitors to remain engaged towards the particular brand.
• Restaurant staff- The staff of the Marriott International must use innocent language and try to solve all types of problem offered by the company and that which is related to products and services. This will help the cited company to achieve loyalty customer base in high level and make customers feel that they are valued.
• Restaurant management- the management of a particular hotel must be proper and accurate. The cited company Marriott must also try to keep every customers and visitors happy with help of offering products and services on time. They must also try to keep the employees that are involved in Marriott happy and motivate them so that they work hard and put complete efforts. This will later lead in achieving long term success and company reach the boost.
• Restaurant environment- The environment of restaurant also plays vital role in order to engage customers. The environment or surrounding of Marriott must be in positive way by having beautiful interiors and also by playing soft music. It will help in increasing the focus of customers towards the brand and will also help in sharing their views in terms of products and services offered by Marriott to their families and friends. In this way, environment helps in attracting huge volume of visitors and give maximum amount of profitability to the brand.

P4. Discussing customer touchpoints throughout customer experience creating business opportunities for Marriott.

The term customer touchpoints is referred to as point of brand that mainly comes in contact with the customers right from the start to the end (Klaus, 2014). It is also defined as the business jargon for any encounter where the customers and the engagement of business in order to exchange information for providing services of the company or to handle any transactions. Thus, customer touchpoints has been discussed as per below context-

• Interactive websites- Websites play crucial role for the cited company Marriott as they can easily reach to their customers or guests with help of this. These websites must be interactive that helps them in knowing more about the features that are upcoming. Marriott hotel can make the use of their websites to the most by making searching option more visible and easily for visitors. They can also take help of vibrant colours which may lead the guest to stay longer.
• The good old SMS- SMS acts as most effective channel touchpoints in Marriott. This helps the company to enhance and uplifts the standards in terms of customer experience easily by sending relevant message to customers.

M2. Creating detailed customer experience map that charts customer journey model.

Customer journey map is termed as that map that tell story of experience of customers starting from initial contact through the process of engagement and into a relationship that is long termed (Peppers and Rogers, 2016). This map mainly focus on particular part of story or may give an overview of the entire experience of visitors. Thus, different stages of customer journey map has been discussed as per below context-

• Travel idea
• Research
• Booking/Purchase
• Stay at hotel
• Post stay

The above stages that has been mentioned are that where Marriott is communicating in different manner and has different goals at all the stages. Thus, it becomes significant for hotel to have good and excellent journey of customers mapping strategy as it helps in identifying the expectations of visitors and their requirements in terms of products and service. This also helps Marriott to provide appropriate services at every stage that is available in this model.

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CONCLUSION

From the above report, it has been concluded that understanding needs, wants and preferences plays significant role in managing the customer experience in Marriott. Further, it has also been analysed that there are various factors that has been adopted by the company which alter leads in increase in customer engagement and achieve long term success. It has also been stated that customer experience helps in increasing revenue and company to reach the boost. are you worried about online homework help from experts? Contact Instant Assignment Help.

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