HNC Tourism Graded Unit. JD Tours Projects. Submitted to Kirsty-Anne Nicholson December 2011 By Geoffrey Guilbert

Transcription

1 HNC Tourism Graded Unit JD Tours Projects Submitted to Kirsty-Anne Nicholson December 2011 By Geoffrey Guilbert

2 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects T ABLE OF C ONTENTS THE CLIENT BRIEF 3 ANALYSIS OF THE CLIENT BRIEF 4 AIMS & OBJECTIVES 5 I AIM TO KEEP A LOG BOOK UP-TO-DATE 5 OBJECTIVES 5 I AIM TO CREATE A TYPICAL CUSTOMER PROFILE SUITABLE FOR EACH MARKET 5 OBJECTIVES 5 I AIM TO CREATE A TYPICAL TOUR PROFILE FOR EACH THEME 5 OBJECTIVES 5 I AIM TO CREATE THREE THEMED TOURING ITINERARIES 6 OBJECTIVES 6 I AIM TO CREATE A BUSINESS REPORT ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MARKETING 6 OBJECTIVES 6 I AIM TO CREATE A RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT 7 OBJECTIVES 7 I AIM TO CREATE A PROFESSIONAL REPORT TO RESPOND TO THE CLIENT BRIEF 7 OBJECTIVES 7 I AIM TO CREATE A EVALUATING REPORT 7 OBJECTIVES 7 RESEARCH 8...ABOUT THE MARKETS 8 METHODS 8 SOURCES 8...ABOUT THE TOURS 8 METHODS 8 SOURCES 9 MEANS OF COMMUNICATION 10 HARD COPY REPORTS 10 REPORTS/MEMOS VIA S 10 DAILY MEETINGS WITH THE MANAGER 10 A BLOG REGULARLY UPDATED WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT 10 A COMBINATION OF MEANS OF COMMUNICATION 11 PRIVACY 11 TIMESCALE 12 APPENDIX 13 SCREENSHOT OF THE WEBSITE 13 2

3 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 T HE C LIENT B RIEF JD Tours is a tour operator based in Dunfermline, Fife. The company has been in business for 10 years and has built up a successful product based on coach tours of Scotland, England and Wales for the over 50s domestic market. A high level of repeat business has been achieved through focusing on the provision of excellent customer service. More recently the main brochure, which is distributed through travel agents in Scotland and Northern England, has featured tours in Belgium and Holland. These tours have attracted a wider market, especially people travelling on their own. Encouraged by its success in Europe the company has decided to expand its market by offering tours of Scotland for incoming tourists. Germany, Holland and Belgium have been identified as potential markets as there are good transport links including direct flights to Scottish airports. You are an employee of JD Tours and the manager (Kirsty-Anne Nicholson) has asked you to prepare proposals for three touring itineraries of five nights/six days duration, each based on a different theme: Tour 1 will follow an itinerary based on Scottish culture Tour 2 will follow an itinerary based on Scottish History Tour 3 will enable the visitor to participate in a selection of activities for which Scotland is particularly noted. The manager has also asked you written briefs on: The most appropriate methods of promoting the new tours to the incoming market Recommendations regarding the customer care strategy for the new expanded operation. Specific stages will have to be undertaken to provide the information that is required (Planning Development Evaluation). Here are some important deadlines to remember: 14 th December 2011: Planning Stage w/c 23 rd April 2012: Developing Stage w/c 28 th May 2012: Evaluating Stage 3

4 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects A NALYSIS OF THE C LIENT B RIEF As an employee of JD tours, I have been asked to prepare proposals for 3 touring itineraries of 5 nights / 6 days duration, each based on a different theme: Tour 1 will follow an itinerary based on Scottish culture (i.e. customs, food, industry, sport, events, Nessy, etc.) Tour 2 will follow an itinerary based on Scottish History (i.e. Kings and Queens, famous battlefields, famous warriors, archaeological sites, etc.) Tour 3 will enable the visitor to participate in a selection of activities for which Scotland is particularly noted (i.e. golf, climbing, hiking, Elephant polo, etc.) In order to provide excellent products and services, it will be necessary to undertake deep researches about the new markets. Once those are done, we will have a better idea of what the customers expect from our tours. So we will be able to do more researches to create tours, which will satisfy the customers. If we want to exceed customers' expectations, we need to think of a marketing approach. For each tour, the client brief asks to identify the most appropriate and effective methods of promoting the new tours to the incoming market. Since JD tours is a company which cares a lot about customer experience, it will be necessary to provide a customer care strategy for the new expanded operation. This one should be slightly different from the usual strategy because we now are dealing with a new range of customers. Those customers are from outside the United Kingdom. Demography, trends and culture generally have a major impact on people behaviour. Three main reports will have to be done: customer care and marketing reports with the main report which is basically the answer to the brief: 3 touring itineraries. A logbook will also be created to help the manager see the progress of the project. The results will have to be presented in a professional way. I will also have to decide how I will communicate with the manager until the deadline. 4

5 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 A IMS & O BJECTIVES I AIM TO KEEP A LOG BOOK UP-TO-DATE Add a page called "log book" on the website Leave the progress of the project at the client's disposal I AIM TO CREATE A TYPICAL CUSTOMER PROFILE SUITABLE FOR EACH MARKET Gather information about customers for each market i.e. demographic data, habits, trends, interests Analyse and sorting out data Create a typical customer profile for each market i.e. average age, special needs and disabilities, preferences, etc. List the characteristics of customer profiles that are common to each market This list will be used to create a common profile to each market. I will call this list the typical customer profile. List the characteristics of customer profiles that are unique to each market This is a list that I will have to keep close when I will create the touring itineraries and the customer care recommendations. This will be called the list of particular needs. I AIM TO CREATE A TYPICAL TOUR PROFILE FOR EACH THEME For each theme, I will create a typical tour with the main features based on data previously gathered. I will have to identify the customer's tastes and needs from the typical customer profile and the list of particular needs previously created. 5

6 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects i.e. type of accommodation, type of catering (restaurants/self-service catering/...), type of transport (access for disabled people, etc.), type of attractions, extra services (see the list of particular needs). For instance, as regards the itinerary about Scottish History, our customers might not be interested in visiting castles. It might be more interesting for them to visit archaeological sites or battlefields, which also are part of Scottish History. I AIM TO CREATE THREE THEMED TOURING ITINERARIES Gather information and sort them out by using the typical customer profile i.e. accommodation, transport, attractions, catering The attractions/accommodation/transport/catering/etc. must match the typical customer profile. Gather information and sort them out by using the list of particular needs This will allow providing a better service. If customers have special needs (e.g. Disability, require a translator, etc.), we will have to make sure the tour bring them to spaces where they will feel comfortable). Define and describe the different features of each theme I will justify my choices. Why do those attractions/accommodation/ transport/catering/etc. suit to our new customers? Create an itinerary for each theme to link each attraction/hotel/etc. Simulate each tour to know if they are realistic as regards time management. If we want to provide good customer services, it is important that customers don't feel pushed to an attraction without time to fully enjoy it. I AIM TO CREATE A BUSINESS REPORT ON CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MARKETING Give as many recommendations as possible to provide an excellent customer service i.e. extra services such as ing the customers about the weather forecast a few days before the tour, regularly check on road conditions and traffic, etc. Identify what knowledge/skills the staff must have to manage that kind of tours Identify if a staff training is required 6

7 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 i.e. First aid, knowledge in product and customer services, languages, etc. Identify what quality assurance schemes the company should follow Identify methods to get a feedback from customers Identify how to improve the products/services in the future I AIM TO CREATE A RISK ASSESSMENT REPORT Provide recommendations to minimise hazards/accidents during the tours Identify if a special staff training is necessary i.e. First aid, security warning training I AIM TO CREATE A PROFESSIONAL REPORT TO RESPOND TO THE CLIENT BRIEF Provide a response to each main points which is appropriate, accurate and in sufficient detail to meet the client's needs Present appropriate recommendations to the client i.e. itineraries and programmes, business report on customer service and marketing I AIM TO CREATE A EVALUATING REPORT Review and update the action plan in light of experience Document any difficulties encountered or modification to the chosen approach during the course of the exercise Identify any knowledge/skills which have been gained and/or developed Assess the effectiveness of the research methods used Indicate any ways in which the candidate might approach a similar task in the future 7

8 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects R ESEARCH...ABOUT THE MARKETS Methods I will gather information from different sources. It will be necessary to undertake researches for both quantitative and qualitative information. Quantitative information will help us know who our customers are (age, sex, etc.) and what they might require (e.g. access for disabled people). Qualitative information will help know what our customers like or might like. That kind of information will be very important when I will have to choose attractions/hotels/etc. I cannot take customers to a distillery if the majority of them doesn t drink alcohol. Sources I could use both primary and secondary data but since I'm just a student, it is difficult to get good quality primary data. If I do a survey, this would have to be based on thousands/millions of people, not on some tourists I would have found on the Royal Mile. So I decided I will only use secondary data. These sources will mainly come from the Internet such as: visitscotland.org. But they can also be books, magazines or interviews....about THE TOURS Methods My research will be based on the customer profile I will have created. This will guide me to attractions/hotel/catering where customers would like to go. For instance, if the customers don't like nature, there is no point to waste time looking for information about national parks. A comparison between different places will have to be done. I will have to refer to some quality assurance schemes to make sure I choose the best places. Social websites such as will be very useful to get feedback about hotels/attractions/restaurants. 8

9 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 Sources A lot of information can be gathered for this part. The most important sources are Internet and the tourist information centre. If I need more information about an attraction/hotel/restaurant/etc., the staff of the tourist information centre will probably be the most qualified people to help me. BBC Scotland also provides good documentaries about nice places around Scotland. This can be a good place to look for information about tours. 9

10 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects M EANS OF COMMUNICATION Different means of communication came to my mind to communicate with the manager during the progress of the project: reports/memos on hard copy reports/memos via s daily meetings with the manager a blog regularly updated with information found and results Hard copy reports This first option has quickly been abandoned because of its cost. Hard copy reports are a waste of money for the company and are surely not good for the company to achieve its objectives of green business. Reports/memos via s Then there was the method of ing the manager. At first, it was a good idea. No waste of paper, easily and quickly accessible. Only one thing made me reluctant to choose this option. Imagine yourself as a manager; you receive s everyday from suppliers, customers, partners, sponsors, etc. You must nearly spend an hour to read and answer to all those s. If all your staff start ing you every week about what they have done for the last few days, you would spend hours reading s which might be without interest. Daily meetings with the manager This could have been a great idea if managers had nothing to do. Unfortunately a manager is always busy. This would be madness to have a meeting everyday. The project is supposed to last several months. The manager might get ill or go on holiday. At these times, it won't be possible to reach her to talk about the project. A blog regularly updated with the progress of the project Here is a perfect mean of communication: free, ecological, tidy, easily and quickly accessible. A blog will make the task much clearer. Moreover it will gather the whole progress of the project in one place. The manager will also be able to comment on each 10

11 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 new post if there is something that needs to be changed/improved. However there is still a last thing that is not included with a blog. There is no way to notify the manager of important problems you need to talk about. The manager might forget to have a regular look at your progress. A combination of means of communication As we have seen above, only one way of communication wasn't enough. There was always a problem somehow. So I decided to use every asset of each of these means of communication. I will mainly use a blog on which I will update the progress of the project. So it will also serve the purpose of logbook. The manager will be able to comment on it about any change or improvement that need to be done. If there is any important issue I need to discuss about with the manager during the process of the project, I will the manager about it. According to the complexity of the problem, we will have a proper meeting or she will simply me back. At the end of each stage of the project, a new page will be added on the website (i.e. results of research about customer profile...). At the very end of the project, a report will be done. Here is the address of the website that will be used during the project: PRIVACY Obviously the blog must be protected by a username and a password. Since this case study is only an exercise and the professional version of this website is not free, we will consider this website as well secured. In a real company, the IT staff would easily find a way to protect the website. 11

12 Planning Stage JD Tours Projects TIMESCALE 12

13 Graded Unit- HNC Tourism 2012 A PPENDIX SCREENSHOT OF THE WEBSITE 13