PRODUCT

PRODUCT LEVELS

In planning its market offering, the marketer needs to think through fi e le els of produ!t" Ea!h le el adds to the !ustomer alue, and the fi e !onstitute a !ustomer alue hierar!h#" The le els of the produ!t that the tra el and tourism industr# offers to its !ustomers are as follo$s% &' Core produ!t The !ore produ!t offered (# Tra el and Tourism industr# is the destination" It is !ore (e!ause the main aim of the tourist is the destination $here he has to rea!h or go" )' *asi! produ!t The (asi! produ!ts offered (# Tra el and Tourism industr# are ti!ket (ooking, transport, sight seeing, hotel (ooking" +' E,pe!ted produ!t These are the produ!ts that the !ustomer e,pe!ts the organi-ation to offer" These are impe!!a(le ser i!es, seat a aila(ilit# on needed time as it is !riti!al to (usiness tra elers, a!!urate information, .ui!k !he!k in for the senior manger of the !ompan#, authenti! information, information a(out arious pa!kages, different routes leading to a parti!ular destination" /' 0ugmented produ!t These are the produ!ts that are offered (# the !ompanies to distinguish itself from others" These produ!ts (e!ome e,pe!ted produ!ts in the future" Those are flat (eds in (usiness !lass, 1i23i !onne!tion in hotels, !ustomi-ed meals on (oard, tele !he!king 4hrs (ooking in hotels, hotels pro iding laptops on re.uest, internet a!!ess as !omplimentar# for the !orporate pa!kages" 5' Potential produ!ts These are the future produ!ts that the !ompanies $ill offer to its !ustomers" These !an (e under$ater tourism, ho er!raft for tra eling" 0lso Virgin 0tlanti! airlines are thinking of adding a !asino and a shopping mall in the airline" PRODUCT 1IDT6 07D PRODUCT LI7E Produ!t $idth of the produ!t mi, refers to ho$ man# different produ!t lines the !ompan# !arries" The $idth of the produ!t mi, refers to ho$ man# ariants are offered of ea!h produ!t in the produ!t line" The produ!t length is the total num(er in the produ!t lines"

RATER
The $ell2kno$n !on!ept of fi e2.ualit# dimension R0TER, $e here(# relate them to 89s of Tra el and Tourism" So $hat do $e mean (# 89s Tra el and Tourism Industr# and $hat is its signifi!an!e in relation to R0TER" &' RELI0*ILIT: ; Su!hna ; Information The $a# and the kind of information, $hi!h is pro ided, (# an# Tra el and Tourism organi-ation to its !ustomers is the parameter of <udging the Relia(ilit# of that organi-ation" 1h# do $e make su!h a statement= To e,plain that let us take an e,ample of Tra el agen!#" The arious ser i!es pro ided (# agen!# in!ludes Planning Itinerates, Ti!keting, 1orking out tra el routes , Pro iding information on Destinations ,0rranging isas, >aking sta# reser ations" 6ere information pla#s a er# d#nami! role" Let us assume that the !ustomer !omes for (ooking a ti!ket" It is er# important on the part of the ser i!e pro ider ?tra el agen!#' to gi e a!!urate information on all t#pes of flight a aila(le, their fairs, and ne$ s!hemes going on $hi!h $ould in turn help !ustomers to !hoose most suita(le produ!t for their tra eling" Su!h repeated and a!!urate information !reates of a relia(le organi-ation" I"e" in future the !ustomer $ould trust the organi-ation for an# information" )' 0SSUR07CE ; Suraksha ; Safet# It is one of the prime fa!tors !onsidered $hen talking a(out this se!tor" 0 safe tra el is the top priorit# of an# tra eler" Thus it is er# important for Tra el and Tourism organi-ation to !onsider the safet# of the tour pa!kage" The safe tra el $ill in turn ensure the !ustomers tra eler" +' T07@I*LES ; S$agat ; Su idha ; Safai" These are the (a!kstage elements, $hi!h help in a great $a# for the !ustomers to e aluate the ser i!e" 1hen $e talk a(out tangi(le produ!t in Tra el and Tourism the &st $ould in!lude a' S$agat It means $arm $el!ome" E er#one lo es a $arm $el!ome" It reall# gi es a good start to the $hole holida#" Thus keeping this tangi(le fa!tor in mind the tourism agen!ies for e,ample Thomas !ook al$a#s keeps in mind the S$agat of their tra eler" One good e,ample of su!h is in this pa!kage of Thomas !ook from >um(ai to @oa, $herein the# gi e a $el!ome drink to tra elers and pro ide them $ith a fruit platter and famous !ashe$ nuts of @oa" (' Su idha It means fa!ilit#" Toda# if #ou talk top an# (usiness tra eler the# $ant to (e pampered sill# from flat (eds in (usiness !lass to 1i23i in hotels !ustomi-e the needs" These are the kind of fa!ilities the# e,pe!t" Thus if a Tra el and Tourism organi-ation is a(le to pro ide all su!h demanding fa!ilities then it adds alue to its tra el produ!ts and makes the produ!t hike from standard .ualit# le el to superior .ualit# le el" !' Safai

It means !leanliness" 6#giene is also an important fa!tor of a tra el pa!kage" Clean hotel rooms and lo((# !reate a spik and span impression of the pa!kage and add to the .ualit# le el" /' E>P60T: ; Sah#og ; Cooperation" 0 famous .uote from Stephen Co$e (ook goes like this ;ASeek to understand and then to understoodB is er# important" Thus theCs9 that $e relate to empath# is sah#og i"e" !o2 operation i"e" listen to the !ustomers understand them and !o2operate $ith them to !ome do$n to a solution this fa!tor !reates a er# positi e impression in the minds of the !ustomers and helps the ser i!e to get a tag of its e,!ellent ser i!e .ualit#" 5' RESPO7SIVE7ESS2Sanra!hna ; Information" This is the last element in the !on!ept of R0TER" It is related to the lastCs9 i"e" Sanra!hna $hi!h means infrastru!ture" 1h# do $e relate/ infrastru!ture to responsi eness is (e!ause ho$ fle,i(le is the infrastru!ture of Tra el and Tourism organi-ation affe!ts the ser i!e responsi eness" 3or e,ample if #ou plan and (ook a Dualis !ar to tra el from pla!e 0 to pla!e * and if the !ar (reaks do$n then ho$ fast !an #ou respond (# repla!ing it $ith a ne$ !ar sho$s the fle,i(ilit# of the infrastru!ture i"e" the no of !ars" CO>PL0I7T 607DLI7@ 7o matter ho$ $ell prepared #ou are there is al$a#s the potential for something to go $rong" The $a# #ou and #our personnel handle !omplaints !an (e the determining fa!tor in turning a AdisasterB into a Asu!!ess"B Tourism E >ore offers the follo$ing ideas on handling !omplaints% &" Listen" 1hen a isitor is angr# or upset allo$s the person to kno$ that heFshe is (eing heard" Prepare #our personnel to listen and to handle ea!h !omplaint as if it $ere the most important part of their da#" )" Understand" >ake sure personnel ha e a full understanding of the !omplaint" Prior to responding to the !omplaint the# need to determine the e,a!t nature of the !omplaint" Personnel should tr# to fo!us in on the main !onte,t of the !omplaint, and not (e di erted (# side issues" +" Take 0!tion" The isitor should see that heFshe matters, and that #ou seriousl# !onsider their !omplaint" >ake sure the upset isitor kno$s e,a!tl# $hat !an or !annot (e done, and $hat heFshe ma# e,pe!t as a form of re!ompense" If the pro(lem !annot (e sol ed, immediatel# tell the isitor appro,imatel# ho$ long it $ill take to find a solution" Often something as simple as an ine,pensi e !omplimentar# gift or some spe!ial attention from the manager or (oss !an turn a negati e situation into a positi e one" /" Learn" E er# !omplaint andFor !omplainer pro ides a the tourist professional $ith a learning e,perien!e" 6a e #our personnel share $ith !olleagues $hat things $ent $rong, and the steps the# took to !orre!t the situation" Geep re!ords of past !omplaints, not onl# for in2 house training purposes, (ut also as a guide of future pro(lems to pre ent" DE0LI7@ 1IT6 DI33ICULT PEOPLE

6ere are some suggestions to help #our staff !ope $ith the angr# guest" & Do not fight to $in e er# (attle" Often it is easier to simpl# sa#, A:es SirF>am #ou are right" Ver# fe$ angr# isitors are $illing to listen to #our side of the stor#" )"Take the angr# person out of a pu(li! area" 1hene er an angr# person de!ides to do (attle in front of other AguestsB #ou lose" In ite the person into a pri ate room, offer himFher a drink and then listen" +" >ake sure that #ou kno$ that the angr# person kno$s that #ou $ill deal $ith the issue at that moment" :our !redi(ilit# $ith an angr# tourist is er# lo$H telling himFher that #ou $ill get to the pro(lem $ill onl# make the isitor e en angrier" Start the repair pro!ess at that moment" Let the isitor see that #ou are doing something" /" Use the person9s right name and title" If the angr# isitor introdu!es himFherself as ADr" SmithB don9t sa# >r" or >s" Smith and don9t use a first name unless gi en permission" The misuse of names or titles onl# adds fuel to an alread# e,plosi e situation" 5" >ake sure that the person addressing the pro(lem is !ompetent to sol e it" If a mem(er of #our staff !annot sol e a pro(lem, then turning to someone $ho !an help, is doing something" 7e er <ust shrug one9s shoulders and sa# Asorr#IB J" Rather than getting angr#, tr# to think of something !omi!al" 3or e,ample, imagine $hat this person $ould look like angr# in hisFher under$ear, and then laugh to #ourself" P0RT II & Don9t (e defensi e" Tr# to understand that people on a!ation are often a (it irrational" Instead of rea!ting in a negati e $a#, !ooll# ask ho$ #ou !an make their situation (etter ) In a like manner, ne er argue, (ut rather apologi-e" On!e the apolog# is made the upsetFdiffi!ult person is more $illing to listen" 1in (# losingI + In a like manner, ne er argue, (ut rather apologi-e" On!e the apolog# is made the upsetFdiffi!ult person is more $illing to listen" 1in (# losingI &" Dress in a professional manner" It is ama-ing ho$ mu!h more respe!t a $ell dressed fun!tionar# re!ei es" It is a lot easier to deal $ith a diffi!ult person $hen dressed in a suit rather than in <eans" PRICE MIX. In pri!ing de!isions, the produ!t or the ser i!e mi, of the tourist organi-ation is important" The# ha e to set pri!es in line $ith the .ualit# of ser i!es to (e made a aila(le to the !ustomers and the t#pe of !ustomers the# are targeting" Pri!ing de!isions are influen!ed (# internal fa!tors like pri!ing poli!# of the !ompan#, and e,ternal fa!tors like the destination itself" The# are re.uired to think in fa or of dis!ounting pri!e" These ma# in!lude dis!ounts for !ash pa#ments, seasonal dis!ounts, trade dis!ounts et!" *ut $hile offering the dis!ounts, it

is not to (e forgotten that it ma# also !reate image pro(lem sin!e some of the alue sensiti e tourists ma# dou(t the .ualit#" PROMOTION MIX. Creation of a$areness has a far2rea!hing impa!t" The tourist organi-ations (ear the responsi(ilit# of informing, persuading and sensing the potential tourists in a right fashion" The marketers need to use the arious !omponents of promotion optimall# so that the# su!!eed in in!reasing the num(er of ha(itual users" Promotion helps in ma,imi-ing the duration of sta#, fre.uen!# of isit (# offering ne$ tourist produ!ts in the same !ountr# to areas, $hi!h ha e remained untapped or partiall# tapped" The arious dimensions of tourism promotion are as follo$s% 0d ertising% 0d ertisement gi es important information to the a!tual and potential tourists" Its !o erage is $ide" 0d ertising is aimed at the pu(li! to !reate a$areness of the tra el offers a aila(le on a resort and its attra!tions to influen!e their (usiness de!isions" Intangi(ilit# !an (e !ompensated $ith the help of isual e,posure of s!enes and e ents" 1e !an pro<e!t hotel (edrooms, $ell2arranged restaurants and !afeterias, s$imming pools et!" Pu(li!it#% It fo!uses attention on strengthening the pu(li! relations measures (# de eloping a rapport $ith media people and getting their personali-ed support in pu(li!i-ing the (usiness" It helps in pro<e!ting the positi e image of tourist organi-ations sin!e the prospe!ts trust on the ne$s items pu(li!i-ed (# the media people" The pu(li!it# program in!lude regular pu(li!it# stories and photographs to the ne$spapers, tra el editors, !onta!t $ith maga-ines on stories et!" ad ertising is a part of pu(li!it#" Sales promotions% Sales promotion measures are the short2term a!ti ities seeking to (oost sales at peak demand periods to ensure that the firms o(tain its market share and are used to help laun!h a ne$ produ!t or support an ailing or modified one" The tool of sales promotions is designed to appeal parti!ularl# to those !ustomers $ho are pri!e2sensiti e" There are a num(er of te!hni.ues to promote sale and the tourist professional need to use them in the fa!e of their re.uirements is2K2 is the emerging trends in the (usiness" Eg" In the tourism industr#, a tra el !ompan# offers gi e2a$a#s to their !lients, su!h as flight (ags, $allets for ti!kets, 3oreign E,!hange ?3ore,' and !o ers of passport" The hotels offer a num(er of fa!ilities like shoe shine !lothes, first aid se$ing kits, sho$er !aps and shampoo" 3urther, the VIP !lients also get fruits and flo$ers in their rooms" 1ord2of2mouth Promotion% >ost !ommuni!ation a(out tourism takes pla!e (# $ord2of2 mouth information, $hi!h in a true sense is $ord2of2re!ommendation" In the tourism industr# it is found that the $ord2of2mouth promoters pla# the role of a hidden sales for!e, $hi!h help the pro!ess of selling" The high magnitude of effe!ti eness of this tool of promotion is due to high !redi(ilit# of the !hannel, espe!iall# in the e#es of the potential tourists" The sensiti it# of this tool makes it !lear that tourist organi-ations need to !on!entrate on the .ualit# of ser i!es the# promise and offer" The marketers or the tourist organi-ations need to keep their e#es open, identif# the o!al persons or the opinion leaders and take a spe!ial !are of them so that the# keep on mo ing the pro!ess of stimulating and !reating demand" Personal Selling% Personal Selling is (ased on the personal skill of an indi idual" The tra el and hotel (usiness depend !onsidera(l# on the personal selling" The de elopment of tra el and tourism has (een possi(le due to $ell2edu!ated and trained sales personnel" The

de elopment of tourism (usiness has (een influen!ed (# the ser i!es rendered (# the tra el agents and tra el guides sin!e the# $ork as information !arriers" Personal selling is the personal presentation of a tangi(le produ!t or intangi(le ser i!es or ideas to the !ustomers" It is important to mention that in the tourism industr#, the personnel $ho attend tourists form an essential ingredient of the produ!t, su!h as sales personnel are found responsi(le for dealing $ith !ustomers (ehind the !ounter, the resort representati es !ater to the need of tourists $hen the# rea!h the destination et!" all of them pla# a ital role in ensuring that the tourism produ!ts satisf# the tourists" The phrase2 the !ustomer is al$a#s right applies spe!ifi!all# to the tourism industr#" 7o redu!tion in pri!e $ould !ompensate for impolite and inde!ent tra el guide, a sol ent $aiter and a surl# or a haught# !oa!h dri er" These fa!ts are testimon# to the proposition that the tra el (usiness is linked $ith the performan!e and (eha ior of sales personnel or tra el staff" Telemarketing% It is a method of selling in $hi!h a professionall# sound telemarketer markets the (usiness" The .ualit# of te!hnolog# and the !ommuni!ati e a(ilit# of the telemarketers determine the magnitude of su!!ess of this !omponent" In tourism, the tra el agents, offi!es of air$a#s, re!eptionist, and se!retaries !an9t $ork effi!ientl# if the telephoni! ser i!es are not up to the mark" 0lso re!ruiting a person !onsidered to (e professionall# sound, personall#2!ommitted sales personnel ha ing an in2(uilt !reati it#, inno ation and imagination is er# important" E,hi(itions The parti!ipants in!lude state and national tourism promotion (oards, tra el agents and tour operators, airlines, !ar rentals, !ruise liners, holida# finan!iers, te!hnolog# pro iders, hotels and resorts, edu!ation institutions in the field of hospitalit# and tourism" O er the #ears the parti!ipation of foreign tourism promotion (oards like the Du(ai Tourism and the >auritius Tourism, et! has in!reased in order to aggressi el# promote their respe!ti e !ountries" PLACE MIX. >ost tour operators sell their ser i!es through tra el agents, ho$e er some deal dire!tl# $ith the !onsumers and eliminate middlemen" 3or e,ample, Thomas Cook has its o$n (ran!hes situated throughout the !ountr# so the# are easil# a!!essi(le" The !ustomer, in the tra el and tourism industr#, has to go to the ser i!e pro ider" 6en!e strategi! lo!ations are er# important for Thomas Cook" Other !ompanies ma# also utili-e more than one method of distri(ution" Lo!ation% Transport also pla#s a ma<or role in the tourism industr#" It makes the destinations a!!essi(le to people from around the $orld" 0lso, in the !ase of tangi(le produ!ts in tourism su!h as sou enirs and !uisine, transportation (e!omes a ma<or logisti!al !omponent" ELTE7DED + P9S O3 >0RGETI7@ PEOPLE Like other industries, the tourism industr# depends su(stantiall# on management of human resour!es" The tourism industr# is an amalgam of the ser i!es of a lot of people and hen!e this industr# !annot $ork effi!ientl# if the tra el agents, tour operators and tra el guides la!k

$orld !lass professional e,!ellen!e" Of !ourse the offi!es of tra el agents depends on the ne$ te!hnolog# (ut after all emplo#ees and the other staff !ontri(ute signifi!antl# to the pro!ess" The tra el guides need professional e,!ellen!e sin!e the pro<e!tion of a positi e image regarding a destination in parti!ular re.uires their due !ooperation, failing $hi!h e en the $orld !lass ser i!es offered (# the tra el agents are found meaningless" The tour operators also need to manage human resour!es effi!ientl#" In the management of people, the related organi-ations are re.uired to think in fa our of de eloping an ongoing training program so that $e find a !lose relation (et$een the de elopment of te!hnologies and the .ualit# of personnel $ho are supposed to operate and maintain the same" The# need a lot of !redentials to fulfill the e,pe!tations of the !ustomers" The organi-ation has to make the en ironmental !onditions !ondu!i e and fo!us has to (e laid on the in!enti es to the emplo#ees for energi-ing the pro!ess of performan!e orientation" Emplo#ee orientation re.uires due $eightage to effi!ien!# generation, alue2orientation and perfe!tion" In the tourism industr# the tra el agents and the tra el guides are the t$o most important people $ho speak a lot a(out the industr#" 6en!e it is imperati e that the# ha e to (e at their (est at all times" Tra el guides espe!iall#, are e,pe!ted to ha e a lot of patien!e, good sense of humour, ta!t to transform the o!!asional tourists into ha(itual ones, thorough kno$ledge of the pla!es, linguisti! skills et!" The @o ernment pla#s an important role in pro iding the right kind of people for this industr#" 0s su!h there are a lot of @o t" and P t" Institutes $hi!h offer training for the same"" The training !ourses run (# the Institutes are designed to suit the needs of the arious target groups" PEOPLE ; in ser i!e marketing in!ludes M E>PLO:EES M OT6ER CUSTO>ERS E>PLO:EES ; The# are the representati es of the !ompan#" Their performan!e !an !reate a positi e as $ell as negati e impa!t of the ser i!e pro!ess and the image of the !ompan#" Geeping Cpeople9 fa!tor health# is one of the prime !on!erns of the !ompan#" 1hen $e talk a(out people in tra el and tourism industr#, the# are reall# !ru!ial part as at e er# stage the# pla# a role of the ser i!e pro ider on the stage of ser i!e en!ounter also kno$n as moment of truth" SERVICE E7CO7TER ; The so2!alled stage ser i!e en!ounter or moment of truth is the element of intera!tion (et$een those pro iding ser i!es and the !ustomers" The instan!es of ser i!e en!ounter in tra el and tourism industr# are ; M In the ti!ket (ooking pro!ess $hen the !ustomer !alls the ser i!e pro ider that is the front line staff in order to (ook the ti!kets is the first ser i!e en!ounter in!iden!e" It9s the moment of truth $here, there is one to one intera!tion (et$een the ser i!e

pro ider $ho is (ooking the ti!ket and the !ustomer $ho $ants the ti!ket (ooked" This intera!tion takes pla!e on the phone" M In the itinerar# planning pro!ess the ser i!e en!ounter takes pla!e $hen the !ustomer isits the tra el and tourism agen!# to pur!hase a holida# pa!kage and meets the tra el manager" M 1hen the !ustomer is e,perien!ing the holida# pa!kage there are numerous ser i!e en!ounters that he goes through and one of them is his !onstant intera!tion $ith the tourist guides" These $ere some e,amples of ser i!e en!ounter" This stage is a er# !ru!ial one $here in the pro ider has to perform at the optimum le el in order to a oid the !ustomer from ha ing the e,perien!e of !reden!e .ualit#" CREDECE DU0LIT: Is the .ualit#, $hi!h is diffi!ult to e aluate, and $hen #ou ask the !ustomer the .uestion on ho$ $as the ser i!e= 6e usuall# gi es ague ans$ers like Cit $as ok9, CI don9t kno$9" 0 er# important !on!ept in Cpeople9 is the ; ser i!e profit !hain" In the ser i!e profit !hain the first step is to keep the internal !ustomers happ# and satisfied the internal !ustomer (eing the emplo#ees" To keep them follo$ing point ha e to (e taken !are of M 1ork pla!e design M No( design M Emplo#ee sele!tion and de elopment M Emplo#ees re$ards and re!ognition M Tools for ser ing !ustomers" These aspe!ts in turn lead to emplo#ee satisfa!tion, $hi!h $ould result in to emplo#ee retention and produ!ti it#, this $ould result in pro iding alue ser i!es and that $ould #ield !ustomer satisfa!tion" 1hi!h $ould lead to !ustomer lo#alt# and finall# re enue gro$th and profita(ilit# through referral and repeat (usiness"

PROCESS
It is the $a# of undertaking transa!tion suppl#ing information and pro iding ser i!es on a $a#, $hi!h is a!!epta(le to the !onsumer and the effe!ti e to the organi-ation" 7o$ to make this definition of pro!ess true, it is ne!essar# for the organi-ation $hi!h pro ides ser i!es to re!ogni-e the !riti!al moments in the entire pro!ess $hi!h makes the ser i!e a!!epta(le or not a!!epta(le to the !ustomer depending on the -one of toleran!e and effe!ti e or not effe!ti e to the organi-ation" 3urther to reali-e $hat are the !riti!al moments in the !onsidered pro!ess a !on!ept of (lue printing is introdu!ed"

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
It is a er# important fa!tor for the tra el and tourism industr#" This marketing p is important in ) distin!t $a#s% &' as the en ironment in $hi!h the sales takes pla!e )' the en ironment $here the produ!t is !onsumed E,planation of the first !ase $hen the pur!hasing of the produ!t is taking pla!e, ho$e er the !ustomer !annot (e sure $hether the# $ill en<o# the produ!t or not" In the mean time their e,pe!tations and emotions are influen!ed (# fa!tors like la#out of the room, the furniture, noise le el, temperature, lights and other fa!tors like the (ro!hure of the !ompan#" In !ase of !ustomers $ho (# ele!troni!all# the appearan!e of the $e(site is the ph#si!al e iden!e" E,planation of the se!ond !ase In the tra el industr# $here the produ!t is (eing e,perien!ed s parti!ularl# important in se!uring repeat (usiness thus e,tensi e fa!itilities that pro e to (e ph#si!al e iden!e are pro ided to lure and $oo the !ustomer The tangi(les in!lude flat (eds in (usiness !lass, 1i23i !onne!tion in hotels, !ustomi-ed meals on (oard, tele !he!king 4hrs (ooking in hotels, hotels pro iding laptops on re.uest, internet a!!ess as !omplimentar# for the !orporate pa!kages" The !riti!al in!iden!es in this pro!ess are

Understanding the !ustomers needs and e,pe!tations from the holida# or (usiness tour $hi!h e er he or she is opting for >aking an apt tra el plan and route adhering to the re.uirements of the !ustomer

E,e!ution of the planned itinerar# is the most !riti!al one" 0s a !ompan# has !ommitted some thing and this is the time $hen the !ustomer is a!tuall# e,perien!ing the entire produ!t and if an# one of the !ommitments don9t materiali-e then the -one of toleran!e is affe!ted and lot as it is alread# lo$ (e!ause the !ustomer on a tour $hether leisure or (usiness e,pe!ts perfe!tion"