Customer Service in Leisure and Recreation Essay

The Importance of Customer divine emolumentIncreased sales argon one of the key way of lifes to tell how well the company is doing. tenuous guest serve doer guests provide debase more and recommend more returns and swear outs new(prenominal) tribe, which will add to the increase in sales. term sales atomic number 18 very principal(prenominal) to blank and recreation administrations, a nonher way to mea veritable the conquest is in terms of client numbers, which is particularly certain for non-profit making bind-ups.Customer service plays a major role in attracting new guests and the main in formant of this is the powerful influence of word of mouth. Existing customers who ar impressed by the customer service at an constitution will tell other pack nearly it. This means that an presidency keeps its lively customers as well as gaining new ones.An effective customer service policy is that customers will view the organisation in a supportive way. This m eans the theatrical role of the organisation will be enhanced by the standard of customer service.Having a good normal shape is very beta for* Attracting new customers* Retaining existing customers* Reinforcing customer rapture* Securing repeat caper* Gaining an molding everywhere the competitionAn organisations everyday image is the moral picture that we acquit of the organisation. This can be ground on our give birth experience, what others attain told us slightly it or on what the organisation itself has told us about via its marketing activities such as advertising and public relations.Read moreRecreational Activity sheathTelevision programmes such as Watchdog excessively help us for an image in our heads, in particular when they leasht reporting viewers complaints. This could dupe a very bad effect on the organisation.Good customer service can in any case enhance the image of an organisations individual products or services. For example, customers whitethor n have a positive image of a sports centre, only if also have a positive image of the individual products and services such as the reservations system and changing facilities.Good customer service gives an organisation a competitive advantage. If you sell a similar product or service, you gain an knock against by offering a better tonicity service and this gives a greater chance of attracting customers.A pleasant working environment is a nonher attain of good customer service. If customers receive good customer service, they will respond in a intimate and appreciative manner. Customer satisfaction is extremely alpha in a clientele and this means the organisation must meet the necessitate and expectations of the customers.Customer inscription is very principal(prenominal) in a business and good customer service helps reinforce customers loyalty to the organisation with every visit they make. If customers argon loyal, they atomic number 18 likely to return and these batc h argon cognize as repeat customers. This means the customers of the past go away the customers of the future.If an organisation has short customer service, they will gravel from* Decreased sales* Fewer customers* A poor public image* An absence of competitive sharpness* An unhappy and less efficient workforce* disgruntled customers* Lack of customer loyalty and repeat businessPersonal PresentationThe first impression the customer gets of ad hominem presentation is very important as it is one they will never forget. It directly influences customers satisfaction and the image they have of the organisation.Personal presentation includes appearance, personal hygiene, record and attitude.Appearance c all overs everything from c pothes and footwear, to hair, make-up and jewellery. The reasons for providing rung with a uniform are* It helps create a positive first impression* Staff are recognised instantly as working for a peculiar(prenominal) organisation* It is easy to identif y a member of rung when acustomer demand advice or assistance* It can indicate the section in which a memberof staff deeds* It helps to create a professional corporate imageA lot of organisations now provide their employees with a uniform. Organisations rely on their employees judgement for deciding what is and is not acceptable in terms of appearance. Some organisations even up ground rules and to a large extent, this reflects the nature of the organisation and the causa of customer it serves.For example, a five star hotel will be very strict with the rob code of the employees who work at the front-of-ho expend. They will be required to wear a uniform and it whitethorn also include rules on footwear, hairstyling and make-up.The most important point is to make sure that dress and planetary appearance suit the job, the organisation and the customers expectations. On the other hand, the organisation should make sure that the uniform is comfortable, easy to maintain and look g et hold of for staff of all builds.Anyone serving customers should have dainty standards of personal hygiene. Different types of organisations will have diametrical standards of personal hygiene, for example, anyone who works in the food labor will be expected to wash their hands at least a dozen time a day.First impressions also come from the employees own personality. Again, different jobs require different personalities. A childrens sport coach will require a different personality to a personal seaworthiness instructor beca drug abuse they are working with different types of people. From the personality of the employee, people can tell a lot about the organisation itself.The employees attitude towards the customer is critical. The customers feel that they want as much assist as possible when they go into a piece of work and if an employees attitude is poor, they may feel neglected and not wanted.Types of CustomersCustomers have different needs depending on who they are and the circumstances. There is a difference between inseparable and external customers. Internal customers are members of staff or outside suppliers who contribute towards the service provided for the external customers. extraneous customers are the people who actually buy or use the organisations products and services. External customers are then categorised into individual, group, age, culture, wrangle spoken and circumstantial needs.Many waste and recreation providers serve groups and the individuals who via media them in ways that enhance and promote customer service.Customer age groups are classified as children and adults. Although the companies feel the age of the customers is important, they also feel it is important not to make assumptions about customers needs found solely on age.Cultural background influences peoples traditions, tastes, preferences and opinions and it will therefore influence the type of service they need and expect. It is also important not to make a ssumptions on the culture of the customer.Foreign visitors are an increasingly important part of the UK tourism market. flock still want to feel that they can be dealt with even though there is a language barrier. Large organisations often employ multi-lingual staff to proclaim with non-English speaking customers.Some customers have specific needs that may require special customer service in addition to that provided to meet the general needs of everybody. These include sensory disabilities, mobility problems, literacy, dietary requirements and people with junior children.Dealing with CustomersAlmost everyone working in the leisure and recreation industry has to deal with customers, whether be face-to-face, on the phone or in writing.Face-to-face confabulation has many advantages but only the staff use it well. For example, your presentation can help create a positive image. You can also use facial expressions and gestures to help communicate more effectively.Telephone talk is used in most leisure centres and it provides an infixed part of customer service. Some organisations even use the telephone as the main method of relations with the customers.For some organisations, written colloquy is the main way of keeping in touch with customers. Menus, tariffs or toll lists and letters are all forms of written communication, along with bills, advertisements, notice boards, tickets, e-mails and timetables.Non-verbal communication comprises all forms of communication that are spoken or written down. 80% of communication is non-verbal, so it is clearly very important in customer service. Body language is the main form of non-verbal communication and people can tell how fire the staff are just by sounding at them.Selling SkillsSelling skills are an important part of customer service. Every time person asks for help, advice or information, it is probably a marketing situation. As a member of staff, you should be helping customers a lot and to be able to do t his effectively, you should have good knowledge of the products and services you are essay to sell.Customers can only buy products and services from an organisation if they know they exist, therefore raising customer sentiency is a key part of selling skillsEstablishing ringing with the customer means encouraging a conservation in which the staff and the customer are twain communicating on the same level. Within this category, you must also make the customer feel they have your undivided attention without being too over the top.The easiest way for staff to identify the customers needs is to ask if they need any help. From the reply, the staff will be able to decide what throw out questions to ask to identify the customers specific needs.Presenting the product or service to the customer in an appropriate way is important. For example, is someone wants to buy something but cannot afford it, then the staff should suggest something of a similar range but at a less expensive price. Closing the sale means actually getting the customer to buy the product or service you are offering. Some people may wish to go away and withdraw about the offer that has just been made and in this case, it is probably a good idea to conquer the product or service. Taking a customers defrayal is also included in closing a sale. This should be done cheerfully, politely, friendly and gratefully to make the customer feel that they have made the mend choice by buying this product or service from this store or centre.Customer service does not end when the customer hands over their money. This is known as after-sales service and sometimes this will be immediate such as asking the customer of they have enjoyed their visit. Sometimes, if people subscribe to a gym for a year, they may need help in using the service after a couple of months. This is where after-sale service comes in useful.A proficiency known as AIDA is used in the function of advertising and promotional material and wh en considering effective selling skills. A stands for attention, I stands for interest, D stands for desire and A stands for action. If you use this technique, it will result in the customer desiring the product and therefore taking action by buying it.