SERVICEPLAN

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Strategic Customer Service Enhancement



A key to successful and cost effective marketing in competitive markets is to differentiate an

organization, and its programs, facilities and services, from the competition on features or

dimensions most important to its target markets. Quality and customer service are primary

discriminators. Thus, it is important that organizations address quality assurance and service

enhancement aggressively.

Indications are that quality is one of the most relevant and cost effective ways to augment and

add value to service offerings. Studies show that customers are generally willing to pay higher

prices for a product or service if they perceive it to be of superior quality. Also, it is more

difficult for competitors to offset a true “quality advantage” through price-cutting or increased

advertising alone (Sherden, 1988).

Failure to continually improve product and service quality will make it difficult for businesses

and organizations to retain existing customers and attract new ones. Failure to meet the quality

expectations of customers not only reduces potential revenues, it also increases operating costs,

including the cost associated with correcting quality related problems (e.g., redressing

complaints). Systematic program and service quality problems can also negatively effect

employee morale, attitudes, and productivity which often leads to a further deterioration of

service quality and image. An organization‟s image and performance, with respect to quality, can

also significantly impact its ability to attract funding and retain quality employees.



What is Quality Service and Experiences?



One reason why many service businesses, agencies and organizations have failed, or been slow

to develop strategic service/experience improvement programs, is that they have a hard time

defining quality in a way that it can be managed and evaluated. Many organizations can not

clearly define the concept of quality, never mind specific aspects or dimensions of quality.

Service organizations generally have the greatest difficulty conceptualizing and defining quality.

This is to some extent due to the inherent and complex nature of services that was discussed

earlier in this chapter.

Event though the complex nature of recreation experiences and characteristics of services make

it difficult specify and measure quality, it is still important and possible to define service quality.

What is important to recognize is that there is no universal definition of quality? A definition

that is appropriate and works for one organization may not be applicable in others. Quality must

be customer relevant and organization relevant. Since different organizations target and serve

different customers, they must develop their own definition of quality based on customer

expectations. Parks and recreation organization have to make their s own assessment of what its

customers expect and perceive "quality" to be.

While it is true that customer relations and hospitality are important elements of service quality

and recreation marketing, however alone are not enough to ensure that customers have quality

recreation experiences and positive perceptions. Customers evaluate the quality of recreational

experiences and service simultaneously on both functional and technical quality. Technical

quality is what customers receive. Examples are the skill of instructions, cleanliness of a

campsite, and the maintenance of a tennis court. Functional quality is how the service is





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delivered including such things as the knowledge, responsiveness and cordiality displayed by the

organization‟s staff.

Although definitions of recreation experience and service quality will vary, most authors agree

that any definition must be customer focused and relevant Any definition of quality that does not

include the customer‟s viewpoint is incomplete, and any concept of quality that is not oriented to

customer satisfaction will not be adequate. John Guspari (1988) argues forcefully that “The

customer is the final arbitrator when it comes to quality.” There is general agreement that, “It is

not those who offer the product but those whom it serves - customers, users - who have the final

word on how well a product fulfills needs and expectations (Blume, 1988).” 1984

Most definitions of service quality emphasize that the key elements in determining customers‟

perceptions of quality are:

 Their expectations

Expectations are predictions made by customers about how a service provider is going to

perform, not necessarily how it does perform (Guspari, 1988). Customer expectations are

formed based on:

 Their image of the organization,

 Their prior experience with the organization, and its products and services,

 The marketing mix including promotional messages, and

 Word-of-mouth communication from other people who have experience or perceptions

about the products or services.

 A comparison of the service experience they received (or perceived they received) with their

expectations.

 The after-experience evaluation of the degree to which the product or service met their

expectations.

 The degree of success in control for variability.



An expectation-based definition of quality requires a business or organization to identify,

continually monitor, and if possible anticipate changing customer expectations. It is important to

recognize that defining quality as meeting customer expectations does not eliminate the need to

develop product and service performance standards. It means standards must relate to customer

expectations.

A number of the definitions reviewed stressed that it is not enough to meet customer

expectations. Organizations must exceed them. While it is true that if organizations consistently

exceed expectations, customers will have a

strong sense of perceived quality, defining quality as consistently exceeding customer

expectations is too abstract in that it does not provide a definitive standard. Defining quality as

meeting customer expectations provides a clear target provided that customer expectations are

determined and communicated to staff.



The Management of Customer Service Enhancement



According to one management expert, “Managers of businesses have three primary objectives:

(1) to enhance customer satisfaction, (2) strengthen competitive position, and (3) improve

earnings (Butterfield, 1987).” Obviously, the success of for profit businesses are dependent on





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how well it meets the needs and expectations of their customers. But, managers of not-for-profit

organizations and agencies must attract funding and maximize net public benefits. A quality

assurance program can contribute significantly to the achievement of all these management

objectives. It will also help focus employees, decisions and processes on customer expectations

and satisfaction.

The quality of services and experiences provided by park and recreation organizations can and

must be managed.

Service quality problems can be divided into three general categories (1) poor performance on

the part of particular employees, (2) special and unforeseen circumstances (e.g., weather,

equipment breakdowns) and, (3) process failures. Problems with organizational processes

account for more than three-quarters of all quality failures (Orsii, 1982). Focusing on processes

can best enhance service quality, because focusing on processes helps prevent problems from

occurring (Moore, 1987; Hansen et.al., 1988). " Fundamentally the process that must be

managed is the process by which various departments and employees function together to

provide value to its customers (Guspari, 1988).” According to Philip Crosby (1979), quality

management is a systematic way of guaranteeing that organized activities happen the way they

are planned.

As Salton (1988) put it, the process of quality improvement all boils down to creating a

conducive environment (system), providing the necessary support and tools, and motivating

individuals to realize the achievement of quality goals. This is clearly a management function

and responsibility. Even though service enhancement is a responsibility shared by all employees

throughout the organization, ultimate responsibility falls not to customer contact staff (e.g.,

receptionists, and technicians) but rather to top and middle managers.



The Need for Comprehensive Service Improvement Strategies



The fact that park and recreation customers and other stakeholders (e.g., elected officials,

sponsors, and volunteers) are demanding improved quality should be sufficient reason

organizations to develop service improvement programs. For agencies and non-profits service

quality can affect public support and funding. Most customers have a wide range of recreation

and activities and providers to choose among. Customers are not reluctant to shift to

organizations that provide programs, facilities and services and products that meet or exceed

their expectations even if it means paying more or traveling greater distances. One service

expert put it this way, “Your best customer is someone else‟s best prospect (Drier, 1987).”

Quality recreation programs, facilities and services don‟t just happen. Park and recreation

organizations must develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive service

improvement program that focus simultaneously on facility, program and service(s) quality.

Service improvement efforts should be integrated within the framework an organizations

strategic plan. A plan is needed to connect your business -decisions and activities - to customer

expectations (Brown, 1987a).” Without a plan, the tendency in many organizations is to deal

with the symptoms of quality problems (Vavoso, 1987), and to place primary responsibility for

quality on employees, and not on management where it really belongs.

Without question, handling of customer concerns and complaints is an important component of

customer service but a service enhancement program should focus on preventing problems by

creating attitudes and controls that make prevention possible (Orsini, 1982). Preventing quality

related problems is preferable and usually less costly than redressing customer complaints.

Responding to customer complaints is no assurance the problem won‟t occur again. Also,

preventing quality problems before they occur can improve employee morale and productivity by

reducing the time and stress associated with dealing with dissatisfied customers. While it is true

that superior service and complaint handling can mediate compensate for occasional product and

facility technical shortcomings, it cannot compensate for products and facilities which







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consistently fail to meet customer expectations. It is a myth that a pleasant smile can remedy all

problems.

Successful service improvement efforts can also enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of

marketing communications and public affairs efforts by enhancing customer bonds, by creating

an image of quality, and through support from positive word-of-mouth communication. It is very

difficult and very costly for organizations to effectively promote products and services to quality

conscious markets if they have reputations for poor or inconsistent quality. Consistently

providing quality facilities, programs, products and services can provide organizations with a

very effective marketing communication theme. A reputation for high quality will also

encourage marketing partnerships with other organizations.

Organizations that have a reputation for delivering quality services and products also find it

easier to attract and retain quality employees. "In organizations where quality is poor and

customer dissatisfaction is high, employee morale is often low and employee retention is

difficult. Organizations that have service enhancement programs tend to treat their employees

with the same respect, care, and responsiveness as customers. Marriott Corporation and other

quality service organizations work hard to attract, support and retain quality employees because

it knows that quality people desire to work for quality organizations.

A service enhancement program can actually reduce costs. According to Philip Crosby (1979),

once a quality improvement program is implemented, most managers agree that quality is free.

Crosby contends that “What costs money are the unquality things -- all the actions that involve

not doing things right the first time.” This includes costs associated with responding to customer

complaints, reduced productivity, employee stress and turnover, and in some instances, liability

costs.

Other bonuses from implementing effective quality assurance include: more effective

management and managers, customer-focused innovation, internal partnerships between

employees and different departments, and a better image and relationship with the local

community.



Service Enhancement Programs

Service enhancement programs should: (1) move quality from an abstract concept to something

that can be managed and evaluated by identifying customer expectations and the level of

program, facility and service features and performance required to meet those expectations, (2)

identify, assess the cost effectiveness, and prioritize new programs, services, facilities, and

processes for improving quality; and (3) serve as the basis for educating the organization about

quality and the approach the organization plans to take to improve quality.

While, there is no universally correct approach to improving the quality of recreation programs,

facilities and services, experience and research indicate that the following elements are common

to most successful programs (See Figure 11- ) :

1. Develop and sustain an organizational commitment and climate for service improvement.

2. Identification of existing and prospective customers, their program, facility and service

expectations, and their perceptions.

3. A comprehensive program, facility and service audit

4. Service improvement program



 Service quality objectives



 Technical and functional performance standards





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 Human Relations Program

 Participative Management and Empowerment

 Complaint Solicitation, Handling and Analysis System

 Employee Education

 Point-of-Purchase and Promotion Post Consumption

 Customer Education

5. Monitoring and evaluating customer satisfaction and results of service improvement efforts





Organizational commitment and climate for service improvement

Gaining commitment to quality and service improvement is so important that it must be the first

step in a service improvement program. Even the best intentioned, most well designed service

improvement program will fail unless management, support staff, and front-line line employees

are committed from the very beginning. Employees must be genuinely concerned and feel

responsible for improving the quality of programs, facilities and service. Top management

cannot assume that their employees or managers are already committed to quality improvement.

The success of any quality assurance effort depends significantly on the early and full support of

top management Employee support is a direct function of perceived management commitment.

Without management support and leadership the quality program will lack a sense of importance

and employees will either disregard the effort, or treat it in a very apathetic way (Kurman, 1987).

Commitment to quality and continuous improvement must come from the top. As Edward

Demming (1982), one of the pioneers in quality assurance stated, “It is not enough that top

management commit themselves by affirmation for life to quality. They must know what they

are committing to, i.e., what they must do. Mere approval is not enough... they must act.”

Managers in organizations must also win employee commitment by:

 Marketing the concept of quality and service to their employees. They must convince and

demonstrate to all employees that their individual performance and concern for customers

has an impact on quality and customer satisfaction, which in turn will affect the long-term

well being of the organization, and therefore their well being (Hagan, 1984).

 Recognizing and accepting their role as quality leaders. It is essential that top managers

accept that they have an obligation to demonstrate the type of leadership that encourages and

supports employee commitment to improve quality. - gaining employee understanding and

commitment to the organization‟s quality assurance vision and objectives,

 Allocating the necessary resources (e.g., funding, and staff) required to develop and

implement service improvement strategies.

 Breaking down real or perceived organizational barriers that limit cooperation between

departments, functions, and employees.

 Holding the organization, and its managers and employees accountable for quality

improvement and customer satisfaction. All departments and employees, regardless of

function or extent of contact with customers, must understand and accept their service

responsibilities. It is crucial that top management shows that service improvement really

counts when it comes to performance appraisals, recognition, raises, and promotions.







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 Adopting a management style (e.g., empowerment and participative management) and

designing a human relations program that creates an environment that involves, encourages,

and develops the potential of all employees.



Program, facility and service expectations

Developing and evaluating service improvement programs require up-to-date information on

customer expectations. It is equally important to determine, and continually evaluate, customers‟

perceptions of the quality of facilities, services and programs. However, managers and

employees of park and recreation often: (1) do not know what program, facilities and service

features their customers consider important, (2) misperceive the relative importance customers

assign to different features, and/or (3) don‟t really know how customers rate their performance

on important product and service features

Determining customer expectations and perceptions, although it requires an investment in both

time and money, it is an essential component of a service improvement program (Shetty and

Ross, 1985). Organizations which really do understand, and act on, customer expectations and

perceptions:

 Understand that customer expectations, and their competitors‟ offerings, are constantly

changing. Therefore, they regularly invest the necessary time and effort to conduct customer

research.

 They commit themselves not only to collect customer information, but also to act on the

findings.

 They use a variety of methods, or listening devices, to secure and maintain information about

customers‟ needs, expectations and perceptions. They recognize that certain customers prefer

and/or will not respond to certain methods (such as questionnaires) and that using more than

one method to collect customer information will help avoid basing decisions on biased

information.

 Listening to customers, and reporting what they discover, is considered every employee‟s

responsibility, not just the responsibility of their marketing and sales staff.

 Owners and managers make it a point to know customers as individuals, and not just

statistics. Their informal face-to-face discussions with customers supplement and confirm the

information from comment cards, complaint analysis, or customer surveys.

 They make sure that all employees, regardless of position or responsibility, are provided with

information about customer expectations and how they evaluate their products and services.

Customer information can be gathered through secondary data, personal, telephone and mail

surveys, focus groups, comment cards, customer complaints, and from employees. It is important

to consider a variety of methods and carefully assess the cost, advantages, and disadvantages

associated with a number of different methods.

 Secondary data

Universities, industry organizations, government agencies, and commercial research companies

regularly collect information that can assist in better understanding existing and emerging

customer expectations. Using secondary data is usually less expensive than requiring the

collection of “primary‟ data. The principal disadvantage is that the data usually have not been

collected from the secondary user‟s customers, or for the specific purposes of the secondary user.

Advances in computer and communication technology, and a growing number of on-line data

bases, now make it possible for businesses and other organizations to gain access to the entire





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collections of libraries, census and zip code data, and the results (and data) of various surveys.

Because of the increasing number of Internet and computer accessible databases, businesses and

organizations now have accessible information on market trends, customers, and current

research.



 Focus Groups



The focus group method of collecting data involves in-depth, interactive discussions, led by a

moderator, with a group(s) of customers. Key factors in successful focus groups are: (1) deciding

what information is desired, (2) the composition of the focus group, and (3) the skill of the focus

group leader. Focus groups can result in a more comprehensive and meaningful definition of

who customers are, how they make decisions, what they really desire in a product or service, and

how they feel about specific products and services. Focus groups can also serve as a way for an

organization to pre-test new product and service concepts, and better define questions to be

included on larger scale customer surveys and information forms (e.g., registration cards).

 Regular Informal Discussions with Customers

Some of the most successful service organizations rely heavily on regular informal face-to-face

discussions with their customers in order to stay in touch with customer expectations and

perceptions. Their top managers believe that if you want to know what customers expect and

think, you need to ask them. Although these discussions are informal, their approach is usually

well organized, and not left to chance. In many of these organizations managers are required to

make regular face-to-face contact with a certain number of customers each week/month/quarter.





 Observation



Useful insights concerning how customers use and react to products and service can be gained by

observation. While it is true that observation does not provide an explanation for customer

behavior or reactions, it can supplement information obtained through other methods. It can also

be useful in generating questions to be included on interviews and surveys. For example, one

large resort was confronted with a significant number of customer complaints relating to the

availability of information about activities, services, and their locations. By observing their

customers, they discovered that their normal traffic patterns did not bring them by the resort‟s

main information distribution points. As a result, they changed the locations of the distribution

points and complaints decreased substantially.



 Polling Employees



Many service organizations recognize that their employees, especially front-line staff, have

valuable insight into customer expectations and satisfaction. If asked, they can provide useful

quality improvement recommendations. They regularly poll their staff as a means of gaining

information about customers, and ways to improve products and service. Other organizations

hold regular employee meetings as a way of finding out what customers are saying and how they

are reacting to products, pricing, procedures and rules.



 Comment Cards



A large number of organizations, rely on comment (or report) cards distributed to all their

customers to assist them in determining customer perceptions of the quality of their facilities,

products, and service. A problem is that comment cards often produce skewed data. Often only

persons who are either very satisfied or very dissatisfied take the time to complete them. They

also don‟t provide much in the way of reasons for the satisfaction or dissatisfaction ratings.







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However, they can still provide useful insights when used in conjunction with data collected

using other methods.



 Customer Panels



A number of businesses and organizations have set up ongoing customer panels. The panel,

which is regularly asked about product, program, facility and service expectations and

perceptions, operates for a set period of time, sometimes years. The problem with panels is that

some customers are just not willing to devote the necessary time and energy, even when offered

with some type of incentive such as free merchandise or trips. Therefore, it is difficult to

formulate and maintain a panel consisting of a representative sample of customers.



 Customer Surveys



While some of the best service organizations rely heavily on informal methods for collecting

customer information, they also conduct regular customer surveys. These surveys use carefully

structured questionnaires and are distributed to representative samples of their current, former

and/or prospective customers. Surveys can provide quantitative data to verify information

obtained through more informal and qualitative methods such as focus groups. They can also

allow an organization to explore issues and concerns more analytically and in greater depth than

is possible with methods such as comment cards.

Surveys can be completed by the customer or administered by trained interviewers via telephone

or face-to-face. Properly designed and administered surveys can be a relatively quick,

inexpensive way of collecting valuable information.



Quality Audit and Service Blueprints



The purpose of an audit is to identify reasons for service shortcomings, determine real or

perceived barriers to improving quality, establish quality improvement priorities, and

recommend alternative actions which will enhance the quality of program, facilities and services.

The results of the audit, along with research on customer expectations and perceptions, should be

the basis for service improvement objectives and performance standards.

Audits should include assessments of programs facilities and services. The emphasis should be

on identifying product and facility attributes and service features that do not meet customer

expectations, reasons why they fail to meet expectations, and alternative corrective actions (such

as technology, additional personnel, and facility redesign). Audits should attempt to identify

improvements which can be made immediately without significant cost; necessary product,

facility and process modifications which will require significant investments of time and money;

and entirely new services, products, facilities, and technology needed to meet customer

expectations. Audits often uncover very simple procedural shortcomings which can be corrected

overnight at little or no additional cost. Conversely, they sometimes identify significant facility

design and technology problems that require substantial investment to improve user friendliness

and increase reliability.

Service improvement audits also focus on factors which effect the organization's ability to

develop and implement a quality assurance program including:

 Whether the organization has standards covering program, facility and service features most

important to its customers. If standards exist, are they based on customer expectations, and

are they used to evaluate/measure performance?

 Whether there is cooperation and good communication between the Forest Service and its

customers between different functional areas, employees and managers. If not, what needs to

be done to improve communication and cooperation?





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 How the organization holds its employees and managers accountable for service quality and

improvement. Who in the organization is accountable for service improvement and customer

relations?

 Are current employee educational programs and opportunities sufficient to enhance relevant

managerial and employee skills?

 Do employees have access to the types and quality of equipment and technology (e.g.,

microcomputers) which will be needed to improve service quality? This includes production,

communication, and information technologies.

 Are employees at all levels in the organization actively encouraged to participate in decision

making? Do they feel empowered to make decisions and take actions necessary to meet

customer expectations?

 Will current human relations (personnel) policies and practices support the organization‟s

emphasis service improvement and customer satisfaction?



Service audits can be conducted by outside consultants, a special team consisting of employees

from different areas in the organization, or by managers. The benefit of using outside

consultants is that they can often be more objective, and although they will need to learn about

the organization‟s products and services, they already have experience conducting audits. The

danger of using employees or managers is that past experience and loyalties often prevent them

from being objective, and/or focusing on the real problems and long-lasting corrective action.

Also, internal audits often don‟t have the credibility associated with audits conducted by outside

experts. Some organizations have hired consultants to help a team of employees conduct audits.

This not only builds employee ownership, it also develops internal expertise.

Conducting a comprehensive service audit is not an easy undertaking. It is usually recommended

that organizations, which have never conducted an audit, limit the scope of their first audit to

those facilities, programs, services, and processes most likely to be the priority of their quality

improvement program. The scope of the audit can be expanded over time as they gain

experience.

Service improvement is often more effective if organizations develop service or process

blueprints/diagrams. Even the simplest of services and programs entail many different tasks, and

often require the efforts of different employees, departments, and functions. A service blueprint

identifies and diagrams the different elements of a service, the sequencing of the elements, and

the relationships between different elements. Blueprints can be developed for services in much

the same way as architectural drawings and product engineering blueprints.

Service blueprinting forces organizations to break down services into their various components,

and show, in sequence, the steps or tasks which must be performed to produce or deliver the

service (Hansen et. al., 1988). Blueprints can assist in describing desired customer outcomes and

suggesting performance standards (e.g., execution time) to better insure these outcomes,

identifying service elements which are most subject to failure and for which fail safe systems

must be developed, determining staffing and design requirements to insure consistent

performance, and focusing monitoring, and improvement efforts.





Service Improvement Programs



Once an organization has gained the commitment of its staff, collected and analyzed information

on customer expectations and perceptions, and conducted a service audit, the next step is to

utilize this information to develop a service improvement program. The program should specify





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what the organization intend to do to enhance customer and stakeholder satisfaction and

perceptions the quality of its facilities, programs and services.



Quality Assurance Objectives



Serve improvement objectives that unambiguously state its priorities for improving programs,

facilities and/or services. The objectives should focus on product and service features most

important to customers, especially those areas where the organization is not meeting customer

expectations such as complaint handling, customer input, cleanliness of facilities, food and

beverage service, reservations, security, or customer information. The objectives should be

specific and measurable statements of desired quality improvement.



Technical and Functional Quality Performance Standards



Service organizations are discovering that it is hard, if not impossible, to implement or evaluate a

service improvement program without performance standards. An essential step in promoting

quality is to develop specific measures throughout the organization and continuously measure

performance of their products, services and employees against those standards Parasuraman et.

al., 1988; Shetty and Ross, 1985; Zemke and Schaaf, 1989; Lele and Sheth, 1987; Moore, 1987).

The standards reflect customer expectations, are enforced by managers and supervisors, and are

linked to measurement systems used to evaluate the performance/contribution of departments,

managers and individual employees (Shetty, 1987).

Many organizations with reputations for quality products and services including Marriott,

Disney, Embassy Suites, McDonalds, Swiss Air, and Holiday Inn, have all developed customer

focused quality standards. Some, such as Marriott Corporation, have formulated very specific

written quality standards for every aspect of every employee‟s job. Deviation from these

standards cannot be made without management approval. A growing number of organizations

such as Federal Express, Holiday Inn, and a number of banks, not only develop standards, they

back them up with money-back guarantees.

Standards specify the level of performance required to produce and deliver the organization‟s

concept of quality. They are precise statements of expected performance against which the actual

performance of the organization, departments and individual employees will be measured. For

example, 90% of all inquiries for information will be responded to within 24 hours of when they

are received; all persons making reservations will receive written confirmation within three days;

all customers will be provided with information and maps describing and showing the location of

all the facilities, programs and services; all utilities and equipment will be in operating order

and/or will be serviced within one hour of a customer complaint.

Standards can, and should, be established for products, facilities and services. To be effective,

performance standards:

 Should be expressed precisely and suggest a feasible method of measurement .



 Should be based on customer expectations and how they evaluate product, facility, and

service quality.



 Must be formulated in keeping with the organization‟s customers, quality strategy and

personnel. Standards developed by one business or agency, even one that offers the same

products and services, are not directly transferable to another business or organization.

 Should be realistically achievable. The quickest way to frustrate employees and undermine a

quality assurance effort is to set standards so high that they can never be achieved. To avoid

this, standards should be designed in the context of available resources (e.g., personnel,

equipment, technology and facilities). If a certain standard of performance, determined





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through research to be crucial to customer satisfaction, is not currently achievable then the

organization must allocate additional resources to realize the standard.

 Need to be communicated to, and understood by, all employees, especially those employees

whose performance must conform to standards, and managers responsible for assessing

conformance. It is important that employees understand the relationship of standards to

customer satisfaction. Involving managers and employees in the development of standards is

the best way to accomplish this. Collaborative standard setting helps win organizational-wide

support.

 Serve as a primary basis for the design of job descriptions, performance evaluations, and the

organization‟s recognition and incentives program.

 Should be used to evaluate actual performance. Once established and accepted by employees,

it is important that conformance to standards be monitored. Results of the monitoring should

be used to evaluate employee and management performance and to initiate corrective actions

that will result in conformance. Often, organizations that go to the trouble of developing

standards fail to follow through with evaluation. Or, the results of the evaluation do not result

in appropriate action or recognition. If an organization does not hold its managers and

employees accountable for conformance, there is no reason to establish standards.



Human Relations Program



Employees will continue to remain the most crucial factor in determining the quality of

recreation programs and services. Given the crucial role that service employees play, it is

important that park and recreation organizations design a human relations program – hiring,

motivation, training, incentives - which assures that employees will be involved, productive, and

satisfied members of the service improvement effort.

Organizations cannot hope to satisfy their customers if their employees, especially customer

contact staff, are not satisfied (Peterson, 1988; Kurman, 1987; Lele and Sheth, 1987). The

importance of employees, especially front-line staff, in determining the quality of service

experiences has, according to Berry (1983), resulted in some of the top service organizations

turning their organization charts upside down. They place their front-line staff on the top in terms

of attention and consideration; they treat them like customers. These organizations regularly use

a variety of informal and formal methods to gauge staff morale, determine their expectations, and

assess how well they perceive they are being treated.

No amount of skills training and/or motivational seminars will compensate for human relations

policies and practices which do not encourage responsibility and initiative for quality and

customer satisfaction According to Lele and Sheth (1987), the ability of many organizations to

successfully improve service quality, is due in large part to the fact that these values guide how

they hire, train, promote and reward employees. Hiring practices, position descriptions, and

other personnel policies and practices can make or break the success of an organization‟s quality

assurance effort/program. This is why organizations should carefully examine, and if necessary

modify, personnel practices and policies that influence employee attitudes and behavior toward

customers. A number of organizations, both large and small, have rewritten all their position

descriptions to reflect customer service responsibilities, reoriented their performance appraisals,

changed their employee recruitment and selection criteria, refocused their rewards/incentive

programs, and even modified their wage structure to support their quality assurance and

customer relations efforts.

 Job Descriptions and Position Announcements

Job descriptions and position announcements are particularly important given that employees

generally perform what is expected of them, and apply for jobs which match their personalities,

orientation and skills. Leading service organizations draft their job descriptions to reflect





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customer service. They base them on: (1) information about customer expectations, (2) service

performance standards, and (3) information obtained by observing and questioning their top

service performers regarding job elements and skills they consider most important.

 Recruitment and Hiring

Leading service organizations are now placing greater emphasis on how they recruit and hire

employees, especially employees who service and regularly interact with their customers. As one

company president recently remarked, “Why do we spend so much time interviewing and

selecting receptionists and persons who staff our information booths? The answer is simple.

They are the company to many of our customers. They are responsible for demonstrating our

commitment to quality and service.”

More and more service organizations are recognizing the importance of hiring and retaining

people who have professional skills, but also the attitudes, sensitivities, and interpersonal skills

necessary for effective customer relations staff. An increasing number of service organizations

now require perspective front-line staff to go through several interviews, and the interviews

which are increasingly directed at assessing personal philosophy and attitude, customer service

instincts, verbal and non-verbal communication, interpersonal skills, and problem solving ability.

It is much more common for these interviews to include mini-simulations where candidates are

asked to demonstrate how they would go about assessing and responding to different customer

relations situations (such as special problems or requests). Persons who conduct the interviews

clearly communicate the organization‟s emphasis on customer service to better enable candidates

to decide whether or not they are cut out for the job.

 Recognition. Rewards and Incentives

The structure of an organization‟s rewards, incentives, and recognition system has a great

influence on how service workers perform. Organizations which have successfully implemented

service improvement programs have a wage-recognition-reward system which is linked to

customer service objectives and standards (Salton, 1988).

It is important that businesses and organizations make a concerted effort to recognize quality

improvement successes and those responsible for the successes. Organizations, which have

successfully used incentives, recognition and rewards in support of service improvement, have

some things in common:

 Rewards, incentives and/or recognition are linked in an obvious way to service

improvement objectives and standards.

 Incentives and rewards are designed with careful consideration of the needs and

expectations of their employees.

 All employees, regardless of position or rank, are equally eligible to customer service

recognition and awards.

 Recognition and awards are presented on a regular basis, often immediately after

excellent service is rendered.

 Performance Evaluations

Organizations that take service improvement seriously focus performance appraisals explicitly

on those elements of job performance that impact on customer satisfaction. They include service

improvement and customer satisfaction in all performance appraisals (Cocheu, 1988).



Participative Management and Empowerment







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Organizations must develop management styles or approaches that support customer satisfaction

and service improvement. Employees must feel that they are involved in decision making, and

empowered to take actions on behalf of customers unless they had prior management approval.

Organization that are most effective at managing service quality develop and maintain and

internal environment that encourages and supports employees abilities and contribution to

service enhancement. They:

 Have, and demonstrate, a genuine and lasting respect for all their employees (Horton, 1986).

They believe that employees are generally capable of providing quality service if they know

what they are doing, and why they are doing it.

 Believe that the key to a successful service improvement is total employee involvement

(Hansen et. al, 1988). This type of involvement only results from participative management

and empowerment.

 Recognize that if employees are to take responsibility for quality improvement, they must see

that there is an opportunity to perform in an empowered way, feel they are part of a team, and

believe they are part of something of importance (Kanter, 1983).

 Understand that customer contact staff continually must deal with special situations and

requests not specifically covered by standard operating procedures or policies. As one author

stated, “Standards are all very well and good, but a large part of excellent customer service

has to do with individual initiative and responsibility. The ultimate standard after all is to

make the customer happy, and you should encourage people to go beyond the call of duty if

they see fit (Blume, 1984).”

 Realize that customers like to deal with service people who have the authority and

confidence to act assertively on their behalf (Bell and Zemke, 1988). They also accept that

the ability of employees to take quick and decisive action reflects positively on the entire

organization.

Adopting participative management and empowering employees is not a quick or easy

undertaking, especially in hierarchical organizations with centralized decision making. It is

important to lay the necessary groundwork including the following:

 Top management must make it clear to the entire organization that participative management

and empowerment will become part of the organization‟s long-term management style, and is

not a short-term “let‟s see how it works” type of experiment. Employees at all levels must be

convinced that managers will support and back their decisions (Horton, 1986).

 Educating both managers and employees before implementing participative and

empowerment management. Education should focus on improving employees‟ situation

assessment, problem solving, and decision-making skills. Managers and supervisors must be

convinced that empowerment will benefit the organization and will not lead to an erosion of

their prestige or position. If managers view empowerment and participative management as

being detrimental to the organization or themselves, they will withhold support and may

attempt to sabotage the effort. They must be convinced that employees are competent, and it

is safe to allow them to make and implement decisions (Salton, 1988; Uttal, 1987).



Complaint Solicitation, Handling and Analysis

Soliciting and being responsive to customer complaints is an essential element of any customer

service program. There are two ways an organization can keep customers satisfied. The first is to

always provide flawless programs, immaculate, user-friendly facilities and impeccable service.

The second is to assist customers in resolving any problems they perceive. Although emphasis

should always be on proactive service with the objective of preventing problems that cause





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dissatisfaction, organizations must develop their capability to solicit and responsively resolve

customer complaints.

Developing a proactive complaint systems often require changing attitudes of managers and

front-line employees. In some organizations complaints are still viewed as bad news and

problems, rather than opportunities. Some organizations and managers view complaints and

complaint handling only as a cost. As a result, they often either intentionally, or unintentionally,

develop barriers which discourage customers from complaining including complex and

bureaucratic complaint procedures, and dealing with complaints in an adversarial way. The

problem here is that customers who perceive complaint resolution processes as being

complicated and slow, are likely not to complain and are more likely not to receive satisfaction

and are more prone to engage in negative word-of-mouth communication .

Customer oriented organizations go to great lengths to make it as easy as possible for dissatisfied

customers to complain. They recognize complaints as opportunities. Opportunities to make

things right, retain and strengthen their relationship with customers, and avoid bad word-of-

mouth communications. Proactive responsive complaint handling systems can produce many

benefits:

 A proactive customer complaint system is a cost-effective way to retain customers. Between

half and three quarters of customers who make a complaint will do business again with an

organization if their complaint is handled satisfactorily especially if the complaint is resolved

quickly.

 Responsive complaint handling can actually increase loyalty and strengthen bonds between

the organization Customers will generally remain loyal to an organization if they perceive

that the organization is sensitive and responsive to their concerns and welfare.

 Complaint follow-up and analysis is a cost effective way to identify chronic problems that

often go unnoticed by employees and management. By following up on complaints,

organizations can frequently identify a number of problems not specifically mentioned in the

original complaints. Often complainants can recommend corrective actions that will meet

their expectations.

 Receiving and settling complaints can forestall negative word-of-mouth, and can actually

generate positive word-of-mouth from satisfied complainants.

 Complaints, if perused effectively, can provide opportunities for organizations to increase

visits and satisfaction by identifying products and services which may better meet the

complainants‟ needs, and of which they may not have been aware.



Customer oriented and effective complaint systems include:

 Alternative means/channels for customers to communicate their complaints should be

designed because customers vary significantly on methods (e.g., comment cards, toll free

numbers) with which they prefer to express their complaints. Some prefer making their

complaint known immediately to the nearest employee, others would rather write letters,

while some favor comment cards addressed to a ranking official. Therefore, reliance on only

one, or a couple of methods, will discourage complaints since different mechanisms de-select

some complainants (Moyer, 1984).

 Informing customers about channels and procedures available to them to communicate their

problems.

 Educating managers and customer contact staff on: the importance of catching and

addressing customer problems and complaints when they originate, how to identify

dissatisfied customers who don‟t complain (e.g., non-verbal clues), methods for cooling





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down irate customers (e.g., active listening), problem solving and negotiation skills, and what

to do if they are unable to resolve a complaint to the customer‟s satisfaction.

 Establishing standards to guide employees and evaluate complaint handling. Standards are

often established for response time and modes of response (e.g., telephone follow-ups),

employee responsibilities to complainants, necessary documentation, required follow-up, and

targets for the percentage of complaints successfully resolved.

 Following-up on complaints to determine whether the customer is actually satisfied with the

resolution and the way their complaint was handled, identify ways their complaint handling

process can be improved, and reinstate the business/organization‟s presence and send a

message that they are genuinely concerned for the customer, and value their relationship.

 Establishing methods to record, track, and analyze all complaints. A number of organizations

have developed relatively simple computer software which allows them to effectively track

progress on resolving complaints and analyze complaint trends.







Employee Education



Employee customer service education crucial in parks and recreation organizations because

employees serve complex multiple functions. They produce, customize, deliver and market

recreation programs and services. The ability of an organization to continuously enhance the

quality of its programs, facilities and services requires that is employees understand the

importance of customer satisfaction, be aware of service improvement concepts and methods,

know their customers, and also have the requisite technical and interpersonal skills.

Educating employees on customer service is most effective if it is ongoing, consistent with other

elements of a comprehensive service improvement program. Education should include: (1)

orientation of new employees to the organization, their job, and the importance placed service

and customer satisfaction; (2) making all employees are of the organization's service philosophy

and service improvement program and, (3) information and regular training on skills and

methods important in producing, delivering, and marketing quality programs and services.

 New Employee Orientation and Training

Organizations with a reputation for high quality service are well aware of the importance of

orienting and training new employees, especially customer contact staff. They recognize that the

orientation process must include an emphasis on customer satisfaction and service improvement

because employees are most receptive and impressionable their first days on the job. Their

orientation processes generally include the history and traditions of the company/organization,

its culture, and most importantly, its dedication to quality and customer satisfaction.

They provide customer relations training to all new employees. Many will not allow newly hired

employees to start work until they have successfully completed a rigorous customer service

course They also expect them to be very knowledgeable about their programs, facilities and

services so they can assist customers with their decisions and problems.



 Educating Employees about Service Improvement and the Organization‟s Service

Improvement Program

Regular service improvement education should orient all employees to an organization's service

philosophy and service improvement program. It should:









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 Provide an understanding of the organization‟s service improvement and standards and

how each relates to the organization‟s overall objectives.

 Convince them that customer service and relations are an organizational/team effort, and

that management and support staff must active partners in quality improvement efforts.

 Describe the benefits to employees from improved quality.

 Make employees at all levels aware that it is their responsibility to identify service

problems, and to make suggestions for improvement. They should also be made aware of

the channels for communicating problem identification and improvement

recommendations.

 Inform employees about how the organization plans to evaluate customer satisfaction

and service improvement program.



 Information and Skill Enhancement

Organizations should continuously provide employees with: (1) important up-to-date

information, and (2) opportunities to improve both their technical and customer relations skills.

This can be accomplished through a variety of educational delivery modes including: videotapes,

workshops, newsletters, employee meetings, cross training, computer simulations, and expert

systems.

Providing employees with up-to-date information should be an essential component of an

ongoing educational effort. It makes no sense to invest in training aimed at enhancing customer

relations skills unless employees are kept informed about the organization‟s customers, products,

services, operating procedures and marketing strategy.

It is important that all employees are:

 Well informed regarding customer characteristics, product and service expectations, and

the criteria on which they evaluate quality. This information should be supplied to all

employees, not just the marketing/public affairs staff.

 Kept informed about changes in program, facility and service standards, the results of

quality and customer satisfaction assessments, and service improvement priorities.

 Furnished with regular up-dates on programs, facilities and service and other elements of

the organization‟s marketing mix, including prices and marketing communications. It is

especially important that all customer contact staff are knowledgeable about new

programs, facilities, services and rules/regulations since they also function as marketing

representatives. They cannot make effective sales presentations if they are kept in the

dark about new products, services and/or the organization‟s promotional/sales strategy.



In addition to supplying information, organizations should provide opportunities and incentives

for employees, especially customer contact staff, to upgrade their current skills, and learn new

concepts, methods, and techniques such as the following:

 Employees should be educated in concepts and skills for dealing with difficult situations and

difficult customers. It is important that employees receive training in diffusing conflict

situations, analyzing problems, and problem solving techniques. All service workers must be

capable of identifying and solving product and service problems quickly, efficiently, and

effectively.









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 All employees (regardless of rank) in the parks and recreation organizations are marketing

representatives. Many experts now advocate training employees in non-manipulative or

conversational sales techniques. Non-manipulative selling focuses heavily on defining

customer needs/desires and then identifying products and services which will satisfy those

needs/desires (Alessandra and Wexler, 1985). This requires that employees are skilled not

only in listening, but also asking the type of questions which will help in clarifying what

customers really desire in the way of products and services (Alessandra, 1987).

 Employees should receive continuous training and coaching to improve their communication

skills, both verbal and nonverbal. It is especially important that employees develop question-

asking skills that are essential in active listening. Employees must also understand the

importance of, and be able to read, non-verbal cues. Sensitivity to non-verbal cues - both

their own and those of their customers - is important in identifying and dealing with

dissatisfied customers.

 Employees (especially customer contact staff) in parks and recreation organizations are

frequently subject to a great deal of stress. A well-designed and implemented quality

assurance program will assist in reducing stress by decreasing customer dissatisfaction.

However, employees who regularly interact with, and serve, customers will always be

subject to a certain amount of stress; it comes with the job. However, stress, if not recognized

and managed, can negatively impact morale and productivity, which in turn will effect

service quality. The impacts of stress on customer contact staff is now widely recognized and

many service businesses and agencies are now incorporating stress management as part of

employee education.



Customer Education

Customer education is an important, but frequently overlooked element of service improvement

and customer relations in parks and recreation. Today, people are confronted with an ever-

increasing variety of products, services and recreation opportunities. This is especially true with

respect to outdoor recreation opportunities. Recreation decisions just aren‟t as simple as they

used to be. It‟s becoming more and more difficult for people to objectively assess and compare

the benefits and prices of different recreation programs and facilities. Some say this has created

an education gap which parks and recreation organizations need to recognize and rectify.

A growing number of organizations and associations are directing greater attention at customer

education because: (1) service organizations can enhance their s credibility for „being on the

customer‟s side‟ through education, (2) more knowledgeable consumers are likely to make

better decisions, leading to greater satisfaction . Some examples of customer education efforts

include:

 brochures which include questions customers should ask, and information they should obtain,

in the process of making their purchase decisions;

 educational materials aimed at enhancing user ethics toward other users and the environment;

 providing customers with information on the rationale for their policies, regulations and

prices;

 skills acquisition and development clinics offered by recreation product

manufactures/retailers and recreation providers;

 computers with video, graphics, touch screens and expert system software, which provide

customers with answers to a host of decision oriented questions.



Monitoring and Corrective Action





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Service improvement must be managed as an ongoing process, not a one time project or

initiative. It is not enough that an organization develops standards and implement improvement

projects. It must continuously monitor quality performance and assess the resultant impact on

customer satisfaction. Without a service improvement objectives and standards, an

organization‟s service improvement does not have direction, without measurement it does not

have control (Butterfield, 1987).

Continuous service quality monitoring is important for a number of reasons. First, even a well-

rounded, carefully designed service program will require some tinkering and customizing.

Second, customers, and their preferences change over time, as does the type and quality of

programs, facilities and services offered by the competition. What is considered as quality today

may be inferior tomorrow. Also, a service standard, which is consistent with the expectations of

longtime customers, may not measure up to the anticipation of new or targeted potential

customers. Finally, even effective customer service improvement efforts can deteriorate over

time unless they are carefully monitored and adjusted. The deterioration can result from a variety

of causes including employee and management turnover, and gradual changes in organizational

culture.

The only way to insure service quality improvement is to collect, analyze, and distribute

information which compares actual performance against objectives and standards, and

determines changes in customers‟ perceptions of quality. It is important that top management

communicate to all managers, supervisors and employees that measurement is a crucial part of

their job responsibilities and not an “only-after-everything-else-is-done” activity. They also must

demonstrate the relevance of measurement by taking corrective actions suggested by the results

of monitoring.

There are three basic approaches organizations can utilize to monitor their service improvement

efforts:

 internal approach which focuses on measuring actual performance (e.g., actual time

customers spend waiting in lines, average time it takes to respond to inquiries) against

service standards,

 external approach which utilizes various methods (e.g., comment cards, customer surveys,

unsolicited comments, complaint analysis) to gauge customer perceptions of quality, and

 regular but unannounced inspections by internal teams or mystery customers/shoppers

(Thompson et. al., 1985).



Organizations which do the most effective job of monitoring customer satisfaction and their

service improvement efforts:

 Monitor and analyze performance information collected from a variety of different methods

(e.g., comment cards, interviews with customers, inspections, and employee surveys).

 Communicate performance information on a regular basis to employees throughout the

organization. Sharing quality improvement information with all employees, regardless of

function, also enhances awareness that customer satisfaction is everyone‟s responsibility.

 Place emphasis on assessing the quality of programs, facilities and services from the

perspective of their customers rather than relying on measures of effort or inputs (e.g., dollars

spent on quality improvement). Their bottom-line is not effort or inputs, but rather customer

recognized improvement.









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 Insist on valid, measurable information. Rather than fudging the numbers to make themselves

or the organization look better, top management tells it like it is. Bad news is viewed as good

news if it results in quality enhancement.

 Constantly work hard at developing an organizational culture where employees view the

results of customer satisfaction and service assessments as opportunities rather than a threat

or indictment of their performance.









RESOURCES





Abbott, G.J. (March, 1996). The marketing plan. Business2Business

http://www.business2business.on.ca/magazine/mar96/b2b_mktg.html.



Bearden, W.O., & Netemeyer, R.G. (1999). Handbook of marketing scales (2nd ed.) Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.



Berkowitz, E.N., Crane, F.G., Kerin, R.A., Hartley, S.W., & Rudelius, W. (1995). Marketing

(2nd ed.) Toronto, ON: Times Mirror.





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