How does the Pol & Grace Hotel manage customer experience?

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze the management of the customer experience in the Pol & Grace Hotel according to the theoretical models. This research reviews the theoretical models of the most relevant authors who have analyzed the customer experience process during the last three decades. The tourism industry is now developing experience-based products where the experience becomes the actual product. The experience is designed to match different targets of tourists due to its individuality, uniqueness and emotional responses. Furthermore, designing customer experiences that shape emotions and evoke enduring memories has become a challenge due to the emerging experience economy. Hence, this paper develops a new model that describes the stages of the customer experience and the elements that generate stronger emotions to guests in every event.

This research presents an inductive approach and a qualitative analysis of the data. This paper is a case study based on the Pol & Grace Hotel supported by multiple sources of evidence to increase the validity of the case. This hotel is a boutique hotel that offers an extraordinary storytelling experience to guests. The result of this study is the creation of a new customer experience process model that combines the SERVQUAL Model (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985), the Service Perceptions Model (Dasu and Chase, 2013), the Customer Journey Map (Schneider and Stickdorn, 2010) and the Stages of the Experience Process Model (Tynan and McKechnie, 2009). The proposed model aims to analyze the customer experience process focusing on the emotions of the guest. Emotions are the most memorable aspect for the consumer and this is what remains in the consumer’s mind. Therefore, understanding what provokes positive or negative emotions is one of the key aspects.

This research presents an inductive approach and a qualitative analysis of the data. This paper is a case study based on the Pol & Grace Hotel supported by multiple sources of evidence to increase the validity of the case. This hotel is a boutique hotel that offers an extraordinary storytelling experience to guests. The result of this study is the creation of a new customer experience process model that combines the SERVQUAL Model (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985), the Service Perceptions Model (Dasu and Chase, 2013), the Customer Journey Map (Schneider and Stickdorn, 2010) and the Stages of the Experience Process Model (Tynan and McKechnie, 2009). The proposed model aims to analyze the customer experience process focusing on the emotions of the guest. Emotions are the most memorable aspect for the consumer and this is what remains in the consumer’s mind. Therefore, understanding what provokes positive or negative emotions is one of the key aspects.

Finally, this study presents the limitations of the research and recommendations for both the Pol & Grace Hotel and the theoretical models. Additionally, future areas of research are presented.