Homework

1. Give an an example for each Development of consumer behavior research approach from the hospitality industry. Positivist approach: You got 2 hotels beside each other. They give the same service in every aspect. One has lower prices. Guests are going to choose the one is cheaper. The decision made on pure logic. In Mexico on the beach we had 2 companies to provide the wave runners. The one , who offers the rent for cheaper, choose the people. Interpretevist approach: People were looking for me to teach them to dive because they heard about me through their friends. They even paid 40% more just because they heard I am safer. Post modern approach: In Mexico we had this party boat. We provided 3 different menus. 1 was vegetarian; the other was steak the third was with lobster. Almost everybody was choosing the lobster. It is because in their mind was that it is something special “upper-class”. A lot of them came to this tour because they can eat lobster. A lot of tours are promoted as a great ultimate adventure: jungle tours, become a dolphin trainer, become a Caribbean pirate. Rent a yacht and enjoy the life of a rock star etc.. 2. Give an example for a hospitality service. Explain why is it a service using the five traditionally stated characteristics of services. DIVING Intangibility: ← Inability to touch an item: you cannot touch it ← Consumers can only experience the services performance: You feel it only when you are diving ← Services are an abstract concept for consumers, meaning that they are highly subjective: Some people just freak out from depth, the fact that you are breathing through a hose Inseparability: ← No distinction between delivery and use as services are produced and consumed simultaneously :You consume when you dive ← Customer can - through the service encounter – become part of the service: When I am teaching in the pool other people are coming by and join us because they see something is going on. Heterogeneity: ← Hospitality services are produced by individuals and consumed by individuals: As hospitality services are performed it is difficult to conclude with any certainty that people will perform in the same way during an two service encounters: I am unable to give the some experience because for example I cannot guarantee that the some fishes or animals will swim by. Perishability: ← Services cannot be stored – unused services are lost forever: I cannot store the diving. If somebody did not showed up for the 8 o’clock trip on time he lost this service. ← Demand fluctuations cannot be managed the same way as with goods: Christmas we are overbooked. In may we do not have enough job. Ownership: ← The customer gains access only to the activity or facility, not gaining ownership of anything at the end of the transaction. They dive, they use dive equipment, rent tank but at the end they stay only with the experience ← Services are seen to offer satisfaction rather than tangible items: They live most of the time happy. 3. Apply the dimensions which impact on consumer behavior in hospitality on a Car rental business Time: When you rent a car you rented eat least for a day. That is a long time a lot of things can go wrong. The car itself can have a problem, the agent forget to make the reservation etc.. Physical proximity: You can rent a car in different ways. Internet, telephone, in hotel are agents or through your travel agent. Participation: You have to drive the car and to put the gas in it otherwise they charge you more Degree of involvement: Costumer gets involved: in Mexico to rent a jeep or a boogie and drive around, rent a limousine for special occasion. Degree of customization, degree to which a service can be customized: Different type, size and color cars. They can offer a businessman a limo, jeep to young people, minivan to a family etc.. Beside that with air-conditioning, stereo, color, brand etc.. Service provider. ← The offering is the employee ← The employees are seen by consumers as embodying the attributes of the organization Punctuality, cleaning, how nice the staff, greet the people; offer tee, additional information about destination, special costumes of this particular place. It can be everything perfect ,but employee is rude you loose the costumer.