Internal Mix

Internal Mix

As stated, marketing services such as recreation and

tourism differ from marketing tangible products.

Recreation and tourism businesses must direct as much

attention at marketing to customers on site as they do to

attracting them. In this respect, internal marketing is

important because dissatisfied customers can effectively

cancel out an otherwise effective marketing strategy.

The success of internal marketing is dependent on

creating an atmosphere in which employees desire to give

good service and sell the business/community to visitors.

To create such an atmosphere requires the following four

important elements:

(1) Hospitality and Guest Relations---An organization

wide emphasis on hospitality and guest relations,

including a customer oriented attitude on the part of the

owners and managers as well as the employees. If the

owner/manager is not customer sensitive, it is unlikely

the lower paid employees will be.

(2) Quality Control---A program which focuses on

improving both the technical quality (the standards

associated with what the customer receives) and the

functional quality (the standards associated with how the

customer receives the service). All employees who come

into contact with customers should receive hospitality

training.

(3) Personal Selling---Training the staff in the selling

aspects of the property (business) or community. This

also includes rewarding them for their efforts. By being

informed about the marketing objectives, and their role

in accomplishing those objectives, they can help increase

sales.

(4) Employee Morale---Programs and incentives aimed at

maintaining employee morale. The incentives can be both

monetary and non-monetary.

A customer oriented atmosphere usually results in

customers that are more satisfied, do less complaining

and are more pleasant to serve. This helps build employee

morale, their desire to provide good service and...