Measuring Customer Satisfaction

Measuring Customer Satisfaction

At Baderman’s Island Resort, the focus is on the guest’s needs and less on reactive problem solving and quickie solutions. It is vital to this organization to view things from the perspective of the guest. By using this insightful approach, the needs of the guest can be better understood. The opportunity to identify areas of improvement, implement a process for change, and then evaluate success or failure is considered core factors of this resort’s operations.

TQM strategy was never developed to work in a high contact service environment like a resort or hotel. Instead managers use the TQM philosophy to develop their own strategy. Baderman’s Resort begins a TQM process before the guest walks into the resort. The company must first determine what outcome(s) is desired. Next market research is conducted to clarify the customer’s focus, wants, and needs. This enables the marketing division and the hotel the knowledge necessary to provide or improve areas of concern. At this point the vision, mission, and values are established with buy-in from leadership.

Management buy-in articulates to its employees at all levels, their intention to support what they help to create. By reinforcing the need for TQM and making it an integral part of the infrastructure and daily management, this resort’s leaders will set the standard for its employees. It is management’s responsibility to ensure the success and the commitment of its employees to the TQM process.

Next, desired goals or measures of success are created to meet the expectations of the guests, shareholders, employees, and the overall community. This is an important step of the process. By developing clarity, purpose, and direction this will help ensure successful execution and allow the resort to build on the results.

Basic business goals that are used to measure success:

• Ensuring and increasing customer satisfaction

• Maintaining a...