Reservation Nightmare Case

Minelli Ymeiren Kayes M. Indo Total Quality Management

FMGT3A Doc G.

Case 0.1a: The Reservation Nightmare

Case Background

The disappointing service quality of a travel agency on their tele-reservation due to lack of operator agents that is time consuming and caused incorrect transfer.

Time Context

Present

Central

* Limited number of operator agents.

Secondary

* Incorrect call transfer

Objectives

* Assign the operators fixed time to take a reservation for each customer.

Areas of Consideration

Strength

* The sweet automated operating voice that also tells the customer to hold on the line telling the customer that they were important for them.

Weakness

* The time consuming reservation.

Opportunities

* None

Threat

* Customers may hang up and find another travel agency.

Alternative Course of Action

ACA 1 - Hire enough operator agents.

ACA 2 - Give an average transaction time to the operators for each customer reservation.

ACA 3 - Hire enough operator agents and give an average transaction time to the operators for each customer reservation.

| Pros | Cons |

ACA 1 | Service will be more faster | Faster transactions = more reservation = More income | Salary expense will increase |

ACA 2 | Service will be faster | Faster transactions = more reservation = More income | None |

ACA 3 | Service will be faster | Faster transactions = more reservation = More income | Salary expense will increase |

Recommendation

ACA 2 - Give an average transaction time to the operators for each customer reservation.

Discussion Questions

1. Mr. James Harrington experienced time consuming reservation and incorrect call transfer.

2. (a) The travel agency must also fix their call transfer system to prevent incorrect transfer to provide high level service and for faster transactions.

(b) The main objective of Total Quality principles is to satisfy its customer. Every customer would want to have faster...