National Rating vs Online Travel Agency Values - Case Study Example

NATIONAL RATING VS ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES Name: Course Instructor’s name Institution Date NATIONAL RATING VS ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY VALUES Executive summary This report covers the criterion used to grade hotels into different categories as a way of easing decision making among customers. The report draws the key values from the government and online travel agencies. These values include size of rooms, customer reviews and quality of service. These values are then compared to bring out any differences or similarities in order to help the target audience make an informed choice (Ye.,et al. 2008). Due to the nature of the task and the aim of the report (to help customers make the right decisions), this report is presented as a compare and contrast essay. The information contained is derived from business websites, travel agency websites, hospitality journals, reviews and dailies as well as scholarly material. Introduction The growing competition in the hospitality industry coupled with the changing dynamics in the overall business environment has placed customers in a dilemma. Amid the emergence of world class hotels and resorts scattered all over the planet, customers often find themselves in a hard place when making their choices (Denizci and Law, 2010). They depend on the array of information presented by online travel agencies and sometimes the government to make informed decisions regarding suitable destinations. What has become growingly confusing is the authenticity of this data, considering that hotels and resorts may falsify information so that they can attract more customers. This report is written with the customer in mind. It seeks to evaluate national rating values and travel agency values and then draw a comparison that would be helpful for customers in making their decisions (Jegorova and Sindonen, 2013). The ultimate goal of this report is to equip customers with vital information that will make their decision making easier and objective. It would help them to make choices based on the actual facts rather than manipulated information. National rating schemes and travel websites rating similarities a) Customer Feedback One of the striking similar values is customer feedback. Both travel agencies and the national raters agree that what customers have to say is key in rating a hotel. Consequently, customer reviews are evident across the divide (Sparks and Browning, 2011). The common determinant of feedback is the availability of vital information which customers can access before, during and after their visit. This bring is the role of concierges. These are people who had an extraordinary touch to the customer’s experience by providing information of importance. According to Sara-Ann Kasner, CEO & Founder, National Concierge Association, the concierge is a vital institution in any hospitality business. In this regard, hotels ought to be rated in relation to customer review based on the satisfaction derived from the information received. b) Accuracy Another key criterion used to rate hotels in relation to concierge services is the accuracy of information presented. Concierges often have to handle customers drawn from diverse geographical and cultural backgrounds. As such, their interaction ought to be objective and accurate to be of help to the customers. Conventionally, concierges played a peripheral role characterized by keeping the keys. However, the modern scope of the profession requires them to go an extra mile, even playing roles outside their specification to please the customer (Klumbis, 2002). Customers will always provide their feedback online based on these amazing experiences that they might not have expected before. Therefore, apart from the obvious, customers are always on the lookout for these side experiences that motivate them to rate a facility highly. National rating schemes and travel websites rating differences a) Authenticity On the contrasting side, one of the values that stand out is authenticity. Authenticity as a value is concerned with how true the information given is and how important this data is in helping both the customer and hotel draw a fair ranking (Whitelaw and Jago, 2009).However, customer’s review cannot be treated as 100% true and reflective of the actual data provided by the concierge. On the other hand, the concierges basically offer the best services based on actual facts. They paint a true picture of the city/location of the hotel and are always at the customer’s disposal. According to Christian Cuii, Communications director, TUI, UK, “customers balance the good comments with the bad, and make a choice. If the bad outweighs the good, look to your product, not the rating” (Núñez-Serrano., et al. 2014). This contrast is problematic for ratting schemes because in most cases it becomes difficult to ignore one party at the expense of the other. b) Safety The penultimate value under consideration in drawing the differences between national rating and online agency is housekeeping safety. There is a question of whether the size of rooms in hotels is an incredible value for rating. Hoteliers are contented with the stars at the expense of the safety of the environment in which they are located. Customer feedback regarding housekeeping services is fundamentally informed by the comfort of the rooms, the shower, the steam bath, breakfast and the hospitality of the concierge (Lee and Blum, 2015). In the same context, national rating goes deeper than that to provide reviews guided by security measures around the premises. With the increasing threat of insecurity posed by terrorism, rating is being taken a notch higher with more attention to security installations and the general awareness and safety measures put in place to safeguard customers. The government as a custodian of the law holds the belief that safety must prevail above other indicators and largely determine the status of hotels. Conclusion Conclusively, the rating of hotels plays an important role in helping customers make appropriate choices of their preferred locations. It is worth noting that rating should be as objective and open as possible. The drive for more customers should not prevail at the expense of authenticity. It is the responsibility of the hotel management to train and equip their concierge department with accurate information which they in turn disseminate to their customers. On the other hand, the government has a huge role to play in regulating hotel ratings. As the overall authority of the land, their involvement is paramount and as such, they need to form a strong rapport with the stakeholders and work towards actualizing these values. Bibliography De Klumbis, D.F., 2002. Seeking the “ultimate hotel experience”. Denizci Guillet, B. and Law, R., 2010. Analyzing hotel star ratings on third-party distribution websites. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(6), pp.797-813. Jegorova, A. and Sindonen, I., 2013. Defining customer experience in four star hotels in Finland and in Russia. Lee, H. and Blum, S.C., 2015. How hotel responses to online reviews differ by hotel rating: an exploratory study. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 7(3), pp.242-250. Núñez-Serrano, J.A., Turrión, J. and Velázquez, F.J., 2014. Are stars a good indicator of hotel quality? Assymetric information and regulatory heterogeneity in Spain. Tourism Management, 42, pp.77-87. Sparks, B.A. and Browning, V., 2011. The impact of online reviews on hotel booking intentions and perception of trust. Tourism Management, 32(6), pp.1310-1323 Whitelaw, P.A. and Jago, L., 2009. Understanding the Key Elements of Star Ratings in Accommodation. Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism. Ye, Q., Gu, B., Chen, W. and Law, R., 2008. Measuring the value of managerial responses to online reviews-A natural experiment of two online travel agencies. ICIS 2008 Proceedings, p.115. Read More