Introduction
Nowadays, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) remains a primary strategy that is used by various companies around the world in order to provide a high-quality service to clients. One of the most famous hotel chains of the Middle East, Jumeirah, can serve as an excellent example of a company that provides guest relations services to people. The company is based in the United Arab Emirates and has numerous luxury hotels in other parts of the world.
In this essay, the advantages of the CRM strategy for the Jumeirah hotel chain will be discussed. In addition, the right customer service profile for the company will be created. Also, a CRM strategy, based on the company’s mission and vision, will be designed. At the end of the essay, a CRM software package that is suitable for the organization will be described.
The Meaning of the CRM Strategy for the Jumeirah Hotel Chain
It is difficult to overestimate the meaning of the CRM strategy for customer-centric companies. The CRM strategy implies a strong focus on key customers and maintaining valuable relationships with them. In order to achieve that, the top managers of the companies have to improve the coordination of customer-focused teams. They should provide a “continuous stream of value-rich actions and customer outcomes,” and commit resources necessary for satisfying the important needs of customers (Alshourah et al. 234). Since the Jumeirah Hotel chain is a customer-centric company, its profit depends on the number of the company’s customers. The larger the number of those who use the services provided by the Jumeirah hotel chain, the more profit the company gets.
Therefore, it is extremely important for the top managers of the Jumeirah hotel chain to stick to the main aspects of the CRM strategy mentioned above to achieve customer satisfaction. It will bring certain advantages to the hotel chain, such as the prevention of loss of customers, the attraction of new clients, and the improvement of the company’s services in accordance with the customers’ needs. All these advantages result in an increase in sales and profit of the hotel. It is also significant to add that in case if all the described measures are taken, the company has a chance to strengthen its reputation. Reputation is the most significant factor that is taken into account when customers decide on the services they use.
Customer Service Profile for the Company
To further enhance the CRM strategy of the company, it is necessary to draw the right customer service profile for the company. The customer service profile is a special tool that shows how an employee of the company fits the job that implies working with customers. For Jumeirah hotel, an excellent profile may look like this: “Bilingual customer service specialist with excellent communication skills. Patient, trained in dealing with customers’ complaints providing appropriate resolutions to problems.”
First of all, this profile shows that the individual speaks two languages. It is crucial for the employees of the Jumeirah hotel chain to speak both Arabic and English. In Arabic, they can serve customers from the Middle East. All customers from other countries can be served in the English language. Second, this profile mentions one of the most important skills that a customer service employee should possess, namely, communication. Communication skills facilitate the construction of the right interaction between the customers and the organization, which “creates interdependence and results in stronger relationships between them” (Makkar and Makkar 62).
Third, the profile conveys the idea that the specialist knows how to deal with problems and complaints that may occur during the working process. This is the most significant trait of the employee as it “generates customer satisfaction, which is the ultimate purpose of any customer care system” (Makkar and Makkar 11). Therefore, the represented profile is the best match for the Jumeirah hotel chain.
CRM Strategy for the Jumeirah Hotel Chain
The best CRM strategy for the Jumeirah hotel chain is the loyalty program and advanced relationship management. The loyalty program implies the creation of a satisfying experience for the customers, so they become loyal to the brand and the services provided by the organization. It is a crucial aspect because “a satisfied customer spreads the positive word and gets emotionally attached to the services” (Makkar and Makkar 11).
It results in the emergence of new customers and an increase in the profit of the organization. In addition, there are some loyalty programs that should be implemented by the Jumeirah hotel chain. Loyalty programs “encourage frequent buying and enhance the life of the customers with the organization” (Makkar and Makkar 35). It is achieved through the reward programs created for retaining existing customers, such as membership projects, that allow customers to use the company’s services with discounts. It can also be achieved “by offering a quality product with a guarantee/warranty” (Makkar and Makkar 73). All these efforts serve as the best tools for maintaining the position of the company in the market.
As for advanced relationship management, it is strategic relationship marketing, which implies retaining the customers through effective communication and different interactions. The system “involves the customers in repetitive contacts resulting in stronger bonding” (Makkar and Makkar 12).
It is also significant to compete with other companies in order to survive in the market. Therefore, the company should be able to keep up with the changing demands and needs of the customers. The employees of the company should collect information about customers’ needs, desires, requirements, and expectations, and correlate it to the company’s abilities and value system. It allows the company to establish a strong relationship base between the organization and customers (Makkar and Makkar 18). Therefore, the loyalty program and advanced relationship management strategy is the best decision that fits the vision and mission of the Jumeirah hotel chain.
CRM Software
There are many CRM software that covers some applications to help managers in their work with various business processes, such as managing customer data, maintaining partner relationships, or training employees. From CRM software listed in the e-book, the most suitable for the Jumeirah hotel chain is Web-Interface. Web-Interface is “the most economical, convenient, and accessible interface between an organization and its customers, employees, suppliers, and partners” (Makkar and Makkar 65).
First of all, it will allow the company to consult customers about the company’s services, amenities, and entertainment on the territory of the hotel online, without any efforts of employees. Second, it helps the customers to book the rooms, pay for services, and leave feedback and complaints online whenever it is convenient for them. They will also be able to read feedback from other clients and compare the services of Jumeirah hotel with the services provided by other hotels. It is also beneficial for the company as it saves money and time for employees as they do not work with room reservations, payments, or receiving complaints and feedback.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the CRM strategy is one of the most effective tools that is used in many areas of expertise. It is especially important for customer-centric companies, such as the Jumeirah hotel chain, as it implies a strong focus on customers and maintaining valuable relationships with them. Therefore, for the Jumeirah hotel chain, it is necessary to stick to the CRM strategy.
Top managers should control all the departments and employees of the company so they could be sure that employees work in accordance with the main values of the company. Moreover, while hiring new people, managers have to pay keen attention to the customer service profile as it shows a summary of the main skills and abilities of professionals.
For the Jumeirah hotel chain, it is highly recommended to hire those who are bilingual and have excellent communication and problem-solving skills. The best CRM strategy for Jumeirah hotel is the loyalty program and advanced relationship management as this strategy promotes the satisfaction of customers, so they become loyal to the brand. For Jumeirah hotel, it is a crucial factor as it helps get positive feedback from loyal customers, which attracts new customers and, as a result, increases profits of the company. It is also necessary to use modern technologies that would help the company gain immensely.
There is various software that could be useful for the hotel. However, Web-Interface is the most significant one as it is an excellent assistance tool for customers. It also helps the company to save money and time for employees. Therefore, the company should stick to the strategies described in the paper.
Works Cited
Although, Sultan, et al. “Roles of Top Management and Customer Orientation in Enhancing the Performance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in Hotel Industry.” International Journal of Advance Research and Innovation, vol. 6, no. 3, 2018, pp. 233-239.
Makkar, Urvashi, and Harinder Makkar. Customer Relationship Management (for Instructors). McGraw-Hill Education, 2019.