1.      Introduction

The objective if this assignment is to discuss my experience when I visited Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa Salcombe, Devon, England. Surrounded by sparkling seas and sun-soaked beaches, this modish beachfront hotel situated in Yaachtie Salcombe, United Kingdom is the place to come especially if one wishes to experience the sand between his or her toes.  Set back from the water, the hotel sits directly on the South West Coastal Path as well as is a short sail, boat ride, or walk to some Devon’s prettiest and safest swimming beaches (Spa, 2019; Spa, 2018).

Customer experience if great importance for the sustained growth of a given business.  It is significant to guaranteeing a positive customer experience thus customers can build brand affinity and loyalty, evangelize a service or product as well as refer friends, colleagues and family members, and leave positive customer reviews that will help a given business increase revenues and expand its customer base (Pennington, 2016; Dew & Allen, 2018). According to Schmitt (2013) customer experience  as the perceptions of the customer and related feelings due to one-off as well as cumulative interaction effects with supplier systems, employees, products, or channels (Watkinson, 2013). Therefore, the two fundamental elements of customer experience from the definition are interaction and perception (Dew & Allen, 2018).  The overall perception of customers about a given brand can be due to multiple or single interactions with a brand while seeking any support or information and various stages of the customer life cycle (Nargundkar, 2010). Bad customer experience can cause a service industry loses customers thus resulting in a reduction in revenue while positive customer experience can increases sales (Shaw et al., 2010).

A servuction model is a type of model that explain factors influencing service experience both that are visible as well as invisible to the consumer (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008). Invisible part comprises of invisible systems and organizations.  It refers to regulation, rules, and processes that an organization is anchored (Dissart, 2015; Nargundkar, 2010).  Even though they are invisible to the consumers, they have an extreme effect on the customer service experience. Visible part comprises three significant parts: serviscape, service/personnel providers, as well as other consumers.  In other words, the model is used in service marketing to explain the close involvement of consumers in service production as well as experience (Dissart, 2015). Servuction is a merger of two words that is service and production, which can also be termed as co-creation, co-production, and pro –sumption. It is critical since the inseparability aspects of a service that is the production and consumption of a given service cannot be detached from each other (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008).  Servuction model shows consumers as an integral part of a service process. The Slevel of participation may be passive or active, but constantly there (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008). Managers must fully understand the interactive nature of services as well as consumer involvement in the process of production.  The model concentrates on four aspects when evaluating a service (Dissart, 2015).  This paper will focus on the Physical evidence, processes, people and other customers, and how the author encounters these aspects at Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa Salcombe, Devon, England.

2.      Analysis of the Service Experience

Servuction model explains all the factors that affect the experience of consumers to service both invisible and visible. The invisible factors that the model look at including things taking part in the company without consumers necessarily having to see, but affects their experience. This might include the rules, guidelines, policies and core values of a company. The visible factors include the service providers, environment, and other customers (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008; Dissart, 2015).  ).

2.1 Servicescape

These are a visible and tangible depiction of an intangible service. Like in the case of the restaurant, it would be external signage to interior design to cutlery provide, to table décor to the uniforms of the employees (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008). Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa Salcombe is a lovely place to be. With a soundtrack of swishing waves, seagulls’ calls, and bells of bobbling fishing boats, this restaurant ooze coastal calm. I visited the hotel in summer and the breezy waterside bar, as well as decked terrace, just invites mojito-drinking, and oyster shucking, especially DJ sets as well as gable yoga session lend it a Balearic vibe.

The sophisticated sanatorium has a lap pool with private Breton-stripe lounger and poolside cabanas, sauna, hot tub, gym, and Eucalyptus-scented steam room, chill out room and treatment rooms providing hot stone as well as bamboo massages, facial as well as men’s treatments. I manage to attend Zumba classes which are held on a regular basis. The hotel also has a private cinema, complete with popcorn.  The quayside restaurant forms the hotel core. It has an affluent space and a buzzy, lively ambiance. Along attractive marble divides the room in two: one part for lazing by fireplaces with drinks, the other part with a cosmic banquette, lavish chairs, and large windows overlooking the estuary.  Terraces with snapping fire pits as well as additional seating, alongside stunning “Crustacean Bar” for fresh, delicious seafood.

The bedrooms of this hotel, I may describe as tranquil, relaxing spaces, with crisp whites interior decoration, mood lighting, soft greys and oatmeal, wicker chairs, marine-stripped wool blankets, wooden writing desks, and sea life-themed oeuvre. Rooms have balconies as well as private terraces looking into the sea, and all with decanters of sherry and gin, tea and coffee, collections or hardback books, binoculars, rugs, benign and balcony box of slippers, minibar, television, and free, high-speed Wi-Fi.  The bathrooms have a powerful shower with a control system on the wall to help control the temperature of the water, grubby soft furnishings, niggly faults, and white company toiletries.  The staffs are neatly addressed, gorgeous and extremely clean. The hotel offers a deluxe Spa with five treatment rooms, hot tub, indoor pool, sauna, gym, free parking at a safe off-site location. The hotel’s lounge has a spectacular view from every window. All the rooms and restaurants have big flat screens to keep customers entertained. The popular market place is just 15 minutes’ drive from the hotel, Plymouth city center is just a 50-minute drive, and Dartmoor National Park is about 30-minute drive.

2.2  Service Employees

This includes the employees of the hotel. Their courtesy, politeness, and mannerism during the service interaction have a huge effect on the service experience by the customer. Therefore, it is crucial for service managers to select, motivates, as well as train suitable staffs to offer service experience, which is customer-centered. In addition, employers should ensure that their customers are treated with dignity (Hoffman & Bateson, 2008).

When I arrived at the hotel, the front desk staff warmly welcomed me. She was excellently dressed, gorgeous, and well mannered. She professionally did her work and made me feel I was home away from home. She was incredibly nice and provided me with detailed information as well as advice on what to do. The staffs in this hotel are very nice, friendly, and respond to your request on time. The service is prompt with no delay. Besides, the majority of these staffs are young girls and men who seem to be fluent in several foreign languages. This I think is important as it makes communication easier.

The hotel menu is strong on fish, with Poole By shrimps, Salcombe lobster, Yealm Oysters. The food at the hotel is deliciously prepared with all kinds of variety based on one’s cultural background. This implies that the cooks are very skilled and talented in their work.

2.3  Other Customers

Since there will be customers in the hotel, the level of a person’s experience will be influenced by these customers  (Yi, 2014).  For example, even if the hotel has succeeded in making the place comfortable and lovely, processes and staff perfect, other customers who are indiscipline, noisy, smoking, or has a restless, boring child can spoil customer experience.  Service managers can consider such cases by providing sufficient spaces between the tables, setting up a smoking zone, or creating non-smoking zones (Hoffman & Bateson, 2012). They can also offer a playing area for children to allow the parents to have a nice time together while enjoying their child play. This can create a wonderful experience.

The customers at this hotel are of high profile and well mannered, friendly, and social. I did not experience any misbehavior from my fellow customers within the hotel. My neighbor at the hotel was such a wonderful person with a huge sense of humor, social, and inspiring. The room also had spacious playing ground for kids.

2.4 Invisible Organization and Systems

These are steps often involved in the production as well as delivery of services and can include both invisible and visible processes. It also contains rules and regulations, policies, and other factors that affect the operation of the hotel.    For the restaurant, the visible processes are displayed on the table order being taken by hostess/host. The invisible process includes the support staff as well as the logistics who support the food preparation and delivery.

The hotel has policies and rules in places that ensure that their employees are dedicated, of high integrity and healthy. The employees at these hotels are well-trained individuals in hotel and hospitality management, and the cooks are also connoisseurs with advanced training in various food preparing. The hotel normally conducting continuous training to its staffs to ensure they are the top in relation to offering quality services to customers.

The CEO of this hotel restaurant is  Mr. Aitken, former chef-Patron at Le Poussin and a founder of Limewood. The management refurbished the hotel recently include other important services as well as make the hotel environment conform to the world-class standards.  The Chief Executive officer is famous in relation to hotel management and has been among the top leaders globally in the industry Hotel, hospitality, and management (Evarsham, 2013).

Through his sound management, the processes at this hotel are excellent. Customers are served without much delay even when there are many customers. There are enough staffs in the hotel just to meet consumers’ needs and satisfaction (Ashton, 2018; Yi, 2014).  The hotel management also installed a sound system in which the main objective was to deliver a full range sound through the hotel areas, where the customer could hear music clearly but at low level  and as well as can deliver a high volume levels for DJ mixes when needed for functions as well as events later in the evening. For such a requirement, Kazbar selected for a mix of seven a six AQ8’s for the bar and mix of seven Martin Audio AQ6 for the lounges together with six AQ112 subwoofers.  The AQ Series is basically an integrated full-range package, ultra-compact,  designed to be unobtrusive architecturally, and thus impeccable for such application (Audio, 2013).

The hotel focus on providing high-quality food with unique tastes that would leave the client yarning for more. While offering such exemplary services, the cost of food and accommodation is quite affordable (Caterer.com, 2016). An employee at the hotel usually receive incentives and rewards, and this has motivated to perform to their level bests.

3.     Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, my stay at Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa Salcombe was lovely, and I enjoyed all the services offered here.  The services are excellent, the atmosphere ambient, soothing and comforting. The hotel is located at a prime location that allows one to enjoy the cool breeze from the sea. The employees at the hotel are professionals with high integrity value. The only recommendation I can propose is that management increases the type of food they offer. The hotel should include Asian food into their menu to cater to that group of customers.

Reference List

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