Service quality and effective quality management are both concepts that can and improve company’s overall performance not only in the market, but also in front of the company’s competitors via the creation of competitive advantage. Understanding that and applying it at the real business sector is a prerequisite for any contemporary company. Within this framework, the present report outlines several problems being faced by Expedia Inc. It also examines whether Expedia has the right capabilities and competencies to improve the quality it offers to its consumers. One of the ways of coping with the issues in question is the implementation of techniques such as Kaizen and ISO that in turn enable the company to perform service recovery via small steps, performed every day.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Problems, being faced by Expedia Inc
2.1 How can Expedia deal with the situation? Assessment of whether Expedia has the right capabilities and competences to improve the quality.
2.2 Impact of Kaizen and ISO on Expedia
3.0 Conclusions
Objectives & Core Themes
This report aims to analyze the current service quality challenges faced by Expedia Inc. and evaluate the company's internal capabilities and core competencies to overcome these issues. It specifically explores how modern management methodologies can be leveraged to enhance performance and customer satisfaction.
- Identification of service quality failures in the online booking sector.
- Evaluation of organizational capabilities and financial resource management.
- Strategic application of Kaizen for continuous process improvement.
- Implementation of ISO 9001 standards to ensure quality consistency.
- Linking operational efficiency with competitive advantage.
Excerpt from the Book
2.0 Problems, being faced by Expedia Inc
In its essence the concept of service from customer perspective is regarded as the customer's experience with the service provided, their collaboration with it, approach to it and reaction to it, which in turn results in outcomes such as "products", gains, judgements and intentions (Johnson et all, 2012). On the other hand, seen from the perspective of quality, the service is regarded as the production of an essentially intangible benefit, either in its own right or as a significant element of a tangible product, which through some form of exchange, satisfies an identified need (Johnson et all, 2012). Following Parasuraman et all (2012) high service quality performance produces measurable benefits in profit, cost-savings and market share. As a result companies have placed service quality at the top of the list of strategic priorities (Parasuraman et all, 2012). Hence, in Expedia's case, the quality being judged by the user not the producer (Johnson et all, 2012) suffers from the following issues:
1. Insufficient quality, provided by the company to the users of the online platform. Talking about quality of the services provided the web site of Tripadvisor shows us one really unpleasant situation; namely, lots of customers are complaining of the reliability of the company and of its inability to supply its users with the services as promised. Unfortunately the examples related to this fact are numerous and they vary from flights being rerouted without further notice to misguiding adverts about transfers and so on (Tripadvisor, 2017). In addition some remarks about the quality of the customer care are also being present. However, it is not only the deficiency of responsiveness on part of Expedia Inc staff, but also its inability to provide the help necessary swiftly. Therefore, staff related problems are also being experienced by the company.
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the importance of service quality in the hospitality sector and outlines the scope of the report regarding Expedia Inc.
2.0 Problems, being faced by Expedia Inc: This section details specific service delivery issues, including reliability, lack of competent staff, and insufficient adoption of innovative practices.
2.1 How can Expedia deal with the situation? Assessment of whether Expedia has the right capabilities and competences to improve the quality.: This chapter evaluates Expedia's financial resources, market performance, and organizational capability to address identified service gaps.
2.2 Impact of Kaizen and ISO on Expedia: This section discusses the potential implementation of Kaizen for cultural transformation and ISO 9001 for standardized quality management.
3.0 Conclusions: The final chapter summarizes the findings and reiterates the necessity for Expedia to address its operational challenges to maintain competitive advantage.
Keywords
Expedia, Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Kaizen, ISO 9001, Operations Management, Hospitality Sector, Quality Management, Customer Care, Business Performance, Strategic Priorities, Continuous Improvement, Service Recovery, Online Booking, Organizational Competence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this report?
The report focuses on analyzing the service quality challenges currently faced by Expedia Inc. and proposes strategies to improve its operational effectiveness.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The core themes include service quality dimensions, employee competence, operational innovation, and the application of management standards like Kaizen and ISO.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to determine whether Expedia possesses the necessary capabilities to overcome its service quality deficiencies and enhance overall business performance.
Which scientific methods or frameworks are discussed?
The report utilizes the service quality framework and evaluates the implementation of the Kaizen continuous improvement technique and ISO 9001 quality management standards.
What does the main body address?
The main body identifies specific consumer-reported issues, assesses Expedia's financial and organizational resources, and outlines how standard techniques can mitigate these problems.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Service Quality, Kaizen, ISO 9001, Customer Satisfaction, and Operational Efficiency.
How does the report link Expedia's financial status to service quality?
It argues that Expedia’s strong revenue and cash flow provide the necessary resources to invest in staff training and organizational routine improvements, which are essential for boosting service quality.
Why is the "human factor" highlighted as a problem for Expedia?
The report notes that customer feedback points to a lack of empathy and professional responsiveness among staff, highlighting a need for sensitivity training and better employee selection.
- Quote paper
- Silvia Stamenova (Author), 2017, Managing quality in hospitality, tourism and events at Expedia Inc., Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/426242
