The strengths, weaknesses and development needs of the Ilona store and the Pyhätuntura ski resort were discovered through a survey. The general atmosphere and service in the shop and on the ski slope received good reviews from the customers who responded. We forwarded customer development suggestions to the Ilona store in order to receive higher customer ratings in the future.
Objectives, research question and parameters of work
Case company
Structure of the thesis
Quantitative Research Method
The minimum number of quantitative survey respondents usually recommended should be around 100 if the research is based on statistical methods. The quantitative study includes separate steps, such as data collection, data processing and analysis, and interpretation. Data processing can be started when the information has been compiled using the quantitative method.
Qualitative Research Method
The theoretical framework is the common thread that helps researchers collect the right kind of data and choose the right method of analysis. In other words, the data may determine the limitation of the study to a certain type of theoretical frame of reference. It is important to choose a theoretical framework and an appropriate method to ensure the consistency of the research.
The concept of customer service
Service culture is what the customer himself experiences, sees and feels the service as a whole. Service culture is a service to the community, an atmosphere that reflects the values of the community and influences the operation of other parts of the service. Service culture is an implicit agreement about what is allowed, forbidden and undesirable in the community.
Service quality
Good service consists of the following four components: a service culture, service package, service delivery and service quality. In other words, the customer experience of service quality has two dimensions, namely technical and operational quality. In addition, the overall quality is influenced by a customer's image of the company, personal needs and expectations.
Customer service process steps
There are several closing steps when direct calls to buy can be presented to the customer. Based on this information, the company's sailing staff will also be able to make effective sales transactions. These include the aim and purpose of the visit as well as the results of the agreed follow-up action.
Customer service process in Ilona shop
The product line of the Ilona store mainly includes clothes, shoes, souvenirs and some other products. We distributed forms to the customers of the store for the period from December 6, 2014, to April 25, 2015, in Ilona hall. Most of the customers are Finns, half of them live in Pyhätunturi or have their own cabins there, and they visit this place regularly.
Finnish customers’ opinions on services in Pyhätunturi
- Age and gender
- Accommodation in Pyhätunturi
- Purpose of visiting Pyhätunturi
- Frequency of visits at Pyhätunturi
- Source of information concerning Pyhätunturi
- Time activities
- Spending money during a trip
- Reasons for destination choice
- Services in Pyhätunturi
- Products to be available
- Money spent
- Visit to Ilona shop
- Product range in Ilona shop
- Customer service in Ilona shop
- Proposals for products and services
We can draw a conclusion that 80% of Ilona store customers spend their holidays at the destination. The response options were already given and the customers could choose more than one point (Figure 6). The customers can choose three important options for them from the list and they can also add more services that they need.
Among the items were activities for children, activities for young people and activities for adults, as well as a field where customers could write down which activities they personally wanted. In the open field of activities, the subscribers wrote that they wanted more events, playgrounds, competitions, performances for children. There were some answers that customers have everything they need at the destination and that nothing can be changed here.
The next question for customers asked about the products they wanted to buy in Pyhätunturi during their stay there. We can see in figure 11 that customers want to buy local food products above all, 47% chose this point. At the open point, customers wrote that they want to buy alcoholic products and wood products.
This question was asked to find out the opinion of customers about Ilona Shop's assortment in the total score. As a whole, we can conclude that the assortment in the Ilona shop is good and suitable for the customers. Perhaps shop owner Ilona can take into account some suggestions from the customers.
Foreign customers’ questionnaire report
Russian customers
In total, 70% of the Russians who answered our questionnaire were in Pyhätunturi for the first time. The above responses from the respondents have been translated into English by the researchers from the Russian questionnaire. Russian tourists found information about the ski resort from the Internet pages of local travel agencies, and also from friends who visited the destination before.
In total, 90% of Russian tourists spend their time shopping, sports and the rest with family. Three most popular answers to the question, “What is important when choosing a destination?” were: activities for adults, the slopes and ski slopes, and the price level. When asked about other services, Russian tourists must be answered that they want more options for shopping, sports shops, they want to find Aqua Park at the destination, various events and they also need an ATM.
About 90% of Russian tourists want to find sportswear, sports equipment, local groceries and alcohol in the assortment in Pyhätunturi. Russian respondents answered the following about Ilona Shop's range: 9% thought it was excellent, 64% thought it was good and 27% gave it a pass. Overall, 27% of tourists gave excellent feedback and 73% gave a good rating for customer service.
The respondents' responses above were translated from the Russian questionnaire into English by the researchers.
Other foreign customers
Foreign tourists in contrast to Finnish tourists spent more money during theme holidays. In any case, the biggest holiday costs for foreign tourists consist of accommodation costs, equipment hire and restaurants and bars. Activities for adults, the reputation of the resort and the quality of the slopes and ski slopes are the three main factors that influence the choice of a destination according to foreign customers.
Even though the activities for adults are the main factor for visits to Pyhätunturi, foreign tourists indicated preferences to improve variety of activities for adults and variety of slopes and ski runs. In addition to service improvement in the questionnaire, foreign tourists mentioned some products they want in Pyhätunturi. It is very important for foreign tourists to have a possibility to taste local producers' food besides the winter activities, to taste Lapland's cuisine.
A total of 40% of respondents indicated that they would like to have more souvenirs and local handmade products, while 10% of foreign respondents wanted to have a shop with hobby equipment and a larger selection of food products. After visiting the store of our client R.Pesonen, foreign tourists rated the service and selection in the Ilona store as good. They could not say what they would like to have a larger offer in the Ilona store, although it was possible with an open answer in our questionnaire.
After an interview with the client Riitta Pesonen, we came out with some new ideas to improve the case company's operations using Porter's value chain pattern (Figure 17).
Primary Activities
- Inbound logistics
- Operations
- Outbound logistic
- Marketing and sales
- Service
To make web page workable and full of information, it is possible to use the help of IT students and other students. A few times a year, the client opens a Pop-Up shop in other municipalities, usually after the winter season. A problem found out was that those tourists who stay in a campsite on the other site of Pyhätunturi have no possibilities to visit Ilona after enjoying the meal in the local restaurants, because taxi service is lacking, and buses drive once in the morning and once in the evening.
The best way for optimizing outbound logistics and reaching tourists in places where they stay is to invest in a delivery van. With a delivery van, the customer could drive around tourist spots and participate in different events as a sales person with their own products. It can be recommended that advertising be improved by using it better for products in Ilona store.
With better contact information or chat service, customers can inquire about the availability of the sizes and colors of the products they need. Based on the answers to our questionnaire, it was found that many customers are satisfied with the customer service at Ilona. As a small tip to keep the customers satisfied and increase the profit of the occasional company, the customer can give the customers small gifts along with the product they buy at Ilona.
For example, a little candy with the flavor of Lapland's berries or a key holder with the store's logo can be used as advertising in the future, wherever the tourists return and show to their friends and relatives.
Support Activities
- Procurement
- Human resource management
- Technology development
- Case company infrastructure
The help of the students from the Lapland University of Applied Sciences could save human resource costs and could probably provide new perspectives for the customer's business. Technology can be used across the board in the development of a customer service and product introduction, including in the research and development phase, in how customer service is developed and product ensembles are designed” (Arline 2015). The results of the survey showed the customers' opinion about products and services in Pyhätunturi.
Local entrepreneurs should consider investing in business improvements and possibly better transport links. Half of the customers are loyal customers who have their own cottages in Pyhätunturi or are local residents. Based on the responses received, the overall customer service rating of the Ilona store was very high, i.e.
As many as 81% of the respondents mentioned that good quality of slopes and ski slopes were the main factors for their choice. According to the results of this thesis study, tourism services and activities in Pyhätunturi can be developed towards the needs and wishes of tourists. The client would have liked more Russian respondents to participate in the questionnaire survey.
However, due to the economic crisis in Russia during this season, there were not as many Russian visitors as before the crisis.
