BENEFIT MEANING WITH RESPECT TO THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY 1. CORE
BENEFIT
The fundamental benefit or service that the customer is buying
Traveling 2 BASIC
PRODUCT Basic, functional attributes
Ticketing, hotel reservation 3 EXPECTED
PRODUCT
Set of attributes/conditions the buyer normally expects
Customer friendliness, good food
4 AUGMENTED
PRODUCT That meets the customers desires beyond expectations
Prompt services, comfortable and convenient trip, spectacular sights,
music 5 POTENTIAL
PRODUCT
The possible evolution to distinguish the offer
Totally customized tour packages, A grade service at every stage
The services a product offers consist of three levels.
The first level is that of the basic service package which includes core service, facilitating services and supporting services. In the case of the travel and tourism industry, the core services would include traveling, ticketing, hotel reservations, food services etc.
The second level is that of an augmented service offering where accessibility, interaction and customer participation is given equal importance in delivering the service product.
Accessibility of Service
-N umber and skills of personnel
-Working hours and time used in performing various tasks -Location of service outlet
-Exterior and interior of service outlet -Infrastructure, hardware, documentation
-The number and knowledge of consumers simultaneously involved in the process Interaction with service organization
-Interactive communication between employees and customers
-Interactions with the physical and technical resources of the organization needed in the service production process -Interaction with other customers involved in the process.
Customer Participation
-How well is the customer aware about the process of service delivery and his or her role -How well is the customer prepared to share information
-How well is the customer willing to share information or use the service equipment The third level is that of the market communication of the service offering as in its absence the augmentation service package does not have any relevance to the customer. THERE ARE VARIOUS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED BY RAJ TRAVELS . THEIR CORE PRODUCT, ARE TOURS WHICH ARE MADE AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH AND TESTING.THEY HAVE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC TOURS . SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR ARE EUROPE, FAR EAST, USA, SOUTH AFRICA , MAURITIUS ,AUSTRALIA AND NEWZEALAND. THESE PRODUCTS ARE WELL DESIGNED AS THESE ARE ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGES AND THERE ARE NO OPTIONALS . SINCE THE BEGINNING RAJ TRAVELS BELIEVED IN SELLING THE RIGHT PRODUCT AND NEVER BELIEVED IN SELLING PRICE .
THE DESTINATIONS ARE WELL CHOSEN KEEPING IN MIND THE GENERAL TASTES OF INDIAN FAMILIES AND THEY OFFER THE BEST OF SIGHTSEEINGS AT AN ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE .TICKETING ,PASSPORTS ,VISAS , FOREIGN EXCHANGE , INSURANCE ARE A BUNDLE OF OTHER SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICE ELEMENTS SURRUNDING IT . CUSTOMERS ARE BENEFITED BY THIS AS THEY GET AN ALL INCLUSIVE PRODUCT FOR WHICH THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR ONLY ONCE AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY WHEN TRAVELLING .
PLACE
Because of intangibility (from production to sales) of services, they cannot be stored, transported and inventoried. Hence traditional distribution channels available for product marketing like wholesalers and other intermediaries cannot be used. Even the retailing cannot be an independent activity. Similarly, because of the inseparability, i.e., in case of services production cannot be separated from selling, services must be created and sold at the same time.
These two characteristics make the channel very short and direct. Most services are distributed through direct sales. At best one agent or middleman can be added to it, like in the case of insurance, travel agency, courier service, etc.
So we see that there is a little controversy regarding the distribution of services. There is one school, which says that since the service cannot be separated from the producer of the service, direct selling sales channel are the only method of distribution available for services. The advantage of direct selling is that the service can be offered to the customer at a lower cost. The other school partially disagrees with this theory and suggests that it is possible to have intermediaries but the channel of distribution would be rather short and simple as compared to tangible goods.
THERE ARE VARIOUS DISTRIBUTION BRANCHES THROUGH WHICH RAJ TRAVELS DISTRIBUTES ITS PRODUCTS .RAJ TRAVELS HAS VARIOUS BRANCHES ALL OVER INDIA AS WELL AS ONE IN LONDON IN WHICH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED SERVICES ARE PROVIDED UNDER ONE ROOF .
THERE ARE ALSO SALES REPRESENTATIVES THAT ATTEND SALES CALLS AND HENCE PROVIDE SERVICES AT THEIR DOOR STEPS .
RAJTRAVELS ALSO HAS AN EXHAUSTIVE WEB SITE www.rajtravels.com WHICH HELPS IN ONLINE BOOKING AND ALSO PROVIDING THE NECESSARY INFORMATION . THERE ARE VARIOUS OTHER WEBSITES LINKED TO THIS ONE AND ALSO GIVES INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEATHER IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TIME DIFFERENCES, CURRENCY CHANGE ETC
PROCESS
The importance of process management is that it assures service availability and consistent quality. Without sound process management, balancing service demand with service supply is extremely difficult. Service cannot be inventoried; therefore, it becomes essential to find out ways and means to handle peak load to optimize different customer needs with varied expertise levels within the service organization.
In marketing management, operations management has been recognized as an integral function. In manufacturing sector, for example, logistics in distribution are vital to satisfy customer needs. Similarly, in services sector, where there is no tangible product,
the operations management is vital to deliver satisfaction because here the operations management would decide how the process of service delivery would function, or in other words, the interactive experience that would deliver the service benefits to the consumers.
Shostack gave a much-simplified version and described the 'process' in three stages. First, a process can be broken down in logical steps to facilitate analysis and control. Second, there are more than one available options of processes in which output may differ. Finally, each system includes the concept of deviation or tolerance standards in recognition that the processes are 'real time' phenomena that do not conform perfectly to any model or description, but function within a norm.
One can observe how changes in complexity and divergence influence their market position. For managers in service industries, taking a structural approach can help increase their control over some of the critical elements of the service system management. Therefore, for marketers in service industries, process design may be a tool that can substantially increase their impact and role in marketing their services.
ALL THESE SERVICES ARE INTER LINKED AND HENCE FOLLOW A PROCESS . FIRSTLY AS AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION IS CHOSEN THE BOOKING IS DONE WITH COMPLETE DETAILS ON THE BOOKING FORM REGARDING MEALS , ROOMS ETC AND THEN THE SAME IS PASSED TO THE TICKETING COUNTER TO BLOCK THE SEATS AFTERWHICH THIS THE PASSPORT AND VISAS ARE CHECKED OR PROCESSED AND THEN GIVEN TO THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT TO SEND THE DETAILS TO THE FOREIGN AGENTS TO PROCESS FURTHER BOOKINGS REGARDING BOOKING OF ROOMS AND SIGHTSEEINGS.