Smith Family Vacation Case Study

Smith Family Vacation Case Study

Sheri Coleman

HTT/201

May 14, 2018

Sheri Lang

Smith Family Vacation Case Study

In the Smith Family Vacation Case Study, there are many moments of truth, some positive others negative. The Smith family’s dream had finally come true, and they expected great experiences. On the instances where the Family Fun World (FFW) employees passed the moment of truth, such as Suzy’s snow globe experience, the family had great experiences, unlike when the employees failed the moments of truth.

The first instance where FFW employee passed the moment of truth was when the family arrived in their assigned room, and upon realizing that it was not thoroughly cleaned, they notified the front desk agent. The agent apologized and offered them a new room. The act of apologizing for shows that the employee understood that it was their mistake and he provided a solution fast, in addition to the apology. The second instance was on the fourth day when the family got a chance to do some shopping, but Suzy’s new snow globe broke, making her cry. The merchandise attendant who saw what had happened wrapped another snow globe and gave it to Suzy. The merchandise attendant showed great sympathy and empathy to Suzy and her family. He was polite and assured Suzy that no one had to cry at the FFW and wished them an enjoyable stay. This act of kindness changed the negative experience to a positive one.

The first and simplest way that I would recognize the employees who passed the moment of truth would be through praise. While most companies cannot afford to give the best employees large pay rises or lavish dinners, meaningful honest praise does not cost a thing, yet it goes a long way to make one feel appreciated. I would praise the employee through a private conversation where I would detail how much I appreciate their efforts to create a long-lasting impression on a customer, through a thank you note or during a staff meeting. I would also recognize the employee through showcasing them as leaders in their respective departments and providing them with an opportunity to lead by example. The last way I would recognize the employees would be through giving them gift cards.

An employee failed the moment of truth when the Smith’s missed the fireworks because the table they had reserved was not available immediately. The Smiths were disappointed that they missed the fireworks. The hostess should have made prior arrangements to have the Smith’s seated at a table that offer them a spectacular view of the nighttime fireworks, after realizing that the table they had reserved was not immediately available. The second instance was when after the Smith’s flight was delayed, the front desk advisor refused to allow them back in their room. The employee did offer an alternative to where they could wait for the 5 to 6 hours for their flight, despite the fact that they were not responsible for the delay.

To the employees who failed the moment of truth, I would call them for a meeting and speak clearly and explicitly about what they did as compared to what they were supposed to do. I would give them constructive feedback that is honest, timely and the specific. I would say, “I acknowledge that the situation was challenging for both you and the guests. I believe that you handled the situation the best way you thought possible at the time, but you could have done better. When faced with such a situation in future, show empathy, be sensitive to the customers’ situation, and consider the other available solutions according to customer expectations. Our overall goal is to make our customers’ experiences memorable and enjoyable so that we can retain them.”

To minimize the chances of negative experiences happening, the corrective measures that can be applied include, holding regular staff meetings to solve any upcoming problems as they arise, share reports on progress and share new information. I would review employee performance regularly and offer professional development and training.