The quality of the service design evaluated by the internal customer:

The Case of Gaviota Tours

Authors: Ing. Ivis Taide González CamejoMSc. Ernesto Batista SánchezDrC. Milagros Caridad Pérez PraviaDrC. Jorge Ramón González Ferrer

The Gaviota Tours Travel Agency of Holguın was created on March

10, 1997, as one of the four Base Business Units. Gaviota Tours,

together with the UEB Varadero, Havana and Centro form the four

territorial offices of GAVIOTA TOURS S.A. It is located in the tourist

pole of the province, specifically in areas of the current Esmeralda

Beach.

Characteristics of the company

1. Variations in use indicators of the workday.

2. 13% revenue decrease in the last quarter

3. Worsening of quality indicators, which is translated into:

Increased complaints by 18%.

Decreased customer satisfaction by 4.9%.

4. Decreased profit on sales by 17.5%.

Symptom

Diagnosis of Internal Customer Satisfaction

Characterization of the workforce

73.7 %

15.2 %9.1 %

2 %

9th grade

12th grade

Mid-level technician

Higher Education

Characterization of the workforce

66.7 %

24.2 %

9.1 %

Nothing

35.4 %24.2 %

22.2 %17.2 %

1 %

Until 35

More than 55

Characterization of the workforce

Process map

Clients

Clients

Needs and Expectations

Key processes

Strategic planning

Measurement, Analysis and

Improvement

Continuous improvement of the quality management

system

Marketing of the services

Design and Development Contracting Sales Operations

Management of human resources Computing Insurance

SUPPORT PROCESS

Diagnosis to internal customer satisfaction

Step 1: Compilation of information.Guarantees to customersPrice according to qualityMeeting deadlines with customersPayment agreements with regular customers

Price

Promotional routes Promotion

Quality categories for servicesVariety in offersService that satisfies the customerAttention to the needs and suggestions of the clientAttention and response to complaints and nonconformities.

Adequate personnel and event for the service

Product

Personal

Conditions conducive to good service performanceMeans of work required Infrastructure

Customer Satisfaction Index by variable

Where:

ISCv: Customer satisfaction index by variable

(Índice de satisfacción del cliente por variable)

Vv: (Votes by variable)

Vi: (Ideal value)

Step 2: Information Processing.

Variable ISCvGuarantees to customers 0.8375Price according to quality 0.7875

Respect for deadlines with customers 0.7875Payment agreements with regular customers

0.6125Promotional routes 0.8Quality categories for services 0.7875Variety in offers 0.775Service that satisfies the customer 0.875Attention to the needs and suggestions of the client 0.8375

Attention and response to complaints and nonconformities 0.775Adequate personnel and act for the service 0.925

Conditions conducive to good service performance 0.8625Required means of work 0.8

Customer Satisfaction Index by variable

Customer Satisfaction Index by Dimension

Where:

ISCd: Customer Satisfaction Index by Dimension

(Índice de satisfacción del cliente por dimensión)

ISCv: Customer satisfaction index by variable

(Índice de satisfacción del cliente por variable)

Dimension ISCdPrice 0.3181Promotion 0.8Product 0.3466Personal 0.925Infrastructure 0.69

Customer Satisfaction Index by Dimension

Análisis de los resultados

Customer Satisfaction Index by variable

Customer Satisfaction Index by Dimension

Price Promotion Product

Personal Structure

Guara

ntee

s to

custo

mer

s Price

/Qua

lityTe

rm

Paym

ent

agre

emen

tsPromoti

on

Quality

categ

ories

Varie

ty in

offe

rscu

stom

er

serv

ice

Needs

and s

ugge

stion

s

Compla

ints a

nd

nonc

onfo

rmitie

sAd

equa

te st

aff

Serv

ice p

erfo

rman

ceM

eans

of w

ork

1. No guarantees are given to customers. 2. The service is marketed at a price that does not correspond to the

quality of it.3. Sometimes the deadlines established with the clients are not

complied.4. There are no payment agreements that benefit regular customers.5. The ways of promoting marketed services are not enough.6. There are no quality categories for marketed services.7. Insufficient variety in the offers.8. Customer needs and suggestions are not taken into account during

service.9. Complaints and nonconformities are not discussed or answered in a

timely manner.10. The necessary means of working are not enough.

Analysis of results

Service Design Provision of service

No guarantees are given to customersSometimes the deadlines established with the clients are not respected

The service is marketed at a price that does not correspond to the quality of it. The ways of promoting marketed

services are not enough

There are no payment agreements that benefit regular customers.

Customer's needs and suggestions are not taken into account during service

The ways of promoting marketed services are not enough

Complaints and nonconformities are not discussed or answered in a timely manner

There are no quality categories for marketed services

The necessary means of work are not sufficient

Insufficient variety in offers

54.50% 45.50%

Analysis of deficiencies

No. Characteristic

Experts

ΣAij Δi Δi²1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1No guarantees are given to customers 4 6 6 4 5 6 6 37

12,5

156,25

2

The service is marketed at a price that does not correspond to the quality of it. 3 2 1 2 4 2 3 17 -7.5 56.25

3

There are no payment agreements that benefit regular customers. 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 11 -14

182.25

4

The ways of promoting marketed services are not enough 5 5 4 5 6 4 5 34 9.5 90.25

5There are no quality categories for marketed services 2 3 3 1 2 3 1 15 -9.5 90.25

6 Insufficient variety in offers 6 4 5 6 3 5 4 33 8.5 72.25

ΣΣAij 147 647.5

Analysis of deficiencies

T= 24.5

W= 0.76 (The opinion of the experts is reliable and agreed)

Analysis of deficiencies

Checklist to diagnose the quality of the service design

Design Quality Index

Design Quality Index (ICd): 0.52 Bajo

Where:

ICd: Design Quality Index (Índice de calidad del

diseño)

ICdv: Index of quality of the design by variable

(Índice de calidad del diseño por variable)

Vi: ideal value

• Design phase of the service : ICdf= 1 (Low)

• Design phase of delivery : ICdf= 3.4 (High)

• Formalization phase of the design : ICdf= 1.33 (Low)

Design Quality Index by phases

Comparison of results

No. Components of design Phases of disign

1 Definition.

Service design

2 Main Functionality.

3 Integration of the offer.

4 Customer-service interactionDesign of the service provision

5 Graphic representation

Formalization of design

6 Lines of visibility of the client.

7Customer relationship - internal suppliers.

1. Lack of training of quality staff

2. Low availability of budget to contract consulting services

3. Non-existence of documents related to the design of the services

4. Absence of procedures established by the Business Group to

design services

5. Low availability of resources for design and service testing

activities

6. Absence of instruments of measurement of the quality of the

design (surveys, questionnaires, checklist)

7. Lack of knowledge of staff, about the need to document and

evaluate the design of services

Causes

Analysis of the causes(Cause-Effect Diagram)

Promotion

There are not enough promotion

ways for commercialized

services.

It is needed to increase the materials

that help the promotion (such as

video, banners, etc.)

Most of the clients don’t

speak Spanish and that’s why

the promotion of the

languages has to be

prioritized.

There are no meetings, seminars or

workshops between the guides to

know the concerns of tourists.

Absence of specialized tourist

guides in the various forms of

tourism (city tourism, ecological

tourism, etc.).

Personal

Principal ProblemThe services are marketed at

a price that does not

correspond to the quality of

the services.

Price

There are no payment

agreements that benefit

regular customers.

Product

Little variety of

products

The variety of

offers are not

enough.

Sometimes the needs and

suggestions of the customer

during the service are not

taken into accounts.

No Causes Expert Criteria.

∆i

∆i2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

1 Shortcomings in promotion ways 4 1 2 4 3 1 2 3 3 4 1 28 16 256

2 Prioritize the Spanish language 2 3 1 2 1 3 1 4 2 1 2 22 22 484

3 There are no seminars or

workshops between the guides.

7 7 6 7 7 7 6 7 7 7 7 75 31 961

4 The price of the services does not

correspond to the quality

6 6 7 6 6 6 7 6 5 5 6 66 22 484

5 There is no payment agreement 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 5 57 13 169

6 Little variety of products 3 4 3 1 2 4 4 1 4 2 3 31 13 169

7

The variety of the offers are

enough

1 2 4 3 4 2 3 2 1 3 4 29

308

15 225

2748

Analysis of the causes(Kendall's Concordance Method)

T= 44

W= 0.8110 (The opinion of the experts is reliable and agreed)

Analysis of the causes

Incidence of the quality of the design in the quality of the service provision

Deficiencies in the ways of promotion

Prioritize the Spanish language

No seminars or workshops between guidelines

The price of the services does not correspond to the quality

There is no payment agreement

Little variety of products The variety of

offers is not enough

Results of the analysis

Diagnosis to internal customer satisfaction

Deficiencies in the quality of the service

Design (54. 50 %) Provision (45. 50 %)

Quality Analysis•Service Design•Design of the provision•Formalization of design

• Price• Promotion• Product• Personal

Solutions for continuous quality improvement

Solutions for continuous quality improvement Deficiencies

Deficiencies in Agency performance

1. Review and document the design of existing services to ensure the

proper performance of the agency

2. Increase the banners, magazines, with suggestive and pleasing offers

that motivate the client; Use colorful and eye-catching images.

3. Systematically review complaints and suggestions from customers and

establish a response time that benefits the client.

4. Develop meetings, seminars or workshops between the guides to take

advantage of the best experiences and get to know customers’

concerns.

5. Increase the variety of products

6. Prioritize the needs and suggestions of customers when creating new

offers that are more appealing to customers.

Solutions (Service design)

No. Action Responsible Completion date Check date

1 Review and document the design of existing services to ensure the proper performance of the agency Esp. Quality 25/05/2017 25/09/2017

2Manage new ways of promoting services Commercial Director 25/03/2017 20/03/2017

3 Redesigning wall banners, posters and other means of diffusion Commercial 20/03/2017 12/03/2017

4 Prioritize attention to customer complaints and suggestions Esp. Quality 15/03/2017 10/03/2017

5Manage a training system for guides Esp. Human Resources 22/03/2017 16/03/2017

6Carry out activities of overcoming Esp. Human Resources 18/03/2017 12/03/2017

7 Update product design J´ of operations 25/03/2017 20/03/2017

8 Apply instruments to gather information about the expectations of customers Esp. Public Relations 15/03/2017 10/03/2017

Action Plans

1. Establish guarantees in services to provide greater security to customers.

2. Increase promotion routes by making brochures, catalogs, banners,

magazines, flayers with attractive and attractive offers that motivate the

customer; Use colorful and eye-catching images.

3. Use the internet as the main promotion route by creating the company's

social page in the main social networks.

4. Design more attractive and differentiated offers such as visits to historical

sites, nature reserves, etc.

5. Check the service tabs of the products to adjust the prices in accordance

with the expenses and the quality of the same.

Solutions (Customer Satisfaction)

No. ActionCompletion date Responsible Check Date

Responsible for control

1 Review the framework of agreement of the company and add a clause to the contract that establishes the guarantees of the services to offer greater security to the clients. 30/03/2017 Commercial 20/03/2017 Director

2 Design a promotional spot to broadcast on the radio and television the main services and more innovative services offered by the company. 05/04/2017 Commercial 25/03/2017 J´ Commercial

3 Update the website of the company as well as the pages in the different social networks, prioritizing Tripvisor. 20/03/2017

Esp. Computing 15/03/2017 J´ Commercial

4 4Design two new packages with attractive and differentiated proposals using nature tourism. 05/04/2017

Tec. Operations 28/03/2017 J´ Operations

5 Review the service file of the products and adjust the prices in accordance with the expenses and the quality of it. 30/03/2017

Tec. Operations 22/03/2017 J´ Operations

6 Review procedures established for the handling of complaints and suggestions and establish a maximum response time that benefits the client 20/03/2017

Esp. Of Quality 15/03/2017 J´ Commercial

Action Plans

1. A diagnosis was made to the quality of the service through the

satisfaction of the internal customer and the quality of the service design

in the Travel Agency Gaviota Tours Holguín, fulfilling the proposed

objectives.

2. The deficiencies that most affect customer satisfaction and the quality

of service design are such as the lack of guarantees for customers, the

lack of promotion ways for commercialized services and the low variety

of offers, as well as that there are no seminars and workshops between

the guides, that the price of the services does not correspond with the

quality and there are no payment agreements.

Conclusions

3. Industrial engineering methods and tools were used to

analyze the encountered problems.

4. Action plans were proposed based on a set of generated

solutions, which will contribute to the decrease and / or

eradication of the detected problems.

Conclusions

The quality of the service design evaluated by the internal customer:

The Case of Gaviota Tours

Authors: Ing. Ivis Taide González CamejoMSc. Ernesto Batista SánchezDrC. Milagros Caridad Pérez PraviaDrC. Jorge Ramón González Ferrer