Management of customer experiences-the case of Ritz-Carlton hotel

Abstract

defining it, providing measurement tools and identifying related relationships with other variables, there has not been a broad consensus. The concept of customer experience has emerged in recent decades as a central issue in scientific marketing. It is now commonly accepted that the purpose of organizations is to develop and protect distinctive, enjoyable, durable and memorable experiences. The concept is fairly new, and has gained the attention of academics and practitioners over the last three, decades. It has mainly been understood as a strategic process where the creation of a holistic customer value can lead to differentiation and some sustainable, competitive advantage. There has been a significant shift from consuming goods to experiencing services and experiences, which has been described as the 'experience economy'. The traditional philosophy behind product/service value propositions is no longer considered sufficient to successfully reach customers. It has been argued that value for customers is not created by a single element, but by the overall experience of all elements. This means that the Gestalt philosophy has become highly pivotal, where the whole is not simply the sum of its parts. The key word is holistic, and organizations need to redefine their overall offering by adopting the terms of personalization, customer engagement and meaningful organizational collaboration. This paper dealt with the Ritz-Carlton hotel attentive customer service innovation, using them as a case study. In this way, an attempt was made to draw useful conclusions and suggestions for Greek institutions.