HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) Region Europe has entered into a strategic partnership with the German company Customer Alliance, based on the Service Pledge program currently rolled out throughout Europe. The HSMAI Region Europe Service Pledge Program – Winning for Customers may be HSMAI’s biggest effort to date. A program for change management and a strategic tool preparing for the future customer.
‘HSMAI is up close with international trends, and aware that future winners are those who are prepared to take the customer experience seriously, taking charge of their own customer data, reputation, references and the customer’s basis for decision making,’ says project manager Linda M. Ramberg, continuing:
‘Most companies have a vision, many even a set of values. A service pledge should be equally important’.
Error margins have become much smaller. Participants like TripAdvisor, Trivago and others are getting significantly better at informing the public on the companies’ ability to deliver on their promise – and the companies on what the customers demand. Those who succeed and achieve the best results are companies who invest in their own company culture, and bring the customer experience right into the boardrooms.
The Service Pledge is a methodology ensuring just that. The program is divided into four modules: company culture, internal communication, service recovery and surveys/quality control. As part of the program customer experience will be put to good use, in close cooperation with Customer Alliance.
‘We are very pleased to join forces with Customer Alliance who will be one of several partners for the initiative. Insight into customer data at all stages of the ‘customer journey’ is becoming increasingly important. Do we deliver on our promises? Do we handle displeased customers proactively, before rumors make their way to social media? Customer Alliance has been HSMAI member for years and know us well. The joint effort will provide HSMAI members with advantages related to the Service Pledge program, and will play an important role in connection with our Service Awards,’ HSMAI Region Europe President & CEO Ingunn Hofseth says.
‘We strongly believe that guest satisfaction is core to the success of any hospitality business andare very happy to be given the opportunity to contribute to the Service Pledge program from HSMAI,’ says Torsten Sabel, Customer Alliance co-founder and COO. ‘The program’s aim coincides with Customer Alliance’s own goals to improve guest satisfaction, service and communication throughout the travel and hospitality industry, and we hope to be able to assist participants to implement these best practices in each of their establishments’
The industry will be offered a preview between September 14th and 16th.
HSMAI has prepared a mini program, with extracts from the full-scale program, including a workshop, at the wonderful Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel in London, with Customer Alliance in attendance.
For more details on the Service Pledge program, please see this page.
HSMAI has developed a unique certification, tailored to supervise and facilitate the program; the HSMAI Executive Coach Certification, supported by the main representative organization for Norwegian employers, NHO.
Initially the program’s primary target group will be hotels, destination agencies, adventure providers, trade companies, restaurants and other hospitality enterprises currently engaged in service at a strategic level.
For more details, please contact:
Linda Merethe Ramberg
Project Manager, HSMAI Region Europe
Mobile: +47 928 03 694
E: lmr@hsmai.eu
Torsten Sabel
Co-founder and COO, Customer Alliance
Mobile: +49 30 762 89 00 – 01
E: ts@customer-alliance.com
