This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Management of Customer Care and Service

Code: 101223 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Tourism OT 4

Contact

Name:
Jordi Datzira Masip
Email:
jordi.datzira@uab.cat

Teachers

(External) Jordi Datzira Masip

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no requirements


Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objective of this unit is to explore the nature and characteristics of services, as well as understanding how service are managed and developed, from a professional as well as technical point of view. We will analyse the implications that service management have in tourism and hospitality businesses.

The unit has the following learning objectives:

  • Understand the principles of service management.
  • Differentiate the type of services and how they can be developed and managed.
  • Recognize the importance of factors linked to customer service and satisfaction.
  • Develop the skills to manage tourism services.
  • Understand the different management tools to develop the service industry.
  • Analyse how the technology is shaping the present and future of customer services.

Competences

  • Apply the concepts related to tourism products and businesses (economy and finance, human resources, commercial policy, markets, operations and strategy) in the different parts of the sector.
  • Behave ethically and adapt to different intercultural contexts.
  • Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  • Propose creative alternative solutions to problems arising in the field of tourism management, planning, businesses and products.
  • Use communication techniques at all levels.
  • Work in a team.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the business concepts company related to tourism products and organisations in the different parts and activities of the sector.
  2. Behave ethically and adapt to different intercultural contexts.
  3. Develop a capacity for independent learning.
  4. Propose creative alternative solutions to planning and management problems in departments, activities or services in new areas of the tourism sector and in special tourism entities and products.
  5. Use communication techniques at all levels.
  6. Work in a team.

Content

 

Introduction to the unit Management of Customer Care and Service

Topic 1: Service nature and characteristics

Topic 2: Strategic service operations and quality management

Topic 3: The service concept: Servicescape

Topic 4: Quality, productivity and satisfaction

Topic 5: Capacity service management

Topic 6: Quality service management

Topic 7: Service delivery process: Blueprint

Topic 8: Internal marketing

Topic 9: Service failure and recovery

Topic 10: Technology applied to managing service in tourism and hospitality


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Case study resolution 32 1.28 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Lectures 36 1.44 1, 2, 5, 4, 6
Public presentation of assigments 32 1.28 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Type: Supervised      
Tutories 5 0.2 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Type: Autonomous      
Case study resolution 14 0.56 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Homework elaboration 14 0.56 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Study 14 0.56 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6

The teaching methodology is based on a continuous evaluation, combining theoretical content, practical in-class activities, research and analysis, presentations, and reports. Assistance and participation in class during the semester will also be assessed. Therefore, classes will be conducted in seminar format promoting student’s participation. It is important to remark that most of the theoretical material is needed to tackle assessments and presentations. Fundamental theoretical notions and special issues will be discussed in class and applied on case studies.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Assessment 1 (group): Service report 20% 1 0.04 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6
Assessment 2 (grup): Service delivery management presentation 25% 1.5 0.06 1, 5, 4, 6
Attendance and participation 15% 0 0 1, 2, 5, 4, 6
End term evaluation 20% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4
Practical in-class activities 20% 0.5 0.02 1, 2, 5, 4, 6

Continuous evaluation

The continuous evaluation is composed of two assessments of a service management project (in small groups), two practical in-class activities, end-term evaluation, and the participation and assistance in class. To pass the continuous evaluation, students need to reach a minimum of 3.5 out of 10 in each of the assessments and activities. Otherwise, students will have to do the final evaluation at the end of the semester.

Unique evaluation

The unique evaluation is composed of three individual assessments to be delivered during the semester, and the final evaluation at the end of the semester.

Title

Weighting

Assessment 1: Service concept report

20%

Assessment 2: Service delivery management presentation and video

20%

Assessment 3: Service delivery management final report

20%

Final evaluation

40%

Evaluations (end-term evaluation, final evaluation, and re-evaluation)

The evaluations include the following format in three parts:

  • Part 1: Quiz (15%)
  • Part 2: Short questions (30%)
  • Part 3: Long questions (50%)

Bibliography

Prescribed bibliography:

Lovelock, C., Patterson, P. G., and Wirtz, J. (2015). Service Marketing. An Asia-Pacific and Australian perspective. (6th Ed.). Melbourne: Pearson Australia.

Recommended bibliography:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act): ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for buildings and facilities. https://www.access-board.gov/adaag-1991-2002.html (accessed 29 August 2022).

Aksoy, L., Choi, S., Dogru, T., Keiningham, T., Lorenz, M., Rubin, D. J., and Tracey, B. (2022). Global trends in hospitality. Journal of Business Research, 142, 957-973. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.12.068.

Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: the impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56, 57-71.

Bitner, M.J., Ostrom, A.L., and Morgan, F.N. (2008). Service blueprinting: a practical technique for service innovation. California Management Review, 50, 66-94.

Breidbach, C. F., Kolb, D. G., and Srinivasan, A. (2013). Connectivity in Service Systems: Does Technology-Enablement Impact the Ability of a Service System to Co-Create Value? Journal of Service Research, 16(3), 428-441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670512470869

Cadotte, E.R., Turgeon, N. (1988). Key Factors in Guest Satisfaction. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 28(4), 45-51.

Ching Yick Tse, E., Ho, S-C. (2009). Service Quality in the Hotel Industry: When Cultural Contexts Matter. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 50(4), 460-474.

Clinehens, J. (2019). Creating a CX That Sings: An Introduction to Customer Journey Mapping for Marketers. Independently published.

Fick, G. R., & Brent Ritchie, J. R. (1991). Measuring Service Quality in the Travel and Tourism Industry. Journal of Travel Research, 30(2), 2-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/004728759103000201

Floričić, T. (2020). Sustainable Solutions in the Hospitality Industry and Competitiveness Context of “Green Hotels”. Civil Engineering Journal, 6(6), 1104-1113.

Jacobs, S. (2023). Top 10 Trends Impacting the Hospitality Industry. https://www.smartmeetings.com/tips-tools/74256/top-10-trends-impacting-hospitality-industry (accessed 09 June 2023).

Heskett, J.L., Sasser, W.E. and Hart, C.W.L. (1990), Breakthrough Service. New York: The Free Press.

Kazemzadeh, Y., Milton, S., K., and Johnson, L. W. (2015). An explication of three service business process modelling approaches. Australian Journal of Business and Economic Studies, 1(2), 40-53.

Lee, Y. L, and Hing, N. (1995). Measuring quality in restaurant operations: an application of the SERVQUAL instrument. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 14(3-4), 293-310. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4319(95)00037-2

Lombarts, A. (2018). The hospitality model revisited: Developing a hospitality model for today and tomorrow. Hospitality & Society, 8(3), 297-311. DOI: 10.1386/hosp.8.3.297_7

Lovelock, C. (1992), Managing Services: Marketing, Operations and Human Resources (2nd Ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Lovelock, C., Patterson, P. G., and Wirtz, J. (2015). Service Marketing. An Asia-Pacific and Australian perspective. (6th Ed.). Melbourne: Pearson Australia.

Ma, E., Bao, Y., Huang, L., Wang, D., and Kim, M. (Sunny). (2023). When a Robot Makes Your Dinner: A Comparative Analysis of Product Level and Customer Experience Between the U.S. and Chinese Robotic Restaurants. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 64(2), 184-211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/19389655211052286

Maglio, P. P., and Spohrer, J. (2013). A service science perspective on business model innovation. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(5), 665-670. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.05.007.

McCall, M., and Voorhees, C. (2010). The Drivers of Loyalty Program Success: An Organizing Framework and Research Agenda. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(1), 35-52.

Mcguire, K.A., and Kimes, S.E. (2006). The Perceived Fairness of Waitlist-management Techniques forRestaurants. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 47(2), 121-134.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., and Berry, L. L. (1985). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1251430

Pinho, N., Beirão, G., Patrício, L., and P. Fisk, R. (2014). Understanding value co-creation in complex services with many actors. Journal of Service Management, 25(4), 470-493. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-02-2014-0055

Ransley, J., and Ingram, H. (2004). Developing hospitality properties and facilities. (2nd Ed.). Abingdon: Routledge.

Roger, H. (1996). The relationships of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability: an empirical study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(4), 27-42. DOI: 10.1108/09564239610129931

Stipanuk, D. M. (2006). Hospitality facilities management and design.  Lansing: Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Timur, S. and Getz, D. (2008), A network perspective on managing stakeholders for sustainable urban tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(4), 445-461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110810873543

United National World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Tourism in the 2030 Agenda. Tourism in the 2030 Agenda | UNWTO (accessed 20 September 2022).

Webb, N. J. (2016). What Customers Crave: How to Create Relevant and Memorable Experiences at Every Touchpoint. Amacom.

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics. WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics (accessed 20 September 2022).


Software

There isn't.


Groups and Languages

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 English first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 English first semester morning-mixed