COURSE UNIT TITLE

: GUEST RELATIONS IN TOURISM

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
TMT 3024 GUEST RELATIONS IN TOURISM ELECTIVE 3 0 0 4

Offered By

Tourism Management (English)

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MANOLYA AKSATAN KAPLANSEREN

Offered to

Tourism Management (English)

Course Objective

The aim of this course is to provide detailed information about guest relations management in the hospitality focusing mostly on handling guest complaints and crisis management.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Identify the main components of guest service and guest types.
2   Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of guest service to hotel's success and failure.
3   Recognize effective methods of gathering, using and interpreting guest feedback.
4   Identify key features of communication in a guest focused team.
5   Recognize how technology may be used to improve service for guests.
6   Identify key steps in solving potentially difficult situations.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 General Overview of the Course
2 Guest Types, Guest Service Excellence and Customer Focused Management Culture
3 Customer Relationship Management
4 Customer Strategy
5 Handling Guest Complaints, Gathering, Analyzing and Interpreting Guest Feedback
6 Handling Guest Complaints, Gathering, Analyzing and Interpreting Guest Feedback
7 Dealing with Difficult Situations and Guests
8 Dealing with Difficult Situations and Guests
9 Technology in Customer Relationship Management
10 Customer Relationship Management and Social Media
11 Term Paper Presentations / Discussion
12 Term Paper Presentations / Discussion
13 Term Paper Presentations / Discussion
14 Term Paper Presentations / Discussion

Recomended or Required Reading

1. Peppers, D. and Rogers, M. (2011). Managing Customer Relationships: A Strategic Framework. New Jersey: John Wiley.
2. Deuschl, D. (2006). Travel and Tourism Public Relations. Paris: Butterworth Heinemann.
3. Kinni, T. (2011). Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service. New York: Disney Institute.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecture: There will be three lecture sessions every week.
2. Role Playing: Scripts about handling guest complaints will be given to improve basic communication skills.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MT Midterm
2 TP TermProject
3 FN Final
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MT * 0.30 +TP * 0.30 + FN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MT * 0.30 +TP * 0.30 + RST * 0.40


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

This course has three assessment methods:
Students are responsible for a midterm exam.
Students are responsible for a term project.
Students are responsible for a final exam.

Assessment Criteria

Grading of the term project

1. Find sufficient number of customer complaints (10 points)
This element is absent or falls short of expectations, and /or it is completely out of place within the given context. 1 (0%)
This element is somewhat absent and does not entirely fit the context. 2 (40%)
This element is developed satisfactorily and fits the context at an acceptable standard. 3 (60%)
This element is developed in a good way and fits into the context. 4 (80%)
The way this element is developed is noteworthy and fits perfectly into the context. 5 (100%)
2. Classify the customer complaints, reveal frequencies and design a graph (20 points)
This element is absent or falls short of expectations, and /or it is completely out of place within the given context. 1 (0%)
This element is somewhat absent and does not entirely fit the context. 2 (40%)
This element is developed satisfactorily and fits the context at an acceptable standard. 3 (60%)
This element is developed in a good way and fits into the context. 4 (80%)
The way this element is developed is noteworthy and fits perfectly into the context. 5 (100%)
3. Discuss the root causes of customer complaints (20 points)
This element is absent or falls short of expectations, and /or it is completely out of place within the given context. 1 (0%)
This element is somewhat absent and does not entirely fit the context. 2 (40%)
This element is developed satisfactorily and fits the context at an acceptable standard. 3 (60%)
This element is developed in a good way and fits into the context. 4 (80%)
The way this element is developed is noteworthy and fits perfectly into the context. 5 (100%)
4. Develop solutions to prevent service failures (20 points)
This element is absent or falls short of expectations, and /or it is completely out of place within the given context. 1 (0%)
This element is somewhat absent and does not entirely fit the context. 2 (40%)
This element is developed satisfactorily and fits the context at an acceptable standard. 3 (60%)
This element is developed in a good way and fits into the context. 4 (80%)
The way this element is developed is noteworthy and fits perfectly into the context. 5 (100%)
5. Effective delivery of the project (30 points)
This dimension is absent or falls short of expectations, and /or it is completely out of place within the given context. 1 (0%)
This dimension is somewhat absent and does not entirely fit the context. 2 (40%)
This dimension is developed satisfactorily and fits the context at an acceptable standard. 3 (60%)
This dimension is developed in a good way and fits into the context. 4 (80%)
The way this dimension is developed is noteworthy and fits perfectly into the context. 5 (100%)

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Attending at least 70 percent of lectures is mandatory.
2. Plagiarism of any type will result in disciplinary action.
3. Tardiness and early departure from lecture will be referred as absenteeism.
4. Using cell-phone for messages or any electronic devices during the course are strictly prohibited.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

E-mail: manolya.aksatan@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Tutorials 0 0 0
Project Preparation 1 8 8
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 8 3 24
Preparation for midterm exam 1 8 8
Preparation for final exam 1 14 14
Preparing presentations 1 4 4
Quiz etc. 0 0 0
Final 1 1 1
Midterm 1 1 1
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 102

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14PO.15PO.16PO.17PO.18PO.19
LO.15
LO.24
LO.34
LO.44
LO.54
LO.65