CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM STATEMENT Tension arises with clients when their expectations are not met.

Pollmans Tour and Safaris like any other organization faces challenges when handling different type of clientele who may have different needs. A lot of research has proved that there is a direct relationship between customer satisfaction, market share and overall profitability whereby companies that consistently rank high on customer satisfaction also rank high on profitability (Lele& Sheth 1987). According to Jim Asplund and John Fleming an engaged customer generates 1.7 more revenue than normal customers while having engaged employees and engaged customers returns a revenue gain of 3.4 times the norms. Customer relationship management describes a company-wide business strategy including customer-interface departments and other departments. Measuring and valuing customer relationships is critical to implementing this strategy, (Wikipedia). Every department within the organization should therefore be fully involved in offering the best service since clients are the purpose of everyones work and accounts for the organizations and individuals income. In order to implement effective customer service strategies and reap the benefits of good customer service, a company will need to implement the process of developing effective customer service. Pollmans Tours and Safaris is not only a well established organization with well defined organizational structures but one of the market leaders in the tourism industry. To maintain its reputation and position the company should identify ways by which it will retain its clients and attract new ones as well. This study intends to determine the possible ways for promoting good customer relations through improving on the quality customer service so as to meet the clients expectations.

2.1Conceptual Framework Independent Variable Intervening Variable Customer Expectations Dependent Variable

Customer Relation Management

Quality of service offered Tackling of complains

Customer Satisfaction

Figure 2.1.Relationship between customer satisfaction and customer relation management. RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What do customers expect from Pollmans as their service provider? 2. What do the clients complain about?

3. What mitigation measures can Pollmans Tour and Safaris put in place to improve on
their customer relation management?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. GENERAL OBJECTIVE This report is aimed at reviewing the customer relation at Pollmans Tours and Safaris for efficient travel and tourism management. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To assess the quality of service offered in relation to customer expectations.

2. To investigate the cause of customer complains. 3. To recommend possible measures to be implemented to achieve customer satisfaction.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY.

Pollmans Tours and Safaris is a well established organization with well defined departments that handle the different tasks and clients requirements effectively. This made it difficult to find an area of study that has not been handled by the organization before. This report however is meant to offer measure that will improve on the area of study. COMPANY STRUCTURE The company is run by the Managing Director whose duties is to oversee all the operational matters of the company and an Executive Finance Director whose main function is manage the company finances. Both offices Pollmans Mombasa and Pollmans Nairobi are under the Managing Director. The Heads of departments report directly to the Managing Director. Below the HODs we have supervisors and then the rest of staff. The Nairobi office has three departments: Reservations Department Customer Care Department Transport Department.

Pollmans Tours and Safaris Nairobi office is headed by the Operations manager who oversees all the operations, purchasing and general running of the organization. He represents the Nairobi branch in meetings as well as approves and signs cheques for hotels, lodges, flight payments and any other form of payments. The reservation department is headed by the reservations manager. He is in charge of all reservation matters to ensure the bookings and reservations made by the tour officers are accurate to avoid risks that lead to losses. He handles the major tasks in the reservations department which the tour officers are unable to handle. He contracts the hotels for better rates and represents the reservations department in general meetings. The customer Service department is headed by the customer service coordinator. He oversees any meet and greet services and complains from the clients on behalf of the organization. He represents the customer care department in general meetings. The transport department is headed by the transport manager. His main duties entail overseeing the transport planning, repair and maintenance of the fleet. He also organizes car hire incase need arises. There are two supervisors for workshop and transport respectively who report to the transport manager directly.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW The service expectation rises as customers begin to experience better services since they make conscious and unconscious comparison between different service experiences irrespective of the service industry (Cook, 2011). In addition to these findings, Lele and Sheth, (1987) stated that customer-oriented firms are more prepared to take a short-term hit in profits with the belief that they will achieve their overall goal of keeping the customer happy. They can accept lower profit levels on a particular product rather than eliminate features or benefits that the customer associates with their offerings. An organization that takes customer relationship management seriously and operates it successfully is one where the customer becomes the central focus for all operations and decision making (Phelps, 2001). The quality of a companys reputation is influenced by the goodwill the customer feels towards the company since it is determined by the relationship the organization creates. A lasting impression to customers is created by members of staff when handling customers (Cook, 2011). Handling of customers and the relationship the company creates with its customers really plays a big role in determining how the customers view the firm thus affecting their decision in terms of staying with the firm or going to a competitor. According to Stauss and Friege (1999); Griffin and Lowenstein (2001), the customer relationship cycle is the conceptual basis for customer relationship management. During this cycle, three groups of customers can be differentiated and presents the management with completely different set of challenges. Potential customers are addressed by acquisition management, whose goal is to arouse interest during the initial phase and to induce leads to make an initial purchase. Current customers are handled by the retention management who strive to bind the attractive customers they already have in an ongoing and sustainable manner and to make sure that the respective business potential grows continually. Regain management focuses on lost customers by aiming at winning back the attractive customers who explicitly announces their intention to break off business relationship or have actually terminated it. With this study in an organization, there will be improvement in service delivery due to awareness of how to deal with each customer group type thus increasing their customer share in the industry. As highlighted by Lele and Sheth, (1987), customers satisfaction with a given service intimately affects the customer loyalty since with happy customers; there is high likelihood of

them buying the service again and are less likely to switch to competing services. With maximization of customer satisfaction, comes vital advantages which Lele and Sheth, (1987) stated as; higher long-term profitability than their competitors, more protection against shifts in technology and customer needs and their chances of regaining lost customers and markets are better in case they slip up. Regarding these findings, we make the conclusion that with increased customer satisfaction; customer loyalty is maintained therefore increasing the firms returns on profits and business growth.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY The data used to compile this report was collected through, clients reports, informal interviews, clients questionnaires and observations. The research was conducted within Nairobi Pollmans Tours and Safaris. This targeted the reports received from the clients and observation during the research. The research method and tools selected were suitable due to the set period of time for the researching and compiling the report. Face to face interviews allowed the interviewer to explain difficult questions and explore issues as the situation required.

DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES Company data will be essential to the study since it will provide secondary data for better analysis. Interviews will provide qualitative insights to the study while qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behavior, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs within the business domain will be analyzed. The clients questionnaires delivered valuable information on how they felt about the services they had been offered. This gave primary data that was used for the analysis. The data on the customer clients will be used to find out which area within the organization was most affected and needed to be addressed.

CHAPTER 4

FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS Findings obtained from questionnaires and clients complains The vehicle condition According to the survey carried out , 90% of the clients were okay with the condition of vehicle that was allocated to them during the safari, though they were not fully satisfied with it as stated by some of the clients as follows; not a lot of space to move around, battery problem on afew occasions and There were some minor things but these were quickly addressed and the passenger were not hindered at all. 10% of the clients on the other hand were very happy with the vehicle allocated to them for the safari. This is evident from the clients statement; The van was able to handle some extreme road conditions and was as comfortable as possible.

Fig 4.1: A diagram illustrating the clients feeling about the vehicles allocated to them.

Drivers Courtesy In regards to drivers courtesy, 70% of the clients acknowledged that their drivers were courteous and some of the remarks noted were as follows.; This trip exceeded our expectations we are more than satisfied we thank God for the experience and we thank Atunus for the good eye spotting animals and being kind in every way ; it was a very excellent tour, the driver guide was very excellent . if i would come back to Kenya we would

book Issa; Beyond my expectation! Drivers were always going that extra mile. However 30% (3 out of 10 of the clients) had a few complains about the drivers such as; He wanted to leave everywhere early and didnt give us time and he all ways wanted to rush. Some of the clients though did not respond to the question.

Fig 4.2: A diagram illustrating the clients assesment of the drivers courtesy Promptness of Drivers

Fig 4.3: A diagram illustrating the clients assesment of the driverspromptness According to the results obtained from the questionnaire, 70% of the clients as shown in fig 4.3 regarded the drivers as being prompt while 30% of the clients out of the selected sample

were not satisfied with their drivers promptness. The satisfied clients commented as follows; Omar was always punctual, also happy to change schedule or organise alternative arrangements i.early dinner for kids ; Peter was an excellent guide he listened and went out of his way to try and ensure any requests were met. Some of the clients complained about the drivers promptness as follows;The driver always leaves first but gets there last and i dont think he knows what he is doing sometimes, but I liked him. Informative Drivers

Fig 4.4: A diagram illustrating the clients thoughts regarding the knowledgability of the driver guides. 70% of the clients questionnaires which were analysed stated that the driver guides were informative during the safari as shown in the clients responses; Driver was excellent and had great knowledge of the local animals and birds; it was a very excellent tour, the driver guide was very excellent . if i would come back to Kenya we would book Issa ; Driver was excellent and had great knowledge of the local animals and birds. 30% of the clients(3 out of 7 clients) regarded the clients as not being informative during the safari.

Friendliness of Drivers

Fig 4.5: A diagram illustating the clients assesment of the friendliness of the drivers.

In relation to the friendliness of drivers 70% of the respondents confirmed that the drivers were friendly during the safari although 30% of the clients did not agree completely to the statement as shown in the figure above. Some of the clients who regarded their drivers as being friendly stated as follows: Beyond my expectation! Drivers were always going that extra mile; Omar was always punctual, also happy to change schedule or organise alternative arrangements i.early dinner for kids ; This trip exceeded our expectations we are more than satisfied we thank God for the experience and we thank Atunus for the good eye spotting animals and being kind in every way. Of the remaining respondents afew did not respond to the questions while the rest complained as follows; He wanted to leave everywhere early and didnt give us time and always wanted to rush.

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CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION In conclusion, Pollmans Tours and Safaris is a well established organization that tries to offers the best to its clients. This efforts and quality of work makes Pollmans Tours and Safaris to be recognised as one of the leading organizations offering tours and safaris in the country. Pollmans Tours and Safaris is a pacesetter in the tourism industry and so to compete with its high-end competitors effectively, the organization should ensure efficiency and perfection in the the organization. In Pollmans Tours and Safaris , the quality of service as assesed by the respondents is satisfactory since it does not fully meet all the clients expectations. According to the results derived from the research, some of the respondents felt that the organization could improve on their quality of service as stated by one client; Taking into consideration the price of the services offered as well as the brand name of your company, I strongly believe you should be more generous in terms of game drives , short early morning game drives before departure at L. Nakuru and Mara . In regards to the vehicles condition, some of the clients had no issues with the companys vehicles, while most clients were not contented with the vehicles that were allocated to them during the safari. This is evidenced through statements written down by some of them such as; battery problem on a few occasions, Not a lot of space to move around; There were some minor things but these were quickly addressed and the passenger were not hindered at all. These indicates that the safaris organized can be appreciated more by the clients if the vehicles that they are given are good and comfortable for their safari. The organization should take up the matter of ensuring careful check up of each vehicle to ensure it is good enough for the safari or rather replace the vehicles which are not in very good conditions with better ones. This ensures the client receives value for money, and in process the client will not hesitate to book another safari with the organization later on. The driver guides of Pollmans Tours and Safaris are very courteous during the safari. This is evident from the comments given by the clients such as; This trip exceeded our expectations we are more than satisfied we thank God for the experience and we thank Atunus for the good eye spotting animals and being kind in every way; Beyond my expectation! Drivers were always going that extra mile. This indicates that the drivers offer their best during the safari, and are conversant with their jobs since very few clients complained about the drivers. Since the drivers are the ones who interact mostly with the clients when the clients

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are visiting the country, the drivers are an essential asset of the business as they also market the organization to the clients. The drivers of Pollmans Tours and Safaris are timely when on duty as indicated by the clients. Some of the drivers, as noted by the clients go out of their way to ensure the clients are comfortable during the safari. This was noted from the research by some of the clients follows; Omar was always punctual, also happy to change schedule or organize alternative arrangements i.e. early dinner for kids. By being timely, the drivers are able to conduct the game drives at a good pace through which the clients will have an opportunity to view a lot of game. This also ensures the safari is orderly and other services are not missed out of the program. The clients tend to enjoy such safaris and would be willing to to have another safari with the organization due to the quality of service received. In Pollmans tours and Safaris, the drivers are knowledgeable and have adequate information to offer to the clients. Most of the clients ranked the drivers as excellent on their ability to give information as shown; Driver was excellent and had great knowledge of the local animals and birds. The clients feel contented when they receive enough information during the safari. This also indicates that Pollmans Tours and Safaris selects carefully its drivers so as to ensure quality services to its clients. The driver guides at Pollmans Tours and Safaris are friendly to the clients, this is evident as follows; Omar was always punctual, also happy to change schedule or organize alternative arrangements i.e. early dinner for kids. This allows the clients to feel relaxed and comfortable during the safari and they are therefore able to enjoy the safari. In addition, some of the clients complained about the accommodation properties that they were staying, stating that some of the properties offered poor quality services. Some of the clients were victims of missed transfers within the city as well as missed flights and lost luggage. Pollmans Tours and Safaris tends to offer quick solutions when such incidents arise. However when these complaints become repetitive among the clients, they blur the organizations image and therefore the company loses its market position This research has revealed that Pollmans is an established and organized company, though it faces a few challenges in the industry. The organization therefore requires to seek better means of solving the issues so as not to lose its clients and market position in the industry as a whole. By solving the issues the company will be able to not only maintain its clientele but attract new ones .

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CHAPTER 6 RECOMMENDATIONS

Pollmans Tours and Safaris may introduce a customer relationship management system which will help the company to identify sales prospects from existing or potential customer data bases. This also helps the organization to collect information about the customer and the queries he/she makes. The Customer Relationship System can be customized to suit the individual client and the corporate client. For the individual client, the system will comprise of a customer profile and the transactions the client has with the organization. The customers profile will include; name of the client, age, occupation, address of the client, marital status, interests, family; number of children and their age. Transactions should include; services received the frequency and dates of transactions. This will help them to know their customers preferences, spending power, and disposable time. It will also enable them to relay current information to the clients and keep them up dated. Using this system the organization will be able to package services to suit their different types of clients. The organization will easily determine the service packages in demand, at specific time, by a particular group of people hence will be able to maximise on them while those not performing well it will strategies on what action to take. It will demand for innovation to cater the different customers needs which will be captured in the clients profile. It acts as a tool to facilitate customer referrals.

For the corporate client, the system will comprise of the companys profile and transactions. The companys profile includes; company name, address, contact person, type of organization, size while the transactions will include; services received, the frequency and dates of transactions. This will help them know what services they can offer this clientele and the possible alternatives, the quality of service to be offered, where to relay information and it also enables them to constantly update their clients of new developments or packages. The will be able to make early preparations to match the customers needs. For this system to work efficiently, it has to be constantly updated.

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Pollmans Tours and Safaris has to adopt a complaint mechanism which will encourage their clients to raise complaints. This will enable the company to be aware of their customers problems and address them accordingly in good time.

The complaint mechanism will involve these procedures; receiving: the organization has the responsibility of creating channels and making them aware to the clients which they will use to air their problems. This channels include; telephone, mail, website, face to face and they can be made known to the clients by adding the contacts of the personnel handling the complains and the organizational contacts on all important material handed to the clients, posters, post-it notes, brochures, website and calendars. For the organization to implement and efficiently run this system, they should create a customer database which will incorporate all information about their clients and also appoint personnel to oversee the running of this system. The system will then have to be fed regularly with the clients information after every contact with them. The database will have to be updated regularly.

The organization should also ensure the employees all of the employees within the organization receive refresher courses so as to improve on their skills and allow them develop new ones.

The organization then has to create time and set aside financial resources to support the programs. Moral support from all the employees will be of importance in the implementation of the activities.

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References 1. Lele M M with Sheth J N (1987) The Customer is Key, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, Canada.

2. Cook S (2011) Customer Care Excellence, 6th Edition, Replika Press Pvt Ltd, India.

3. Moore Chris (1975) How to Handle customer complaints, Biddles Ltd, Great Britain.

4. Nykiel A. Ronald (1992) Keeping customers in good times and bad, Berkley Publishing Group, United States of America.

5. Phelps R G (2001) Customer relationship management, Replika Press Pvt Ltd, India.

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6. Stauss B, Seidel W (2004) Complaint Management, Thomson Corporation, United States of America.

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