Critical Incident Analysis

Executive Summary

The following paper presents a critical incident analysis. It entails the description of events that took place on the Mother’s Day celebration. In essence, the hotel in Singapore had delivery, perception, policy, and knowledge gap in service quality delivery. It is evident from the inefficient services that we did receive. Consequently, closing the gaps is vital for ensuring long-term success of the restaurant. There are recommendations that are put in order to fill in the niche. Training is crucial in reducing knowledge gap. Accurate perception and sufficient IT is critical in the curbing of delivery and perception gaps. Market research is imperative in dealing with policy issues in the market. The restaurant has an opportunity to flourish in its services. However, they must uphold customer satisfaction as the key element that defines their success.

Critical Incident Description

Circumstances Leading up to the Incident

The critical incident did occur when together with my family, we did travel to a famous restaurant in Singapore. In essence, it was Mother’s Day. Consequently, we had set aside time to enjoy and appreciate our mother for her greatness in our lives. We were eight adults and two children. The incident did occur in May 2015.

What Occurred During the Incident

When we arrived at the restaurant, we decided to take our seats at the place of dining allocation because we had made prior booking regarding our coming. In essence, my parents have disabilities. They utilize wheelchairs for their daily operations. Consequently, there was a need for having a dining table that was located with a barrier to accommodate my parents. However, we had a medium dining table that was uncomfortable. Eight adult had to squeeze in the limited space. There was also no barrier for my parents. It is also vital to note that in spite of prior booking of the dining time at 7:30 pm, we were instructed to have an extended wait of 25 minutes. It seemed as though our earlier booking had made no impact. The service delivery was also in contrary to our order. We had requested for a change in the curry fish head to accommodate Nonya Asam curry fish head. Moreover, we also needed custom-made 1kg blueberry cheesecake. However, they got to make the changes in the fish curry. They also failed to give a timely notification of the unavailability of the 1kg blueberry cheesecake. Consequently, they served us 0.5 kg of other available types. It is also important to note that they made no attempt to reach us and make valid explanation. The total bill that was presented to us was not accurate. There was an overestimation. In spite of our complaints, there was no recovery service provided by the management.

What Made the Incident Disappointing

While one acknowledges the inevitable circumstances, it is evident that the restaurant did not esteem our availability as customers. They did not communicate regarding possible time changes. It was frustrating to have my parents with disabilities waiting for 25 minutes.The dining table was contrary to our expectations. It is not impossible for people to enjoy meals in a squeezed environment. Moreover, the food we had ordered for was not correctly served. Particularly, custom-made cheesecake was meant to surprise my mother. She loves such pastries. An earlier communication would have given the opportunity to make another order of her choice.

Critical Incident Analysis

Service quality problem is an evident issue in the Singaporean restaurant. It is a subject that requires their adequate attention. The following section seeks to present an analysis of the critical incident. It presents the services that we did lack in the provision of general services in the restaurant.

Knowledge Gap

Wirtz, Chew and Lovelock ( 2014, p. 6) explain that the knowledge gap is the distinction in awareness between the consumers and the service providers. In other words, it is the difference that exists in the interaction of the consumers and the management. It is evident that in current world, every management must be well accustomed with the needs of its members. Any service providers must have awareness of the diverse needs that accompany their potential customers. Consequently, there should be well-embraced to meet them. There are factors that influence the level of knowledge regarding such business as Singaporean Hotel. Firstly market research is vital in unfolding the evolving consumer needs. For instance, current restaurant should be aware of the increased demands of people with special needs. There are numerous campaigns that seek to ensure that all members of the society enjoy all available services. Secondly, customer-management interaction is off essence in achieving knowledge (Slatten & Mehmetoglu 2011, p. 91). The restaurant should operate with an ultimate goal of satisfying the needs of its customers. Interaction gives a chance for two parties to rightfully understand consumers’ diversities. Needless to say, their wants may vary from one time to another. Customer satisfaction occurs when there is affluent knowledge in the requirements of a client (Bhalla 2015, p. 1). However, it is vital to note that the customer must also know the extent of service delivery provided by the management. A consumer must research and establish the services that are available in a particular place. It is critical in avoiding disappointments and similar occurrences that took place at the restaurant in Singapore.

The knowledge gap in Singapore Hotel is evident in three basic ways. Firstly, there is the lack of provision of the appropriate dining table with barriers for disabled people. It indicates their lack of awareness about people with special needs. Secondly, they did not adapt to the need for particular recipe in the fish curry. Thirdly, there is also a policy gap problem.

Policy Gap

Every successful business recognizes the importance of policy regulations in their work. In essence, policy gaps entail the expected set standards for the customers and the actual standards that occur when they seek services (Wirtz, Chew & Lovelock 2012, p. 8). Most restaurants set up policies in order to offer excellent services to their customers. For instance, there are opening and closing hours for the business. There are also regulations in booking and payments for each and every service. These policies act as a guideline to be regulated. The external communications that any company makes define what customers expect. Such information is conveyed through advertisement and product promotion. Consequently, the gap occurs when these assumed expectations fail to be fulfilled at the time of the service delivery. Thus, it brings displeasure and regret to most consumers. In fact, policy gap accounts for reasons why consumers change their service industry. A company must seek to emit specific, measurable, attainable, and timely policies to the public. It will help it in attracting long-term customers. Customer-centric process and repetitive standardization are vital in the inclusion policy (Dimitriadis & Stevens 2012, p. 501). Any firm that ignores these essential elements is bound to make mistakes to its loyal customers. Consequently, the policy gap is evident in the failure to appropriate services within the allotment time. It is clear that when the management nods to deliver services, they can go some extra mile to ensure it comes to pass.

Delivery Gap

Wirtz, Chew and Lovelock (2012, p. 9) elaborate on the delivery gap as the niche that occurs between the expected and the experienced service. In other words, when one goes to seek for support, there are expectations that he/she has regarding the place. Consequently, they make a decision regarding services in anticipation. Nevertheless, there are instances when the management fails to meet these customer needs. There are factors that define the occurrence of the gap. First, employees’ fitness for the job is vital. They are usually personnel who are not well-acquainted with service delivery. For instance, in a restaurant, there are those who may not have skills to make particular dishes. Consequently, they may hinder the provision of the dishes to the consumers. Technological actors also play their role. Outdated use of machinery may lead to slow services in institution. It is vital to note that the world is continually evolving. Digitalization is an important component in any service industry ( Zeithmal, Bitner & Gremier, 2013, p. 76). The management must ensure that its employees know and utilize an update technology. Customer feedback is another critical point. The management that does not give room for customer opinion may stagnate in their performance (Sureshchandar, Chandrasekharan, &Anathan, 2002, p. 367). Needless to say, customers are central component that determine the business success. The delivery gap is evident in the case my family and I went through. First, the inaccurate total bill account raises an issue regarding the competency of the employees. It is probably that the cashier lacks confidence in simple mathematical calculations. The other option could entail lack of technology and proper training. The laxity of the management in providing recovery feedback shows their position in delivery services.

Perception Gap

The difference between the customer expectations and management perception is the perception itself. In essence, service provider may have an appropriate picture of what the consumer needs (Wirtz, Chew & Lovelock 2012, p 10). In fact, such provider wrongly perceives the customer requirement. It is mainly due to the lack of marketing research and upward communication. The management fails to get the needs of its society. They make an assumption that all customers have standard requirement. Consequently, a distinct customer does not benefit. Upward communication is also inadequate. The personnel and the management may not be communicating diverse changes that they see from their customers. For example, a firm may set a standard way of delivering services. However, the personnel on the ground may notice a deviation. Consequently, vertical communication is imperative in filling the gap. It enables the personnel to communicate the changes that can be adapted in order to improve customer care. Perception gap is evident in the incident that we did encounter. There was constraint in service delivery. They wrongly perceived our food order requirement. We did not get fish curry we had made a request for.

Recommendations

Training

There is evident need to overcome the service quality gaps that I did identify from the restaurant. First and foremost, it is vital to train the employees. The lack of competent personnel is evident in poor quality delivery. It did commence from the moment that we did arrive in the restaurant. There was no timely preparation for clients. There was also no Nonya Fish curry that we had made an order. Consequently, training employees is vital in boosting confidence and competency level (Kostopouls, Gounris & Boukis 2002, p. 35). It also increases the level of information that the personnel has regarding their business practice. Continuous professional training is an effective means of ensuring that workers upgrade their skills consistently. It also provides an opportunity for the clarification of employees’ roles according to their competency level. Training is vital in filling the knowledge niche.

Sufficient IT Technology

Information technology is vital in curbing the delivery gap. It enhances accuracy of the service process. For instance, the use of computer software that performs mathematical calculations .The total bill that we were given was inaccurate. There was evident miscalculation from the cashier’s side. The use of IT technology that is efficient will help to avoid similar occurrences. In fact, it can help the company to avoid future losses that may be detrimental to the business success. While it brings an extra cost to the customers, it is timely and ensures fast delivery of the services. IT technology can also enhance personnel response to customers (Fitzsimmons & Fitzsimmons 2010, p. 89). For instance, in event that the restaurant feels it may not meet the customers’ expectations, they may send an urgent email or text to customer and explain the problem. It is the answer to appropriate delivery.

Accuracy of Perception/Delivery

It is also recommended that the hotel uphold accuracy in its perception and delivery. Consequently, they must set guiding standards that are achievable: specific measurable, attainable realistic, and timely. Overstating the service leads to disappointment of the consumer. The adverts must therefore be precise. Moreover, the restaurant must also seek for providing services that they are committed to offer.

Market Research

Market research involves an extensive exploration of the current market demands, supply, and constraints. It entails studying the trend, invention, and innovation. As a result, one can make an appropriate recommendation that is distinct to a particular business. It is so because the world is in a constant process of evolution. There are new subject matters that constantly arise. In the hotel industry, there are new dishes that appear. The need to accommodate people of all classes is also evident. The management must consider people with disabilities and engage the services. The recommendation is also vital in ensuring the provision of diverse dishes. Customers have different tastes and preferences. The restaurant must explore the variety of dishes and ensure its employees can customize them according to the requirements of the consumers. It is a vital point in filling the knowledge gap.

Open Communication Line

The success of any business is hinged on its ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders. It involves horizontal and vertical physical communication. It is critical in ensuring the relay of information to the consumers. The lack of communication can cause a stalemate in the firm. The Singaporean restaurant should enhance the communication between the employees and customers. For example, when we sought for the recovery service feedback, there was no response. It is possible that we could interpret the firm does not esteem our views regarding their services. Communication is also vital in filling the perception gap. Both management and customers comprehend the need at hand. It also ensures the achievement of the set standards. The management and the personnel must also maintain open communication line.

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