This book offers insights into the demands made on staff in service encounters in tourism, events and hospitality roles. Using data from research completed in these industries, it hinges upon storied incidents offered by workers about which the reader can reflect and apply theoretical knowledge. A key feature of this volume is that it focuses on staff perspectives and perceptions of service encounters and delivery rather than on customer or management perspectives. This will provide students, lecturers, management and customers with fresh and clear understandings of the demands made on staff, but also the perspectives from which the demands are seen. The chapters clarify to students how to apply academic knowledge within customer service contexts and include learning objectives, questions and summaries.
Miriam Firth is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester, UK. Her research interests include vocational education and training, employability, culture and event sustainability.
Introduction Chapter 1. What are Customer Service Encounters? Chapter 2. Staff to Staff Support for Service Encounters Chapter 3. Soft Skills in Service Encounters Chapter 4. Emotional LabourChapter 5. Aesthetic and Sexualised LabourChapter 6. Intercultural Sensitivity Chapter 7. Co-production and Co-creation Chapter 8. Legal FrameworksChapter 9. Using Humour in Customer Service Encounters Chapter 10. Management of Service Encounters in Tourism, Events and Hospitality Management
I really enjoyed Service Encounters in Tourism, Events and Hospitality. The big point of difference of this book is how it addresses the employee-customer interface from the employee perspective. Firth skilfully takes readers on a journey to ‘walk in the shoes’ of service employees, providing vital insights for leaders.