| Abstract: | Abstract Although some studies have been done on supplementary services in the service industry, very little has been explicitly done in the travel and tourism industry. This paper focuses on adding value to core services in the travel and tourism industry, which Lovelock (1996) referred to as “supplementary services.” Supplementary services can be used as differentiation points in a highly competitive industry such as tourism. Some researchers have developed models in an effort to demonstrate how supplementary services can enhance the core services. Shostack (1977) and Lovelock (1996) have developed models specifically designed for the service industry. This research is based on Lovelock's (1996) “Flower of Service” model, focussing on the “Hospitality: Taking Care of the Customer” cluster. This paper contends that supplementary services add value to core services, which gives firms competitive advantage over their competition. In the dynamic and challenging environment of the travel and tourism industry, operators need to differentiate themselves in order to be successful and continue to offer superior performance. One of the strategies to differentiate from the competition is to enhance the core services with supplementary services. A major Midwestern City was selected to test Lovelock's model. Two conventions held in mid-February were chosen for this study. Attendees of the first convention were provided specially trained greeters at selected key locations. The second convention that was held the following week did not have any greeters. Attendees of both the conventions were asked to complete a one page pre-tested questionnaire. They were to rate the host-city on several criteria including overall satisfaction, meeting their expectations, and satisfaction with the hospitality and non-hospitality services. Obtained findings suggest that attendees who were exposed to greeters rated the host-city more favorably in overall impression, and quality of hospitality services, and non-hospitality services, while the convention attendees that were not exposed rated the host-city less favorably. Based on the results from this study, firms in the travel and tourism industry, especially the convention centers, may want to consider providing their customers with supplementary services such as greeters as a differentiation strategy. |
