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High patient satisfaction is not simply a customer service goal; it is an important dimension of quality and part of financial incentives and public reporting requirements. However, patient experience is often siloed within health system organizational charts and considered separately from quality and safety initiatives, instead of being seen predominantly as a “customer service” initiative. Representatives from 52 health care systems across the United States completed an online survey to explore both the processes and infrastructure hospitals employ to improve patient experience, and the metrics hospitals use to assess the quality of patient experience beyond patient satisfaction survey data. When asked about performance metrics beyond satisfaction, most hospitals or systems noted other metrics of the entire patient experience such as the rate of complaints or grievances and direct feedback from patient and family advisors. Additionally, respondents suggested that a broader definition of “quality of the patient experience” may be appropriate to encompass measures of access, clinical processes, and quality of care and patient safety outcomes. Almost all respondents that we surveyed listed metrics from these less traditional categories, indicating that performance improvement within the patient experience domain in these organizations is linked with other areas of hospital performance that rely on the same metrics, such as clinical quality and patient safety.

This chapter aims to present and analyze how the methodology/approach of service blueprinting may contribute to managing and offering high quality experiences to sport tourists.

In this study we use a combination of theoretical tools to develop a finalized services blueprint map for sport events. The method consists of a literature review and a presentation of empirical findings. First, using a case study, we present the process through which a small-scale sport event blueprint map was constructed. Secondly, based on a meeting with the management staff and the use of diaries, we analyze the comments of tourists in the sport event area. Thirdly, we compare and describe the main contact points between the front-line staff and sport event tourists in a service blueprint. Finally we apply the six dimensional construct domain analysis of service experiences and combine this information in a table format for the Failure, Effect, and Action analysis.

This study shows that observation, diaries, service blueprints, comment management, and FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) are a range of corporate research approaches and management tools that can offer new insights into the theory and praxis of service management applications and can improve the experiences of sports tourists.

This study is related to sport rural events. Researchers have to check with the same method to study the results also in other sport events.

The analysis of Small-Scale Sport Event Services Blueprinting can be combined with other useful managerial tools, like the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to better manage the contact points, the “moments of truth” of tourist experiences in the sport event service system. In addition, the SMF case study shows that it is useful to point out the problematic areas in the service system using combined methods and managerial tools with the aim of enhancing and contributing to better manage sport tourism event experiences.

It presents the new idea of combining theoretical constructs and measurement tools in order to blueprint, analyze, and create service customer experiences.

Family tourism remains an important market segment. Its dynamics evolve when family members take a trip together. Understanding how families from emerging markets create quality touristic experiences is essential in a globalized environment of tourism flows. Using textual data from online blogs, this study explores how multigenerational family tourists from China experience and interpret the United States as a destination. Results show that traditional Chinese values assist family members to construct quality experiences. Different generations fulfill their respective functions with pleasure and responsibility. The findings suggest that quality experiences for the family tourists from China are constructed upon their consumption of the physical and tangible environment in the United States.

The tourist experience has matured in its body of literature, but researchers still debate the best way to measure and define the concept. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare memorable and on-site tourist experiences from theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives. A review of the literature is used to identify and describe the next evolutionary research step which is the quality-of-life (QOL) aspect of tourism experiences. It is argued that the evolving focus on QOL attributes is fueled by the theories and concepts of service-dominant logic. The paper argues that value (co)created on all sides of the equation (e.g., customer or company) must be considered when carrying out research. The paper also finds that different value outcomes for the individual customer occur in both on-site and memorable experience contexts. The findings contest an earlier theoretical argument, suggesting that memorable tourist experiences provide more value than on-site tourist experience.

Theory suggests that a person who is vital is energetic and fully functioning. Although researchers have recently directed increased attention to studying factors that facilitate or undermine vitality, this subject of inquiry is in its early stages, particularly in work settings. One critical social factor impacting vitality may be interpersonal relationships. This study examines how interpersonal relationships between co-workers affect employee vitality and job performance. Results of a study on 147 employees in work organizations indicate that both the capacities and experiences of high-quality relationships are positively associated with feelings of vitality, which, in turn, result in enhanced job performance.

In this chapter we aim to consider human resources (HR) within the context of tourism experiences. Specifically, our intention is to analyze and highlight the importance of a strategic approach to human resources management (HRM) and suggest suitable tools and strategies.

Extensive literature reviews were conducted on issues and aspects of HRM. Micro-cases and examples are used to illustrate efficient HRM tools and practices.

(i) HR have a significant contribution to make in overcoming the challenge of creating and managing experiences to meet customer expectations and achieve tourism business aims. (ii) The strategic management approach to HR is indispensable because consumption experience has shifted from the servicescape to the experiencescape environment. (iii) This evolution implies that tourism staff need to develop a new skills set.

This study is explorative in nature, based on a literature review. Thus, more research-based knowledge and more empirical studies are needed to fully validate the chapter’s suggestions.

Strategic HRM is a requirement for tourism businesses that aim to provide valuable tourism experiences. There is a need for experiential intelligence and a bundle of skills to fulfill the customized requirements and personal aspirations of contemporary tourists. The related strategies are also discussed.

The study offers insights into aspects of HRM in the context of tourism experiences and highlights the necessity of developing an extended bundle of skills.

Quality has been widely recognised as an important source of competitive edge in the tourism industry. Much of the focus of research to date has been on the individual firm. However, there has been a shift from interfirm competition to interdestination competition, resulting in a lacuna in the research and a need for more attention to be afforded to management of quality at the destination level. Given the fragmented and diverse nature of the tourism destination, many researchers have underlined the need for co-operation in any effort to improve quality at the destination. However, there is often a reluctance among tourism businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to cooperate. This paper sheds light on the impact of training on interfirm dynamics within a destination quality management network. The findings revealed that training of network members influenced the development of a referral system, which in turn helped to create a tourism quality value chain for the visitor.