Customer satisfaction with tour leaders' performance: A study of Taiwan's package tours

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the elements that affect customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction through the service offered by the tour leader in on-tour service encounters. It also analyzed the role of the tour leader within a long-haul escorted group. The relationship between overall satisfaction with a travel agency and the generation of repeat business was also investigated. The primary data were collected using three methods: semi-structured face-to-face interviews with managers from randomly selected Taiwanese travel agencies; participant observation of a Taiwanese guided package tour; and semi-structured international telephone interviews with tour group participants. The results revealed that the service attitude of the tour leader is sufficient to satisfy tour participants but interpretation skills will enhance the customers' level of satisfaction. However, Taiwan's tour leaders are tip-sensitive and the issue of tipping plays a crucial factor in influencing the tour leaders' job performance as well as customer satisfaction. Findings also revealed that tour leaders have a good opportunity to develop personal relationships with tour members and that the tour leader is only a partial factor influencing the future return of customers. A reasonable price of the tour is also essential. The results suggested that travel agencies should be aware of the importance of the tour leaders' welfare and should help them to improve their presentation and communication (social) skills – to explain to customers the reason why “negative incidents of low significance” occur and consequently to help reduce customer dissatisfaction when problems occur on the tour.