Travel on Wheel Fiasco: Over Promise Under Deliver
Background Planning and Purpose
Students were decorating the floors of the Institute as a part of Diwali Decoration competition and it was a much-awaited day before the start of Diwali vacation. As an important announcement by the Director of the institute was rising curiosity and bursting the adrenaline among many students. The students were heard talking and discussing about the educational tour, but no one was sure as to what was the destination for National Study tour. Finally, around 12.30 p.m., three hundred students were called to the seminar hall, now the eagerness of the students has seen a height. Director and the coordinating staff approached the podium to make the announcement and ‘Kerala’ was the destination pronounced by him, following which a wave of cheer went among the students present. Everyone was excited for the educational tour and while leaving the hall they all greeted each other “Happy Diwali and Happy Vacations”.
The Management of a reputed institute in Nashik was, for the first time, planning a National study tour of its post-graduate students, after the Diwali vacation. Many tour operators were consulted and quotations were invited from them....................
Company Profile
Established in 2016, Travel on Wheels was a Jaipur-based start-up setup by a group of women entrepreneurs with an idea to help women to travel with women and explore the beauty of the world. With security of women becoming a problem now a days, the motive of Travel on Wheels was to provide safe and secure tours for women by grouping them with other female fraternity and help them get back the essence of life........
Commencement of Actual Tour
Finally, on November 20th 2017, the day of National Study Tour had arrived. Students attired in casuals seemed very excited about it.............
Problems Encountered
The study tour with 150 students, turned out to be a mixed bag of experiences, thanks to the numerous problems and service lapses that were encountered during the tour despite the promises made by a Jaipur based tour operator ‘Travel on Wheels’. The Company initially offered several tour packages which included travel, lodging and boarding, sightseeing and arrangements for industrial and educational visits at the selected tourist destination. Ms. Gauri, the owner of the company, had come to meet the management of the institution and had given a presentation for educational tour. To and fro railway reservations, hotel bookings at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram were confirmed by the tour operator..........
Assignment Questions
I. What are the service failure in the case?
II. Identify Service gaps from the case by using GAP model.
III. What are the expected roles of the service personnel handling the problems?
IV.............
