PERSON 1
Ans 1). Club Mediterranee SA, know as club Med, is a French public limited company specializing in the sale of all in holidays at a number of vacation villages which it owns and operated in a number of locations around the world. In the case there are some issues with the club Med like there is a growing threat from the competitors, there is inability to manage a global footprint, price is too expensive and sales have decreased in numbers.
The elements of Club Med's unique offering that cross cultural boundaries are-
· The destinations offered by them were homogeneous that is the customers know what to expect from them. The lack of money ensured that vacations broke down traditional wealth and status barriers to enjoy without any formalities.
· They provided their package throughout the year. Thus, giving summer as well as winter holiday packages.
· They provide the vacations packages which include stay at village huts and the unique feeling of relaxations.
· The package had some common basics such as free meals, unlimited wine and beers etc..
· They also have arranged special leisure time for customers such as arts, sports etc.
Ans 2). Yes, the club med should perform a market research on Americans. Since, there is a huge potential for them to make profits by capturing the American packaged tour markets. Second, they can understand the needs and the preferences they need to offer them. The American market consists of almost 7.5 million packaged tourists, with many of them going to Puerto Rico which is close to Club Med village.
The issues which they should explore are-
· They should research about the preferences and type of holidays which Americans like to further improve their offering.
· The number of clients in America is really low, thus they should research the cause of it.
· The image of club med as a sexual permissiveness environment was the cause of low sales. They should research more on the kind of image Americans prefer.
I would like to know, customer needs and preferences, listening to the customers and showing empathy, addressing issues to the company , delivering the solutions and taking the feedback from the customers. So from my point of view these are the key points that needs to be followed by every service industry.
Ans 3). The methods effective in performing research are-
· Internet Survey- It involves the tracking and analyzing the traffic on company website and follow ups. It also provides the large and diverse database.
· Telephonic interviews- It is the most inexpensive method of researching depending upon the duration of calls.
· Mail survey- The mail surveys are highly personalized and less expensive than personal interviews.
PERSON 2
To describe Club Med's experience for an international consumer would be something I would hope one would find enjoyable. As stated from the text, the original concept of Club Med was to create a Polynesian, "back to nature" atmosphere. I am not too familiar what that might consist of, but they explain. There are opened huts which with no luxury. They do offer showers and those are shared. One of the main events to club med was their outdoor activities. Depending on location, activities varied, but some included, horse back riding, snorkeling, deep sea diving, water skiing, and yoga. Now all meals are arranged, along with leisure or down time. All to intend in providing a "no hassle relaxed atmosphere" Sound nice? Here's where I can see a couple issues with all of this. I think the scope of their targeted patrons or guests is very narrow. I think this sounds like a very uppity style of a vacation that has good intentions but has not put forth cultural research. Not everyone eats at the same time. Some cultures eat dinner at 9 o'clock at night and thats their norm. And having arranged down time... what if guests need to take their la siesta. The shared showers, i mean thats one approach get acquainted with your neighbor. But seriously though, this whole thing started in the 1950's and kudos for them keeping it going, but as time goes on, trends change, society and social norms change, and culture changes. I think they're at a point where they recognize a change needs to be made because when asked the question, "Who is Club Med customer?" they don't know and they can't answer that right now because their SRC has gotten in the way. Everything they have put together is done in regards of what they feel and what they know best.
Do you think they should preform a market study on American consumers?.. Yes.
My questions would be, How much is this going to cost me? How long am i going to be there? I will keep my phone and I am not removing myself from society. What activities are offered? Can we have breakfast lunch or dinner whenever we get up, or feel like it? If it rains and the hut is all open, is that going to be a problem? If i want to watch a movie or tv, is that a luxury i'm not going to have? What is considered a luxury missing from these huts? What don't we have? are they amenities? What's the purpose of the car rental? Are we permitted to leave the village?
As far as a method of interviews, I think your Internet surveys will be your most effective means of information gathering. People can take surveys from their phones and do it on the go, at any place at their convenience.
Personally, it wouldn't be my first choice in vacations., but its preference.