Refer to the scenario below to answer the following questions.
Carol Veldt, owner of Seagull Terrace, watched her investment grow from a small,
seaside motel to a thriving year-round resort in just a few years. Atop a bluff
overlooking the Maine coast, Seagull Terrace had attracted thousands of visits during
the summer months, but then faced a tremendous downturn in business during the
winter months. “But, given the industry in the nearby towns, very little year-round
competition, and our close proximity to Portland,” Carol added, “I couldn’t understand
why seasonality had to hit Seagull Terrace so hard!”
So Carol spent her first winter devising a new marketing plan. She put together a
promotional package designed to attract business travelers year-round. Carol’s plan
involved a seasonal promotional gimmick to be implemented from early winter to late
spring that would attract the same numbers as the large summer crowd. Her idea
worked! During her second winter, Carol greeted numerous business travelers both
satisfied repeat guests as well as new guests who had been snagged by her promotional
appeals.
“We still have a long way to go,” Carol admitted. “Our delicatessen offers delicious
entrees, but we’d like to expand that. We provide health club privileges off-site, but we’d
like to eventually provide our own. These are goals I hope to achieve in a few years.
Our first project, however, included a renovation of our guest rooms and I’m quite
proud of the results.” Carol then added, “Actually there are so many possibilities! With
an indoor pool area, I will eventually offer weekend get-aways throughout the winter.”
Carol asks guests to complete a customer satisfaction survey before they leave the
resort. In addition to asking for demographic information and 1-10 ratings on aspects of
the stay at the resort, the survey asks guests for suggestions on what types of services
they’d like to see at the hotel. Carol most likely intends to use this information as part of
a(n) ________ system.
A. four Ps
B. marketing mix
C. customer relationship management
D. perceived value
E. value map