Бекжигитова З.С., Ким О.А., Зелинский Р.Н.

Карагандинский государственный университет имени академика Е.А, Букетова

The quality improvement of tourist services in Kazakhstan

 

The dynamics of the tourism development is directly depends on the quality of provided services, which in present is a problem of a whole Kazakhstan tourist industry. Tourism in many developing countries plays a big role in a formation of internal gross product, providing the employment of population and activation of the foreign trade balance. Also tourism has a great influence on the development of different key industries of economy and is one of the most profitable type of  business in the world. So the development of a given branch by the accelerated rates is necessary in our country.

A service quality in tourism is one of the most actual problems in the development of this branch of national economy. It is the strongest weapon for competitive fight in the international tourist market. Tourists who are happy with service in hotels, restaurants, bureau of services, tourist complexes of certain countries become an active propagandists of them. They multiply attend these places promoting the improvement of the number of tourists, creating a high reputation for tourist areas which they like. The service quality promotes to increasing of the economical efficiency of tourism.

The task is consideration and studying of the problems with service quality analysis in management of the hotel enterprise.

The service quality is a set of characteristics defining on ability to satisfy established or assumed human requirements which depends on the following factors:

· indicators of the functional appointment;

· indicators of the social appointment;

· the ergonomic indicators;

· the aesthetic indicators;

· indicators of the safety;

· the ecological indicators;

· the patent and legal indicators;

· indicators of the standardization.

Besides there are some specific factors for tourism sphere which substantially influence on creation of the qualitative tourist product.

1. Discretization (continuity) of the tourist service production and integrity of their consumption. Professionals of tour business often say: "Hospitality is an art of trifles". All services must work accurately and qualitatively in providing of the tourist product quality. The work of a technical service which is responsible for elevators, serviceability of phones, locks, furniture and bathroom equipment is equally important for the qualitative tourist service production.

2. Possibility of the repeated production of tourist services on equally high level or duration of quality. For many producers of tourist product the decision of a given problem appears an excessive task which often becomes a reason of sharp decreasing of competitiveness for the whole company.

3. Tourism sphere belongs to such type of activity in which producing product, being intangible, is consumed with its production at the same time. A staff of the company doesn't have the chance for correction of the defects. It is a very important moment as the quality of staff's work significantly influences on the qualitative characteristics of the tourist product.

Practically the service quality is defined by the efficiency of work in casting and organization of rounds by inquires of clients - a service speed in a complex defines a degree of every client's satisfaction; the receiving dates of reference information; the politeness of service which is expressed in staff's hospitality; their attention to every client's requirements; patience in discussion of a route; the compliance of the offered round to the real contents; the presence of sequence with all compound parts of a complex service.

 

An observance of the following principles is a necessary requirement of the service quality improvement in tourist companies:

The first is observance of the main and more important principles of modern service:

1. Maximum compliance of the provided services to the requirements of consumers and character of consumption;

2. Indissoluble communication of the service with marketing, its main principles and tasks.

3. Flexibility of the service, its orientation to control the changing requirements of the market, consumers' preferences of tourist services.

The second is a creation of necessary conditions for the staff, which must provide the qualitative service. There are:

1. Ergonomics of working places;

2. Accurate formulation of rules which are obligatory for execution by every employee;

3. Accurate estimation system of every employee's quality of the work which allows to objectively measure the efficiency of service by the quantity and quality, especially such elements as goodwill and politeness poorly giving in control;

4. Staff's motivation, its sincere interest in prosperity of the whole company, desire and ability to do the work maximum effectively, spirit on a self-improvement;

5. Promotion system of the staff's qualification.

The third is optimization of organizational management structure of the company providing tourist services. Such organizational management structure in which a number of elements extremely isn't enough (without any damage for service quality) is considered an optimal structure, that is the probability to make a mistake is bigger when a chain of the order passing is longer. The necessary condition for providing a continuity of technological process with the same level of service quality is also interaction efficiency which allows to immediately correct mistakes and except possibility of their review.

The fourth is a comprehensive, full, objective and continuous control for the service quality, assuming the following:

1. Guest's participation in estimation of the quality and its control;

2. Creation of techniques and criteria which allow to match the requirements of standarts with an actual situation;

3. Creation of systems for staff's self-checking;

4. Permanent work with the quality groups;

5. Application of accurately formulated quantitative estimation criteria of the provided service quality;

6. Staff's participation in creation of quality systems and criteria;

7. Application of the technical tool for the quality control.

8. Creation of the control services which would consist of representatives from different services: management, finance department, security department, HR department, heads or employees of all functional services.

The control system is an integral part of achievement the high service quality. Its necessary to observe a principle of continuity at the creation of the control system. The control system of quality services must provide just every second control on all levels of technological cycle and parameters. Besides, a function of control being reflexive must directly provide flexibility and correction of all other actions for ensuring of service quality.

Thus we can distinguish 2 main criteria of quality system: it must provide a high level of service quality, its compliance to standarts and tourists requirements, and also be a tool for creation of special technologies on rational business management.

For example, it can be possible to enter such directions for the increasing of the service level and service rendering:

1. Increasing requirements to the staff at the employment;

2. Professional development of shots:

· primary training in compliance with the company's tasks and specifics of work;

· training for elimination of a gap between requirements position and personal qualities;

· training for increasing of the general qualification;

· training for assimilation of new tools and methods in performance of labor operations.

3. Introduction of new technologies in service of tourists;

    4. Application the method of a zero defect;

    5. Reduction the cases of labor discipline violation due to carrying out a work with the staff;

    6. Decreasing in quantity of expenses connected with carrying out a work concerning service of the staff;

    7. Introduction the actions of scientific organization work: placement of the staff in compliance with qualification, education, age, temperament and so on.

Generally, the responsible task for tourist companies is a creation of reputation with high quality of quests service, which is provided by collective worker's efforts of all services of a company; permanent and effective control from the side of administration; improvement of service forms and methods, studying and introduction of the best practices, new technics and technology, expansion of the range and improvement the quality of provided services. The provided tourist services must correspond to expectations and physical capacities of consumers for whom the service is addressed, and also requirements which include an additional facilities for consumers, appeal and prestigiousness of services. The recommended requirements to tourist service and conditions of service are: a compliance to appointment; accuracy and timeliness of performance; complexity; ethics of the staff; comfort; aesthetics; ergonomics. It’s necessary to provide the tourist services suggested both main and additional services (household, communications, trade) creating normal conditions for life support of consumers.