Abstract
The company was founded in Britain in 2000 and its headquarters were in London. The company operates in approximately 60 offices in the world. The company deals with concierge services.
The company operates under extensively reliable management. There are directors and managers for various departments that make the company outstanding in the concierge industry.
Through external evaluation, the company remains attractive to the public. This may be determined through 7s strategy. Strategy, structures, systems, shared values, style, staff, and skills are major elements to define the external appearance of the organization. Completive environment, defines the ability of the company to shine in an extremely competitive market.
Internal evaluation strategies have been equally fundamental in defining the direction of the company. These elements include, marketing, advertising, promotional and pricing strategies that are extremely vital in defining success for organizations. These are tools that define the success of various departments in an organization. being an international company the Quintessentially Group has to be extremely keen on these elements.
The company has unique strategies to help it survive in the global market as one of the most outstanding company in delivery of concierge services. However, there are various changes that it may apply to make it secure a wider market. This may be achieved through research for most applicable recommendations.
Historical Back ground
Quintessentially, which is mainly known as Quintessentially Group is a company that was founded in Britain in 2000. The company has its headquarters in London and operates in 60 offices in the world. Quentessentially operates under exclusivity of members only in delivery of its luxury lifestyle management services. The company was founded by Ben Elliot, Paul Drummond, and Aaron Simpson. Through founders Ben Elliot and Aaron Simpson, the Quintessentially Foundation was founded in 2008. This is a charitable organization situated in the UK and Hong Kong. It partners and gives grants to innovative charities when various tragedies arise. It deals with concierge products (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
Main Figures
Founders
- Ben Ellion
- Paul Drummond
- Aaron Simpson
Executive management
- Aaron Simpson- He is a co-founder and the Group Chairman and he is based in London.
- Emma Sherrard Matthew- She is the Chief Executive Officer and she is based in Hong Kong.
- Ben Elliot- He is a co-founder and the Group’s Commercial Director and he is based in London.
- Jon Scott- He is the Finance Director and he is based in London.
- Anthony Brooke is the Non-Executive Director and he is also based in London.
The company has a big list of directors and mangers who oversee execution of services as well as duties of the company worldwide. The Quintessentially has a repreasentative leader in each of the countries that it operates.
External evaluation
7S
Strategy
The company operates under a Private Members club that offers 24 hour concierge services. This is extensive uniqueness to counter competition as most of the competitors believe in a casual membership. The Private Members club extends the sense of belonging to customers thus a reliable strategy to attract clients.
Structure
The group has an outstanding organizational structure with the chairman being the chairperson of the board. The vice-chairman who is undertakes the duties of the chairman in his absence for meetings as well as the duties allocated by the chairman. The CEO of the company is in charge of overall running of the company. The management has other members who are in charge of various departments in the group.
Systems
The company has invested in global reach system, which assists in the management of 60 physical offices, as well as 1500 Lifestyle Experts Worldwide. The company also operates under one Corporate Responsibility Management (CRM) System, which is geared by a custom version of Sales force known as QFORCE . This allows faultless lifestyle management in the world. The team is also dedicated to excellent roll-out, training as well as Corporate Memberships’ retention.
Shared Values
Quintessentially is service oriented, dynamic, entrepreneurial, as well as maintaining integrity in internal and external relationships. The company operates as a global team. The mission of the company is to give services that are above the expectations of its members. The company aims at delivering unrivaled personal services with extensive concern for quality services. Aspirations, innovation, and resourcefulness bring out the best of the company. the company extends its services 24 hours a day as well as ensuring convenient services. (MarketingWeek, 2012).
The leadership style of the organization is participatory. The staffs are allowed to carry out duties provided they are sure that the duties are right and are not harmful to clients and the company. They have an advisory role to the top management and are engaged in determination of critical issues in the company.
Staff
The company has put up an outstanding Staffing plan where employees are recruited on the basis of tasks ahead. The group has employed different classes of staff as representatives of various roles executed by the company (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005). The staff size continues to increase as demand for services increases in the company.
Skills
Competitive environment
There are various challenges that would deny the group of companies from being the best in the best industry.
Salaries
All employees are continuously complaining of poor remuneration. All employees are not satisfied with the low salary they receive after so much work. They believe that as an international company, its salaries to them should be a bit high. Failure to consider grievances for these employees would give competitors a chance to poach employees from Quintessentially Company. This will make the company loose highly reliable employees (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
Poor international coordination
The company lacks adequate representation of management at the global level. According to a former business developer of the company based in London, the company does not have a leader who coordinates activities at the international level. A company that is well coordinated at the international level will easily outdo Quintessentially Company in the market through this stand (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Improper management
According to current Lifestyle Manager based in Dubai, the company has poor management style that has allowed poor shift patterns, lack of proper growth, as well as lack of appreciation for employees. This may be an excellent platform for competitors to extend their strength to defeating Quintessentially Company.
Consumer trends
People have become sensitive of information as they travel. There has always been need for destination information instead of relying on the internet for directions. Quintessentially Company has invested extensively in global network that will ensure that its clients are well connected to the information of their destination (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
The company has also invested in luxury among clients. When travelling most individuals wish to be treated in absolutely high class form of treatment. The company connects people to the best transport as well as accommodation agents whom will ensure that clients are well catered for during their visit.
It has also designed membership programs where clients can register into various programs on the basis of their preference. This means that people will be treated according to their program. Therefore, all interests for different clients will have been catered for accordingly. However, the company has scrapped the ordinary member’s club subscription to ensure high quality services for employees (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Internal evaluation
Target consumers
This company usually targets customers who regularly visit different countries. This means that the individuals will only bear exclusive services of the company if they are consistent travelers. They mainly prefer clients who visit regions in which the company operates.
Also, according to the forms of membership that the company extends to clients, it is highly interested with individuals who can afford to subscribe to the lowest membership subscription. This sets a bar that clients must meet before being accepted as members by the company (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
Positioning
The company has been rated excellent in extension of informational services to clients. Clients are satisfied with the prevailing prices for acquiring the needed information for the destination.
Quintessentially Company has also invested in an exclusively reliable global network services. This allows the management to monitor activities around the globe and extend necessary services to customers. This has positioned the company as the best in global interaction within its branches (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Also, the company has positioned itself through introduction of membership plans. This gives people a sense of belonging and they get more attached to the organization. This makes the company secure a wide market in the concierge services industry. However, these programs are expensive and have been a challenge to most clients (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
Customers have also appreciated the company for excellent accommodation and transport services through its agents. Most customers appreciate the move of connecting clients to excellent transport as well as, accommodation agents.
High quality
Global network services programs’ subscriptions
Information for clients
Accomodation & transport
low price High price
low quality
Brand identity and strategy
Physical Facet
The physique for the organization is “offering the most outstanding conceirge services”.The company belives in delivery of the best conceirge services in the entire world. This is the driving force for the organization to excellence and dominance in the global market ofr concerige servcies (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Personality
This is a concerned company with customer satisfaction as the driving force. Also, the company belives in genuineness. The company only offers the required information or services without demand for extra considerations or offering low quality services in demand for extremely high compensation.
Culture
This is a British company with its heqdqurters in London. Therefore, the company is driven by openness and reliability in services delivery. It represents the best travelling practices following extensive exposure in London (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Relationship
The company takes the client to be its most valuable asset. All the operations that the management undertake are to ensure satisfaction for customers. Employees have been prepared in a manner that they also believe in customer satisfaction. The company offers the most customer-friendly set of services in the industry. It has previoulsy won an award on the best concierge company in the world (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).
Reflection
Customers view the company as the image of the kind of services that concierge industry should extend to their customers. The brand of the company is a sign of satisfaction for customers. It is the proper definition of excellence in the industry (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Self-image
Customers believe they deserve the best services from the company. They view themselves as paramount for continuity of the business. Securing services from Quintessentially Company makes clients feel extremely satisfied and enjoying excellent services.
Product strategy
The company has developed a 24 hour concierge services. The company has developed various membership programs to allow people access unrivalled package of fashionable privileges. There are membership clubs such as Q Private Member’s club, Bulk membership packages, General membership, the Dedicated Membership, and the Elite Membership. These packages make the company most preferable among various companies offering concierge services (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Pricing Strategy
Quintessentially Company has had to use different pricing strategies based on different circumstances. The first technique is the high-low pricing strategy. The company usually offer its services at a slightly higher price compared to its competitors. However, it has been able to win a lot of customers following massive promotional services. It ensures that key items such as provision of information are cheap and at the same level with the prices of the competitors.
Also, the company practices market-oriented pricing strategy. This has been exclusively significant for the company in gaining access of new markets. Before, getting into a new market, the company first conducts research on the prevailing markets and later embarks on plans to make the company succeed in setting a competitive market while it maintains its reliability for quality services. Membership costs range from $1,500 per individual, per annum for general membership, to $45,000 per individual, per annum for the global elite membership (QuintessentiallyLifestyle, 2005).Distribution strategy
The founders of the company had a global operations dream. Therefore, they focused on developing a system that would help the company operate globally. The global network set by the company has been the main services distribution strategy. The company has been connected to global customers through a network that helps the company acquire information about all customers as well as extend ample services to all of them in its global branches (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Advertising strategy
The company believes that its services to the existing customers are the best advertising strategy. The company wins clients through existing clients whom achieve excellent services to define the face of the company. However, the company owns Quintessentially TV in which it carries its promotional services. Its adverts are usually eye-catching and developed in well chosen words to define attractiveness to customers (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Promotional strategy
However, the company believes in promotions. It usually carries out promotional services in all the countries within which it operates. It may decide to lower prices for various membership programs for a given period. This will ensure that the company attracts more customers. Recently, the company has conducted an outstanding promotion in London and neighboring cities to secure a wide market. The promotion had embedded on reduced charges for global elite membership at a reduced price of $35000 in 2012 (MarketingWeek, 2012).
International strategy
Dubai being one of the best markets for the company experiences extensive promotional services, which have made the company one of the most outstanding concierge services company. Many companies have camped in Dubai in bid for the high number of visitors to the country for business as well as tourism (MarketingWeek, 2012).
Recommendations
The company should aim at extending services to the middle class who are dominant in the current global economic status. This will assist the company in securing a wider market.
The company needs to invest massively in its employees in terms of information as well as compensating them accordingly. This will increase productivity of the company.
Different prices may be set for different people from various countries. This is based on economic differences among members. This may attract customers from developing economies.
Also, the company should invest more in an advertising strategy that will ensure the globe is aware of its products. It may do this through use of global television channels to reach various people.
Conclusion
The Quintessentially Group is one of the most outstanding companies offering concierge services. It believes in satisfaction of customers through delivery of ample services. It has invested in a global network that allows excellence in service delivery. The pricing, advertising, and promotional services are competitive to suit the challenge in the market. However, the company should come up with excellent strategies to assist in dealing with challenges in its line of operation. The report defines the path that the company has previously followed to reach its current position in the global market.
References
MarketingWeek. (2012, February 1). Q&A: Ben Elliot, co-founder, Quintessentially. Marketing Jobs & Marketing News. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/are-you-reaching-the-worlds-elite-customers/3033720.article
QuintessentiallyLifestyle. (2005, September 17). Quintessentially Private Members Club.Private Members Club. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.quintessentially.com/membership.
