1
I belong to the customer oriented travel industry. A customer wanted me to plan an itinerary for him and his family for a weeklong trip to Europe. A part of the trip in Naples saw him without hotel reservation. The customer had already paid for the trip but was left to fend for himself.
I had planned the entire trip and made all reservations required. Since it was my customer, he was indignant at the turn of events and started abusing me from Naples. I ignored his outburst and made alternate accommodation for him at Naples in the meantime.
The enraged customer cooled down when the alternate arrangements were made. He accepted the solution put forward by me very tersely over the telephone from Naples. I gave him a call on his arrival and found him in a positive mood. He even apologised for his behavior.
I learnt how important a calm and composed mind is. Had I behaved the way the customer did, it would only have worsened the situation. I solved the problem and did not take his outburst personally. It took me just a return call to sort out the issue later.
2
Career and Strathclyde MBA
I have worked as a frontline travel executive for two years and plan to take things to the next level. I want to become a travel consultant and offer travel solutions to corporate clients. I am pursuing MBA to equip myself with the tools needed to make myself a thorough professional.
While most management programs cater to freshly passed out students from college, there are not many good programs for those with professional experience. The MBA offered by Strathclyde is different in this context.
There are four modules to this course. The ‘Reflective Practitioner’ and ‘Making the Business Work’ are modules which have filled the crucial gap in my knowledge. ‘Strategic Management for Sustainable Success’ and ‘Personal Development’ equip me for my ultimate career aim (Programme Overview, University of Strathclyde).
3
Work Experience for Learning and for Group Discussion (GD)
I work in a competitive service industry. As a front line executive in a travel agency, I have to cater to various customers on a daily basis. While my intelligence is definitely required, the personal rapport that I share with my customer makes all the difference when it comes to retaining him.
Knowing the requirements of the customer is the beginning. The rapport with the customer is built on the way. I have to constantly keep in touch with him so that he not only becomes a return customer but also leads to referrals from his friend and family circle.
My experience has made me opt for Customer Relations Management (CRM). My focus is the customer which is what I learn about. The course helps me hone my communication and interaction skills. The practical knowledge that I have makes the theory learnt relevant and suitable for my career.
We have many GD sessions during the course. I have a clear edge and steer the discussion on many topics not handled in class but taken up as GD sessions. This is due to my rich and varied experience in the travel industry.
References
Official website of Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Available at: http://www.strath.ac.uk/mba/programmeoverview/ & http://www.strath.ac.uk/mba/whatisthestrathclydemba/
