Who oversees all marketing tasks in the company? What does the person do every day? What is the career path of the person?

You have to use the information – below to write the Interview Q&A Part.

1. Who oversees all marketing tasks in the company? What does the person do every day? What is the career path of the person?

Son Nguyen does very all marketing tasks in the company. He usually does Inventory. Covid 19, patio dining – set up all tables, chairs, utensils, togo supplies, sanitizer.

2. How is the business performance of the company this year? Where does it stand in the market comparing to other competitors? Please use SWOT analysis to investigate their market

Before covid 19, they are doing well

When the covid 19, outdoor is more focus on. The sale during this pandemic is better than before.

3. Who are the target customers? How do they segment customers to different groups?

Local customers- Vietnamese,  aware of who love Asian – Pho -Asian, Mexican & white.

Nem cua be is high level eggroll- highend quality food. Define audience- segment. Keep price low to affordable – casual restaurant.

4. How does the company develop new products? Please ask for specific EXAMPLES/STORIES to support your discussion.

During this time, they adjust a little bit. Everything is down. People still want to dine out. They cut some complicate items on menu. Not at this point.

Pho & Nem Cua Be. Improve Broken Rice – more competitive dishes with competitors.

Introduce more dessert- Che – new sweet items after entree

5. What are the factors influencing their price decision?

Price is higher than before- because of food cost, labor cost.

6. How do they promote and advertise their products? Please ask for EXAMPLES/STORIES to support your

Still maintain Facebook, Social media apps, but Cutting down advertise on news/ radios because of pandemic to cut the cost.

7. How do they manage the customer relationship and foster loyal customers? Please ask for EXAMPLES/STORIES to support your

Customer relationship is keeping good quality food/ drinks. They are using word of mouth. They also have discount promotion on special occasion.

8. What distribution channels are selected? How much does the channel cost?

Radio Channel- clip 30s – 1 minutes- talk show- promoting value & culture cuisine.

It cost $1000 a month to get more views on social media.

9. How does the company use digital marketing tools (e.g., search engine optimization, social media, mobile apps) in their marketing practices?
10. What is the marketing information system used in the company? For example, is any point of sales (POS) system, channel management system, or revenue management system used? Please briefly describe its functions, costs of implementation, and why it is

They are not using POS system. They can still do accounting manually. They take credit card, apple pay, amex, etc. customers still pay a convenience fee

11. What are the challenges or issues with their marketing practices (i.e., product innovation, employee training)? Please ask for EXAMPLES/STORIES to support your

Covid 19- employee training is not hard. They have to continue training employee to keep health guidelines. Cross training.

12. Does the company adopt or plan to adopt robots or chatbots for customer service? If yes, how does the company use robots or chatbots? If no, why not?

No. It hard to use robots to serve the customers.

13. How does the person think of the pros and cons of using robots or chatbots in the hospitality industry? What are the most important concerns for adopting robots?

Interview Q&A

Question 1: The Person Responsible for Marketing

The interviewee affirmed that one person, Son Nguyen, is responsible for all marketing activities in the company. The person oversees all marketing actions in the company, including connecting the company to its customers and doing the inventory to ensure that the firm has adequate supplies to meet the demand. Causado Rodríguez (2015) suggests that a good marketer should recognize the need to get additional supplies to ensure that the available stock is not too little or too much. During the COVID-19 period, Nguyen has confirmed that the firm complies with all measures to prevent infections, such as social distancing by setting up tables and chairs observing the recommended distance, sanitizing utensils ensuring togo supplies and sanitizer to ensure the safety of all customers. The marketer has communicated to customers about the high level of compliance to ensure that they keep coming back for services without undue fear of COVID-19 infections. The marketer has thus far performed a great job marketing during the COVID-19 crisis.

Question 2: Performance of the Company this Year

The company was performing well before the COVID-19 crisis. The financial position during the first two months of 2020 was impressive. Still, when the disease’s first cases were recorded in the country, and social distancing measures were implemented, the performance started to decline. However, after the company implemented strategies, such as focusing on outdoors, the pandemic’s sales became better than that of our primary competitors. A SWOT Analysis will explain the company’s performance better amid the crisis. According to Gürel and Tat (2017), the analysis helps the firm to understand the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) environment that affect the firm’s performance.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Strong marketing Awareness of social distancing measures	Weaknesses Limited space Limited resources to cater for COVID-19 control measures
Opportunity Focus on outdoors Use of technology for marketing	Threats Competition The COVID-19 pandemic

 

Question 3: Target Customers

The company’s target customers are local customers, mostly Vietnamese, who are aware of and love Asian and Mexican foods. The main customers are Asians, Mexicans, and Whites who love the variety of food served at the restaurant. The restaurant sells high-end quality food to attract customers seeking quality instead of quantity in all the foods served. The restaurant also provides its food at an affordable price for local customers since it is a casual restaurant. The restaurant serves Nem cua as high-level eggroll to the local customers. Segmentation is necessary in marketing since a business cannot meet all the entire population’s needs. Collica (2017) affirms that segmentation helps a company to target a manageable number of customers satisfactorily. The restaurant segments its customers based on culture and food customers, by price by offering food at a low price, by service such as those who eat out and those who eat at the restaurant, and by customer type such as vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Each customer segment has something to meet their needs.

Question 4: Development of New Products

The company keeps diversifying its product portfolio to appeal to the current and new customers and improved its profitability and competitiveness. During the time they are creating a new product, they adjust a little bit. For example, they have implemented major changes during the COVID-19 pandemic period since many people want to dine out instead of staying inside a restaurant to avoid the risk. Therefore, they have created simple take-away snacks to sell on the go for customers who prefer to dine outside. For example, the management held a meeting to determine the products they would like to cut from the menu and add to customers’ appeal during the crisis period. They introduced Pho & Nem Cua Be and Broken Rice, which are among the more competitive dishes to compete effectively with rivals during the uncertain time. They have introduced more dessert, such as Che, new sweet items after entrée, which customers can have outside. The company realizes the need to minimize the time customers have to sit inside to have their meals.

Question 5: Factors Influencing Price Decision

Pricing is a critical activity for any company since it determines the ability to generate returns on investment. Therefore, the company should ensure that its products’ price is adequate to cater to expenses and generate profits for continued operations (Moosavi Tabatabaei, Sadjadi, & Makui, 2017). Various factors determine the price of each product in the restaurant. According to the interviewee, the price for its products during the COVID-19 period is slightly higher than before the pandemic due to increased supplies’ price. Supply is one of the factors that determine the price. The epidemic has affected the supply of food, increasing the cost. Thus, the company reviewed the prices to cater to the increasing cost of food supplies. The cost of labor is another factor that affects pricing decisions. The cost of labor during the period is high, driving the price of products upwards. Generally, when the operation cost is high due to the increasing cost of supplies and labor, the prices are most likely to increase.

Question 6: Promotion and Advertising

Promotion and advertising are critical factors in the positive performance of businesses, including restaurants. The two marketing activities are necessary to ensure that customers know what the company is selling and to make informed decisions when buying (O’guinn et al., 2014). The interviewee acknowledged that the company focuses on marketing to ensure that its target customers get the message about what they are selling. The company has a Facebook profile and a social media app that customers can visit to get the catalogue and decide what to buy. However, during the pandemic, the company has decided to reduce marketing costs to remain competitive and profitable. As a result, the restaurant is no longer marketing through news/ radios. During the past few months, the company has been cutting the cost of operating to maintain profitability. However, the marketer has realized social media’s power as a free marketing tool to inform its clients about ongoing changes.

Question 7: Customer Relations Management

The restaurant’s management recognizes that customers are the most important stakeholders since they are the reason it remains afloat. According to Shire, Holtgrewe, and Kerst (2017), customer relations are influenced by how the firm serves its customers and meets their needs through its products. In the restaurant sector, the condition is necessary to create customer loyalty and ensure that they keep returning for food and other services that the restaurant provides. The interviewee suggested that the company ensure customer relations through its quality foods and drinks. For example, employees use word of mouth to market the product as a place where customers can get great foods. For example, the management trains employees to speak politely to customers and promptly respond to all their questions. The company has a discount promotion on a special occasion, such as during thanksgiving or other holidays. As a result, the company has attracted loyal customers who return for food and drinks regularly.

Question 8: Distribution Channels

The question relates to the company’s channels to ensure that its products reach customers in a timely and efficient manner. Companies should have established distribution channels that will create a positive relationship with their customers due to convenient delivery (Mandke, Deshmukh, & Mandk, 2016). The response to the question appears to be unrelated to what the interviewer wanted to establish. The interviewee indicated that the distribution channel that the company uses is Radio Channel, clip 30s-1minute talk show. They use the channel to promote the value and culture of the cuisine that the restaurant offers. The channel costs the company $1000 a month to get more views on social media. The interviewee should have provided more information about the channel they use to get the products to customers. Nevertheless, the responses provide a picture of the amount of money that the firm spends on marketing and promoting its products to create awareness among customers.

Question 9: Digital Marketing Tools

Social marketing tools are influential in modern-day business, and to be competitive, companies should embrace them. Social media marketing embraces social networking platforms’ utilization in connecting the industry with its customers to increase sales, build the brand, and increase website traffic (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016). The interviewee affirmed that social media marketing is one of the tools they use to promote and advertise their products to real and potential customers. The company uses social media and has an app that it uses to connect with the audience. They recently created a website and marketed it on Facebook to create awareness about it to target customers. The interviewee affirmed that social media marketing had been an effective way to maximize marketing and attract new customers. Although customer service is necessary at the point of sale, it has been necessary to send the business, its products, and services to customers.

Question 10: Marketing Information

The interview focused on marketing information to ensure that the marketer focused on the right message to convince them to visit the restaurant and purchase their products. The interviewee affirmed that the company uses a point of sales (POS) system, which is where the client completes the transaction. Upon consuming food or ordering for takeaway, the cashier calculates the amount of money they owe and gives the customer the options to pay, such as cash, mobile money transfer (Apple pay), Amex, or debit card. The cashier can also do the accounting manually to give the customer the amount to pay. However, customers still pay a convenience fee after getting a product or receiving a service. The point of sale system ensures that customers are charged for what they purchase from the company. The interviewee did not indicate the system’s cost or the reason for selecting it, among other options. Regardless, the system has been effective and promotes sales management at the restaurant.

Question 11: Challenges or Issues with Marketing Practices

Although the company has succeeded in product development and marketing, it has experienced some issues that the manager and marketer should address for a successful future. The greatest challenge for the company is the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the company had decided to increase its product offering in the current financial year but has failed due to the outbreak of the highly contagious disease and the implementation of social distancing policies. The challenge has made it difficult for the company to train employees to support new products. The management cannot train employees until the COVID-19 pandemic’s danger is past due to the need to maintain social distance. At the same time, they have to continue training an employee to keep health guidelines. The company has implemented such training online since they cannot meet physically, which has not been as effective as face-to-face interactions. The company has to postpone new product development and related training until the pandemic is controlled.

Question 12: Adapting Robots or Chatbots for Customer Service

Technology has become the most effective way for companies to improve their customer service. Some of the technologies that are improving restaurants’ services are Robots or Chatbots, which are used to serve the needs of customers instead of human waiters. The interviewee revealed that the company had not adopted the use of Robots or Chatbots for their company. One of the reasons for the failure is the difficulty in using technology for effective customer service. Furthermore, the startup capital for technology is considerably high for the company. As a result, the company retains human waiters and service providers’ services to meet the needs of all its customers. Besides, competitors are also not using Robots or Chatbots for their customer service, making them less competitive with the firm. The company, nonetheless, uses technology in other areas, such as marketing and accounting, which has improved service provision to customers to create loyalty. The company is uncertain about the use of Robots or Chatbots in the future provision of customer service.

Question 13: Pros and Cons of Robots or Chatbots

The interviewee had strong ideas about the use of Robots or Chatbots for customer service. The interviewee believed in Robots or Chatbots’ potential to improve the service the restaurant offers to its customers. Technology improves services by enhancing the efficacy and speed of use since Robots or Chatbots are automatic. Besides, they reduce the long-term cost of service, although the initial capital is considerably higher than hiring human waiters and other service providers. Another challenge of using technology is the reduction of human capital, which causes a decline in the remaining employees’ morale since they might be uncertain about their future at the company. As a result, the company will experience some concerns for adopting robots in customer services, such as the ethics of replacing human resources. The company might need additional capital to purchase and maintain the robots, which might affect its profitability in the long-run.

Lesson Learned and Suggestions

Various lessons are evident in the interview and its analysis. First, it was necessary to interview a person with adequate knowledge of the company and its operations since they would provide deep insight. Interviewing the marketer or manager would create a compelling picture of the company and its marketing process. Secondly, it was necessary to ask targeted and precise questions to ensure that the interviewee understood and provided relevant answers. Thirdly, I learned about the importance of preparing the interview questions in advance and review them to ensure their relevance to the research. Lastly, market research provides essential information for the company to improve its service to customers. For example, it helps to understand limitations, such as lack of adequate distribution channels to determine necessary changes to improve customer service to gain loyalty and a positive reputation.

Various suggestions can be made from the interview to improve its product offering and services to customers. For example, the interview should engage a person with adequate knowledge of the company to provide correct responses to questions. The interview should engage the marketer since the person understands the company and its operations. The management should use the interview information to improve its marketing and distribution of its products to customers. The restaurant should improve technology in marketing and customer service since, as Buttle and Maklan (2019) suggest, technology is at the center of effective customer service in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the management could use social media and the app to support the order process for remote delivery and reduce the number of customers coming to the restaurant physically. The firm will be competitive through the effective use of technology for customer service. The management should also use the interview findings as basis for additional studies on how to improve its services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Success will depend on the awareness that the pandemic has changed the way companies operate and those that adapt to the new reality will succeed and become competitive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Buttle, F., & Maklan, S. (2019). Customer relationship management: concepts and technologies. Routledge.

Causado Rodríguez, E. (2015). Inventory control model for economic order in food marketer. Revista Ingenierías Universidad de Medellín, 14(27), 163-177.

Collica, R. S. (2017). Customer segmentation and clustering using SAS Enterprise Miner. Sas Institute.

Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT analysis: a theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research, 10(51).

Mandke, A., Deshmukh, P., & Mandk, P. (2016). A Study of Marketing Strategies for Formation of Effective Distribution Channels by SHGs. Journal for Contemporary Research in Management, 1(1).

Moosavi Tabatabaei, S. R., Sadjadi, S. J., & Makui, A. (2017). Optimal pricing and marketing planning for deteriorating items. PloS one, 12(3), e0172758.

Nisar, T. M., & Whitehead, C. (2016). Brand interactions and social media: Enhancing user loyalty through social networking sites. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 743-753

O’guinn, T., Allen, C., Semenik, R. J., & Scheinbaum, A. C. (2014). Advertising and integrated brand promotion. Nelson Education.

Shire, K., Holtgrewe, U., & Kerst, C. (2017). Re-organising customer service work: an introduction. In Re-Organising Service Work: Call Centres in Germany and Britain (pp. 1-16). Routledge.