Vol.5 No.3 2012

56/94

Research paper : Evaluating the effects of actions taken to attract visitors to sightseeing areas (Y. Yamamoto)−191−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.5 No.3 (2012) The area possessing the above characteristics is called an “open service field.”Examples of open service fields possessing the above characteristics include shopping streets, shopping malls, local sightseeing areas, and so on. A service complex operated by a single body, however, is not considered an open service field. Most prominent theme parks are not open service fields. 2.2 Surveys in open service fieldsInvestigations are not always conducted to determine the effectiveness of promotional events in attracting more customers to sightseeing areas.Many service providers operate independently in an open service field. No downward communication is possible; therefore, the consent of each business operator is essential. The following structural factors contribute to the reasons why local business operators are reluctant to conduct surveys in a positive manner.(a) There is a lack of interest and concern, as well as difficulties in evaluating the appropriateness of the required cost.Local business operators are agreeable to the project, which may lead to a direct increase in customers and sales. However, survey work is not directly connected to boosting sales. An increase in business is dependent on each promotional step, while surveys only measure the results of each step. The objective of this project is to increase effective measures, while non-effective measures will be discontinued so that more effective investments can be made in the future. Though we have spent considerable time explaining the significance of this project to local concerned parties, their reaction was quite weak, as this project is not directly linked to sales. It is also difficult to evaluate whether the required cost is appropriate when compared to the increase in sales.(b) Difficulty of equal burden sharing Though the project is found to be beneficial to the entire area and the cost is reasonable, it is not easy to agree on equal burden sharing. Due to the competition present in the open service field, economic disparity exits among business operators and equality is not commonly understood. Small business operators believe that large business operators should take on a considerable portion of the burden, while large business operators believe this idea is not fair or equal.(c) General concern regarding the use of data Analysis is required to use the obtained data, and it is generally considered that this analysis requires special knowledge and skills. This leads to the argument that additional costs must be incurred to solicit the help of a specialist.Because the use of obtained data is not necessarily clear at times, a specialist may hesitate to undertake the analysis, while the cost is significant for local sightseeing areas. (d) Psychological anxiety when introducing a newmethodologyNew technologies and new ideas are not always welcome. Many business and hotel owners with considerable experience are not prepared to learn a new concept such as service engineering. Only a few people will aggressively accept a new idea that is different from the existing one. It is, in a way, understandable that successful shopkeepers are conservative. In forming a consensus, the principle is one man, one vote. Therefore, this means that it is difficult to obtain a majority to introduce a new idea where people are conservative. 3 A proposal of the survey system with incentivesThe purpose of the project was to introduce a tourist behavior survey system in sightseeing areas that can be maintained on a mid- to long-term basis. However, it was foreseen that this system might not readily be accepted. Hence, some incentives are required to persuade business operators to accept this survey system. Any actions that lead to customer satisfaction can be incentives, although specific measures differ according to the service areas. Ogawa[8] indicates that two solutions are required in order to create innovation: need design and technology design. Need design is a solution for finding out users’ problems and translating them into function elements. Technology design is a solution for creating a combination of element technology that includes production technology. In need design, the services that will lead to customer satisfaction have to be determined. Hence, it is apparent that this will be best conducted by business operators in the field rather than by IT researchers working in Tokyo.Still, it is difficult to achieve our objective by simply understanding what has been requested in the field. Therefore, we had to build a system to function as a survey technology and to introduce structures designed to please customers.Therefore, we have focused our attention on a POS (point of sales) system. At retail shops, POS is used to determine when, where, and what customers bought. In the service field, however, this system is not recognized as a survey system but instead is considered a tool to efficiently handle day-to-day business.(Note 1) Leading from this, we have defined POS

※このページを正しく表示するにはFlashPlayer9以上が必要です