Introduction The idea of this report is to analyse a specific area in Kerala and to conduct an ethnographic study on the services

marketing sector in that particular area. For this an area called Chavakkad is selected which is located in the Thrissur District in Kerala. The place is very famous for the fact that a huge portion of the population in Chavakkad is NRIs (Non Residential Indians) who works in the Middle East. The major part of the revenue in Chavakkad comes from the repatriated money that has been send by the NRIs from the Middle East. Thus seeing this as an opportunity there has been many startups in the service sector. This is aimed to meet the requirements of NRIs. It is evident that these service sectors have achieved significant and steady growth over the years. The report will analyse two main businesses that is aimed mainly at the NRIs - Travel agency cum foreign exchange services and Car rental services. Even though there are plenty of service providers, Akbar Travels and Auto Trend car rentals has been selected for their excellent services for last few years. Both businesses will be analysed in the following report. Akbar Travels Akbar travels deals with services like flight ticket booking, holiday tours and travels booking, hotel booking and money exchange services. This has been a significantly growing business in Chavakkad due to the increasing number of NRIs in the area. An employee from the Akbar Travels (Chavakkad) says that there will be at least 50 international flight ticket bookings per day (apart from domestic bookings). The main destinations are Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi followed by other Arab nations. But transaction wise the financial services like foreign exchange and sending/receiving money account more than the flight ticket bookings. Another employee says that their main revenue comes from the ticket bookings rather than the financial services due to the stiff competition between other players like Western Union Money Transfer and UAE Exchange. He says that As for financial services, customers may spread out to all the different service providers because they are global players but in terms of flight ticket booking, they prefer us more than anyone because of the cheapest and finest deals that we offer. Another big step that has been taken by Akbar Travels is that entering the tourism service sector. They have started providing variety of holiday packages that would meet the different needs of different customers. A spokesperson says that Holiday booking business has consistent growthWhen NRIs come for 1 or 2 months leave, they prefer to go for 4 or 5 days trip along with their families. Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning: As discussed earlier, Akbar Travels has segmented the market according to the different need and requirements of the NRIs, such as flight ticket booking, financial services and holidays booking. They have used a multiple targeting strategy by addressing all these main requirements and needs. Even though they are addressing all these, they have positioned themselves as the pioneers in

ticket booking category. A spokesperson says that We are mainly recognized for our excellent service in flight ticket booking we have been doing this for years by providing the cheapest and finest deals and we know what each customer is looking for. A testimonial from a customer also proved the same claim as he said; I am their customer since last five years I am happy with their service and the prices they quote for the ticket. Having collected the responses from some more customers, the report finds out the business has positioned themselves as the best deal provider in Chavakkad. As the report has covered main points on 4 Ps already, being a service sector the following report will cover the factors affecting the extended 3 Ps. People Akbar Travels gives great importance while recruiting and selecting their staffs. As the business is long-term relationship oriented with the customers, they make sure that all the staffs selected are well mannered and soft toned. The training sessions are mainly focused on two factors, they are (1). Customer relationship Management and (2). Patience. Customer Relationship Management focuses on all the factors that would satisfy the customer needs and that would help to retain the customers, such as customer service, well-mannered communication, hassle free transactions etc. Patience also plays an important role because its not easy to find the cheapest deal for 50-60 bookings per day. It is important for their holiday package booking because the customers would like to hear about all the packages that are offered before choosing one. Thus the recruitment and selection of the staff are mainly based on their character and behavior, in other words, how cool and friendly they are in managing different peoples different needs. Process Akbar Travels believes in hassle free and transparent service. All of their services are computerized. In case of ticket booking, their process consists of two main steps. One is analyzing what is the ticket price charged by others at that point (competitors like Yatra, Makemytrip etc). And second is to connect online with their main booking office to arrange for a better deal. In order to retain the customers, they even cut down their margin to provide the ticket for a cheaper rate. The processes are mainly computer software based while in some cases they even use telephone conversation with the respective main booking office to get a cheaper deal. This situation mainly arises if its a regular loyal customer. For financial services, different software is used with access to the current currency rates and details regarding the respective transactions. Holiday

packages are decided and framed by the head office and the details are passed on to all the regional offices. Only bookings are taken in the regional offices. Physical Evidence In Akbar Travels, they believe that the customers judgment point will be based on three elements (i.e.) price, time and customer service. Thus Akbar travels has framed a policy that to provide customers the best service at the cheapest price and in a lesser time. They have increased their number of booking counters in order reduce the waiting time and they have opened separate counters for holiday booking and financial services. They also have a customer services desk that can be used for general queries and to get information on their various services. The same desk is used for after sale services such as queries related to any transaction made, cancellation of flight tickets or holidays etc. Thus Akbar Travels has tried each and every possible way to create a friendly environment for its customers. This in fact adds the value for the business and attracts customers who look for cheaper and hassle free service. Conclusion Thus in short, Chavakkad has become a hub for service based industries such as flight ticket booking, financial services, holiday booking and car rentals etc. due to its strong demography filled with NRIs and the main income source being the foreign money sent from the Middle East. Service sectors are growing consistently over the years and it is expected to continue its growth in the future too.

Car rentals : Lower end cars such as alto (12000 Rs per month) to Higher end cars such as Mercedes C Class (75k to 1 Lakh per month). With driver (cost more 350 Rs per day) and without driver services Airport pick up and drop services Low rent for Pre booking and long booking such as 3 months Aimed at NRIs who come for leave who dont want to buy a car for short term stays and also who cant afford a high end car etc.