Introduction

The featured website (http://www.costasands.com.sg/) is a one stop place for patrons to book chalets or space for meeting and events in Costa Sands Resort (Downtown East), Costa Sands Resort (Sentosa) and Costa Sands Resort (Pasir Ris). Costa Sand is a branch of NTUC. It connects over 450000 NTUC members to Costa Sands Resorts website and to other subsidiary links of NTUC Club websites such as Zone-X (an arcade for youngsters and even the elderly) and NTUC Club itself.

Although it provides services for the existing NTUC members, it welcomes non-members to book their resorts and use their facilities. Despite its huge market share in providing recreational activities in ‘one destination’, it has its competitor. We will analyze the website of Costa Sands Resorts on its objectives, features, characteristics, designs, strengths and weaknesses, and suggestions to keep up with the industry’s competitiveness. Last but not least, we will round up our report by concluding what are our perspectives regarding the website’s present and future.

Objectives

The goal of the resorts is to be the choice leisure destination for people of all ages and from all walks of life. Their members come from a wide range of occupations, different races and nationality, eligible to all recreational subsidiaries of NTUC Club. The resorts provide accessible getaways and escapades for different ages. It has family- friendly amenities to ensure family bonding activities. Its facilities, road and building structures are wheelchair friendly too. E-commerce is brought in, allowing people in different parts of Singapore to execute plans and payments for the resort through the website. Costa Sand Resorts is a member of Hostelling International (HI) located in 80 countries with 4300 places to visit, it is created for youngsters, who have limited budget, to experience world to their fullest. Therefore, e-commerce has made it possible for members all over the world to be connected, allowing members who have the same passion and enthusiasm in enjoying non-stop fun to ‘come together’ and share the same experience.

Furthermore, the links allow such transactions to be spread into other areas of NTUC Club’s subsidiaries. Hence, it serves as a pit stop, allowing other subsidiaries to be more accessible and convenient for users.

Features

The resort has commerce transaction between business (B2B) and consumers (B2C). Examples of B2B are companies booking or renting a space area for business purposes such as setting up restaurants, eating outlets, recreational activities and events. However, the resort is more known for its B2C, whereby visitors’ priorities are the resorts’ main interest.

Costa Sands follows the business model of clicks-and-bricks; an integration of offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences. Patrons can choose which of the 3 resorts to stay in. They can check chalets’ availability, rate, and book through E-booking. Visitors can settle the booking procedures by e-booking and get their queries answered through the website. It distinguished rates and services rendered according to whether customer is a member or non-member. One can choose the dates available and which resort has the vacancies on that day (dates in green). After selecting the dates, customers can choose the available package. Basic information are given and after agreeing on the terms and conditions, screening takes place in reservation information, upon filling all particulars, payment is requested to be paid straight away.

E-booking is referred as computer reservations system (CRS) which is used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions. With its affiliation with HI and NTUC, global distribution system (GDS) is important to its operation with major CRS operation, hence renting of chalets is very accessible online.

We assume that the allocation systems of resorts to individual customers are done in some form of manual work, and not by STiX which is a computerized allocation system based on a first-come-first-serve basis. After registering and payment is done, an email is sent for confirmation of the booking. The confirmation slip has to be printed out for checking in and out purposes by the customers. Hence, it follows the clicks- and- mortar business model. It makes use of tele-communication by short message service (Sms), informing customers regarding the room number of the chalet allocated to them, 2 days before the stay-in.

Payment Scheme

After completing the procedures of e-booking, one can pay online via e-commerce payment system. This payment system refers to as financial electronic data interchange (FEDI) which is supported by payment service provider (PSP), it allows Costa Sands for accepting electronic payments by a variety of payment methods; in this case, one can pay by credit cards (VISA and MasterCard). Transaction and booking is only successful when payment is made. The confirmation of the booking has to be made right after the reservation details and verification or screening is completed. One of the verification methods is to ensure the customer’s NIRC co-relates to his address. Transaction will be terminated once the customer decides not to pay. After payment is made, a link will open up, informing customer that his payment is successful.

Key Characteristics

Costa Sands website provides basic information of all 3 resorts situated in different parts of Singapore. Facilities and amenities are described for each of the resort. Rates for different kinds of rooms and availability can be viewed in the easy layout. Viewers can make a choice to stay in which resort based on the information and complete their booking online without much hassle. Packages and other promotions are explicitly described. Other facilities such as shuttle bus schedule are shown on the website too.

These help the busy population to settle their preparations for a fun-filled day with ease especially when all information can be retrieved in a few clicks. Since it is a subsidiary of NTUC Club, it has links connected to all other subsidiaries, providing integrated fun for all ages and people with different interest will not be left out from all the fun.

Designs

The resort’s aim is to let customers know that it is a place for families and friends to enjoy a variety of fun and experience. The sun in the logo says it all in representation to their aim as stated. To go along with the warm colours in the logo, orange was used as the main background colour for the website.

As all resorts are situated near to coastlines, the waves in the website reflect the locations and hence customers know that they are in for some water fun. Illustrations feature families, friends and beaches, this stresses on the group customers they are targeting, and also to entice viewers to the beach. These give viewers a splash of warmth when they first set their eyes on the website.

Most links ends in 3 clicks, the longest link is e-booking where online screening and verification takes place.

Strengths

With just a click on the Search button with words ‘chalets in Singapore’ in the search engine of yahoo or goggle, the first website to pop out in their list is the Costa Sands Resorts. This tells us how easily accessible users from around the world can get hold of this website for viewing, comparing, make bookings especially for tourists coming to Singapore etc.

Costa Sands Resorts website’s simplicity and the duo languages (English and Chinese) provided, allow more flexibility and accessible for users who do not understand either language to find out more about the website.

Besides it is a time saving and efficient website for users due to the fast uploading speed
of every web page that the users wanted to browse as they do not contain complex software that will slow down the uploading speed. However, it might be subjected to higher latency if there is traffic.

Taking about time saving and efficiency, the website is also very customers focus, capturing the hearts and attention of customers as details and profiles of those who had booked with them before will be captured in their database and by just clicking on the “Get Profile “button all details will be display automatically.

The website also provides much security to users doing epayment such as Visa or MasterCard payment as they provide much information on privacy policy, security guidelines and also customer service.

Moreover, the website is very technology focus as they make use of technology to solve questions that customers have in mind by setting up the FAQs and also a page where customers can ask their queries through emails and the staffs of Costa Sands Resorts will get back to anyone all over the world by this faster means and fuss free way of communication.

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Last but not least, Costa Sands Resorts is awarded Singapore Service Class (S-Class) in 11 October 2005, and is the only resort operator creditted with this award. This is due to their excellent service to the customers and providing high standards of facilities and products to statisfy customers.

Weaknesses

Entering into a webpage that mostly make use of orange as their main colour theme is not at all very attractive. More colour themes should be made use of and by doing some contrasting of colour one can ensure that important features stand out more than the others.

Besides it does not focus on selling point of Costa Sands Resorts where main attractions should be placed as one of the highlights in website instead of being hidden and forgotten in a little corner of the webpage. The ‘wow’ effect is not there which is so important to fight in this competitive age.

Moreover the website exude a forceful nature to users as they tell users that booking of the chalets must be done in within 15mins if not they will reset the page back to the beginning where one have to type in all the details and goes through the steps all over again. This is a real disadvantage and instead of saving time due to the curfew, it is time consuming for customers booking for the first time.

Prices and photos of resorts (interior) is important information to the users before they make the decision on the different type of resorts (Deluxe, Superior, premier etc) that they wanted to stay into. However this information is only provided in the midst of a booking process which makes the user feel that they are obligated to buy even before they are able to find out more about the resorts.

Also there is insufficient information about the vacancies of the resorts. Users are only told that the resorts date is not available after clicking on the dates that they wanted. This shouldn’t be the case as they should provide a page to show all the vacancies of resorts and it should be constantly being updated to inform users of the availability. Some links’ icons in FAQ are not visible; hence if one has an enquiry, he has to click on practically all the icons before going into a category where his answer can be found.

Due to its affiliation with other entertainment outlets, it is essential to show the announcements or news regarding those outlets. For instance, there was an annual maintenance in Wild Wild Wet and it was closed, however customers might not know unless they are visit the booking website and wait patiently for the words to move at the bottom part of the screen. Such delay of information is undesired.
Costa Sands Resorts do not give explicit note that DeCard members can only book in the front office at the 3 resorts. Such card holder will only know if they are patient to wait for the information to scroll slowly at the bottom part of the screen too.

Although the website provides the Chinese version, some words still appear in English such as “Membership”, this defeats the purpose of having a Chinese version to help people who do not understand English to comprehend or carry out transaction through the website.

During the booking process, customers are not able to select the particular room they wanted. The management will allocate the room to you and customers will be notified 2 days before via sms.

Map is provided to locate Costa Sands in Singapore however map illustrations are hard to depict even when enlarged. The road and building names are hard to read due to faint wordings. Outlines of the buildings structures are not drawn clearly too. Hence, for tourist to rely on the map to reach the resort is quite troublesome.

Last but not least, it would be a problem locating the particular chalet within the compound of resorts that patrons had booked as there is no map provided to locate. It is important for them to provide a map so that customers from overseas or who book for the first time can easily get to the particular chalet they had booked, instead of wasting time searching for the resorts when they reach there.

Analysis and Suggestions

We feel that Costa Sands Resorts is a wholesome place for entertainment, fun experiences and a great stay over with all facilities within short distance within the compound. It emphasizes its service providence to all varieties of customers by situating itself around different locations in Singapore, offering different packages, activities and events, inviting people of different races and nationalities. All these are reflected in the website. Due these range of services and facilities, it stands up more significantly above the rest of its competitors.

However, besides having rooms for customers, we feel that it has more rooms for improvements so as to be more competitive.

A new attractive layout can be introduced to entice customers into choosing the resort. Announcements, news and highlights of the resort can be more clearly stated with good illustrations and easy-to-read descriptions to a draw in viewers’ attention. At the same time, it allows viewers to have the first hand information of happenings within the compound of Costa Sands.

The time limit for booking can be more lenient by extending the time for customers to book resorts. Besides giving time allowance, a link can be made to show an overview of the e-booking process, to allow customers to be prepared. With this preparation, they know what they will be facing and so, feel less obligated to comply.

Upon comparing Costa Sands Resorts and Aranda Chalet (a competitor in resorts industry), one is allowed to choose his chalet in Aranda, whereas Costa Sands Resorts do not facilitate such customization. Hence, this is more flexible and customized for patrons in Aranda. Therefore we suggest that Costa Sands Resorts can apply such services to customers too, allowing customers to make their own decisions, because the chalet allocated to them by the resort may not be favourable. At the same time, resources such as staff can be better utilized without the manual work of chalet allocation.

One of our group members had tried the e-booking system. We found out that the conformation email after payment was not sent to us. We had to remind the staff to send it to us. Despite the delay, the email was sent fairly quickly. We are not sure whether it is technical or human error that caused the delay, but we hope that the resort can instill higher monitoring process, to ensure e-booking procedures are done completely.

Maps provided can be improvised by having clearer maps with legible words and noticeable outlines of buildings’ structures. A map of the inner areas of the resorts can be provided to bring convenience to customers and visitors.

We believe that these suggestions will not only bring convenience to Singaporeans who are usually its patrons, foreigners or members of HI will find that Costa Sands is the place to be after knowing what this resort has to offer through the informative and accessible website. Although Costa Sands Resorts is dominant in resorts industry, it should not be complacent. To keep an edge above the others especially through e-commerce and online services is the key to maintain their reputation and competitiveness.

References
http://www.costasands.com.sg/
http://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.arandaclub.org.sg/index/index.aspx
http://www.aloharesorts.com.sg/

Done By:
Chen Lishi ( clis_hi85@hotmail.com )
Jasline Ang Hui Ping( jasline_ang86@hotmail.com )