# service-quality-in-the-hotel-industry

8/3/2019 # service-quality-in-the-hotel-industry

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Service Quality in the Hotel Industry

SERVICE QUALITY IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

Current Service Quality Expectations in the Hotel Industry

Most writers who have written articles, journals and books on improvement of service quality in

the hotel industry have mainly concentrated on methods and the techniques that are important

in the error reduction process in various areas and the improvement of quality. In recent times

researchers have realized the need of the customers is the most important. It is very essential

that all needs that will lead to customer satisfaction are identified and implemented. This are theattributes of a hotel setting that the guests find very essential and they can be determined by

the distribution of questionnaires to the guests or having a suggestion box where the clients can

put there suggestions. (Barsky, 1992).

Customer satisfaction is the general or specific customer opinion of a product or service after its

consumption. In determining that a service is quality the following elements are looked at:availability, guarantee, communication, expertise, standard, behavior, flaw, duration,

engagement, humanity, effects, reliability, responsibility and safety. Other than these general

requirements the hotel industry must ensure that the technology being used is up to date and

the other qualities that are specific for the hotel line of business are met. Customer satisfaction

is based on the management of the service providing industry. (Morrison, 1980).

The manager listens to the customer demands and then they translate the same to their staff.

The customers also require that the hotel is clean enough, the personnel are well educated and

skilled for the position and are very polite and courteous and that the hotel has ample space

capacity and are well secured. These features are very essential especially with the current

trend in technology and globalization. (Swartz, 1989).

Service Quality Models and Approaches.

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aconhieu tac giaviet veviec nang cao chat lng dch vutrong nganh cong nghiep dch vu, tap trung chuyeu vao cac phng phapvakythuat maquan trong hn calaviec giam thieu cac loi xay ra nhng khu vc khac nhau vatang chat lng. Trong thi gian ganay, cac nhanghien cu anhan ra rang nhu cau cua khach hang mi laquan trong nhat. ieu nay vocung thiet yeu v cac nhu cau sequyet nh en shai long cua khach hang c xac nh vathc hien. ay lanhng thuoc tnh makhach san athiet lap makhach hangcho larat can thiet vachung cothec xac nh thong qua cac bang cau hoi c gi cho khach hang hoac thu thap cac gop ycuakhach hang (Barsky, 1992).

Shai long cua khach hang noi chung laquan iem cua khach hang vesan pham hoac dch vusau khi hosdung no. exac nh c dchvuat chat lng cothesdung nhng yeu tosau: tnh san co, tnh am bao, thong tin, kinh nghiem, tieu chuan, hanh vi, khuyet iem, thi han,cam ket, long nhan t, hieu qua, otin cay, khanang ap ng vaan toan. Ngoai nhng yeu cau chung, nganh cong nghiep khach san phai ambao rang cong nghehien ai c sdung vacac nhng yeu cau chat lng khac phai cuthevaphuhp vi nganh kinh doanh dch vukhachsan. Shai long cua khach hang c da tren squan lycua nganh cong nghiep cung cap dch vu. (Morrison, 1980)

Nhaquan lylang nghe cac nhu cau cua khach hang vachuyen tai mot cach chnh xac en nhan vien cua mnh. Cac khach hang cung yeu caukhach san covesinh tot, con ngi c giao duc vacokynang ap ng tot cac vtr, c xlch svalephep, khach san can cokhong gianrong rai vaam bao an toan. Nhng tnh nang nay ac biet thiet yeu trong xu hng hien ai hoa vatoan cau hoa hien nay (Swartz, 1989).


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Servqual Model

The term Servqual is short form for Services Quality Model that was brought about to replace

the general and ambiguous models of quality. This model has proved very effective and is used

in a wide range of businesses in the service sector. This model has overtime been tested and

evaluated by different research firms and has come out as an effective quality model. According

to the Servqual model quality is determined by evaluating the relationship between the expected

and the actual and a reflection of the deviations. In this model the guest is usually the center of

the evaluation. (Buttle, 1996).

The service quality model is multifaceted meaning that one individuals evaluations could be

totally different from anothers. While using this kind of model it is important that the

management of the hotel should come up with a list of characteristics that they think need

quality evaluation, however the Servqual model has come up with its own sets of characteristics

that are general for any kind of service industry which is known as the Servqual scale. This

scale involves the following: Reliability; Assurance; tangibles; empathy; and responsiveness

(RATER). (Buttle, 1996).

The model is simple and very effective as a qualitative model in many organizations and can be

used for several industries. Critics of the Servqual model say that the theory cannot be attached

to the theories of the economics, psychology and statistics; there is no verification that the

guests will do the research based purely on their observations without bias; it is based on

service delivery and not the effect of the delivered service to the guests; the criteria for the scaleis not exhaustive; the model cannot compute the total prospect of the service quality and that

customers ratings vary from individual to the next. (Buttle, 1996).

Total Quality Management (TQM)

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uat ngServqual laviet tat cua t"Services Quality Model" - Mohnh chat lng dch vu, ac dung ethay thecho cac mohnh chung

ung vam hovechat lng. Mohnh nay c chnh minh larat hieu quavac sdung rong rai trong cac nganh kinh doanh dch vu. Mo

nh nay cung c kiem chng nhieu lan vac anh giabang nhieu dang nghien cu khac nhau vacho thay ay lamot mohnh o lng chat

ng hieu qua. Theo mohnh o lng chat lng dch vuc xac nh thong qua viec anh giamoi quan hegia smong i vathc teva

an anh cua cac olech. Trong mohnh nay khach hang thng latrong tam cua cua sanh gia(Buttle, 1996)


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Total quality management is a strategy used by a vast group of industries to evaluate the quality

of there procedures. It is based on a total evaluation of all aspects of the management that is:

control; directing; organization; planning and staffing. TQM ensures that the organization is

inclined toward meeting customer needs. Total quality management is used in order to promote

consistency of the quality of the products and services that are been issued. (Swartz, 1989).

Total quality management comprises of four processes these are; Continuous Process

Improvement; that the service provides the required; examination of the client while using the

appliance and that the quality is of high quality. Total Quality Management ensures that levels

or chances that wastage will occur are reduced and the level of quality is maintained

throughout. The following are the important aspects of the TQM approach: ensuring that thequality is improved constantly; that new policies are adopted; reduce dependence of inspection;

ensure that the overall costs of production are reduced; constantly improve the overall

production processes; ensuring that the employees are constantly trained; introduce an

effective system of leadership; reduce fear of change; create unity between different

departments; create team work among the employees; institute learning and development

procedures; break down duties and responsibilities into manageable portions. (Jenkins, 1987).

Total quality management rests on the concepts of quality control, improvement and assurance.

In comparison with the Servqual model that only indicates the product or service quality without

indicating the means of improvement, Total Quality Management also measures means of

which quality will be achieved. It is of advantage since it includes all the sectors of a business

including the management, clients, and employees and therefore there are fewer chances that

bias will occur. (Turgeon, 1988).

Hilton Hotels

In evaluation of the service quality in the hotel industry I have chosen the Hilton Hotels. The

Hilton Hotels are a chain of Hotels that operate internationally. The Hilton Hotels were founded

by Conrad Hilton. Today the Hilton Hotel has moved into many foreign countries adding up to a

total of 533 by the year 2008, either through franchising or the wholly owned subsidiaries and islisted among the biggest 5star hotels in the world. They are involved mainly with hosting

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individuals on business but they also host holiday oriented hotels and are in partnership with

various cab companies and airlines. The bed capacity at the Hilton hotels depends highly on the

situation but they all have a bed capacity of 300 and above. They offer bed and breakfast

facilities, romantic packages, hotel plus flight plus car hire. (Swartz, 1989).

Implementation of the Servqual Model on the Hilton Hotels

As illustrated above, the Servqual model quality is determined by evaluating the relationship

between the expected service level and the actual service provided and a reflection of thedeviations. By using this model the guest should be made the center of the evaluation. Even

though the procedures of the Servqual model are multi-faceted with the correct procedures and

evaluations they can be very effective. The management of the Hilton Hotel should come up

with a list of characteristics that in their opinion feel that require evaluation or they can use the

default criterion that is used with the Servqual model. If the hotel decides to use the designated

scale it involves the following: Reliability; Assurance; tangibles; empathy; and responsiveness

(RATER). (Jenkins, 1987).

The model is very simple and if implemented effectively will result into the expected qualities.

The hotel should then employ a group of researchers to do the compiling and analysis of the

results and come up with the deviations. To reduce the chances of biasness the hotel may

decide to use the structured kind of questions that require straight forward answers. This will

make evaluation and recording of the results easier and more convenient. (Turgeon, 1988).

After the analysis process the deviations should be written down in the form of a report and

handed in to the management for discussion and revision process. The company could request

the clients in the questionnaires to include ways that in their opinion could change the current

deviations and identify the means that they will be implemented for customer satisfaction. To

deal with the a problem in room division, the hotel can issue questionnaires asking structured

questions relating to the room space and the general arrangement of the hotel facility, the

questions could be on the effectiveness of the lift facility, the ventilation in the room, serenity

and quietness of the hotel environment. Answers by the clients could be predetermined andevaluated and the relevant changes made. (Morrison, 1980).

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If the hotel wants to gather information on the effectiveness of the reservation either online or atthe reception they could also question hat relate to the same and do the relevant gap analysis

and changes. In the questions the company could ask on the effectiveness of its website and

whether the website answers the client questions and if it is easy to access and follow up. The

employees can be asked about the effectiveness of the database soft wares and its capacity

effectiveness to adopt the numerous numbers of customers. (Jenkins, 1987).

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REFERENCES

Barsky, (1992), Customer satisfaction in the hotel industry, Hospitality Research Journal, Vol.

16 No.1, pp.51-73.

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Brown, S. Swartz, (1989), A gap analysis of professional service quality, Journal of Marketing,

Vol. 53 pp.92-8.

Bryant & Morrison, (1980), Travel market segmentation and the implementation of market

strategies, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 28 No.3, pp.2-8.

Cadotte & Turgeon,(1988), Key factors in guest satisfaction, The Cornell Hotel Restaurant

Administration Quarterly, Vol. 28 No.4, pp.44-51.

Cadotte, Woodruff, & Jenkins, (1987), Expectations and norms in models of consumer

satisfaction, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24 pp.305-14.

Francis Buttle, 1996, SERVQUAL: Review, Critique, Research Agenda, European Journal of

Marketing, Vol.30, Issue 1, pp.8-31.

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