Applying big data analytics to support Kansei engineering for hotel service development

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mu-Chen Chen ◽  
Yu-Hsiang Hsiao ◽  
Kuo-Chien Chang ◽  
Ming-Ke Lin

Purpose Leisure and tourism activities have proliferated and become important parts of modern life, and the hotel industry plays a necessary role in the supply for and demand from consumers. The purpose of this paper is to develop guidelines for hotel service development by applying a service development approach integrating Kansei engineering and text mining. Design/methodology/approach The online reviews represent the voice of customers regarding the products and services. Consumers’ online comments might become a key factor for consumers choosing hotels when planning their tourism itinerary. With the framework of Kansei engineering, this paper adopts text mining to extract the sets of Kansei words and hotel service characteristics from the online contents as well as the relationships among Kansei words, service characteristics and these two sets. The relationships are generated by using link analysis, and then the guidelines for hotel service development are proposed based on the obtained relationships. Findings The results of the present research can provide the hotel industry a comprehensive understanding of hotels’ customers opinions, and can offer specific advice on how to differentiate one’s products and services from competitors’ in order to improve customer satisfaction and increase hotels’ performance in the end. Finally, this study finds out the service development guidelines to meet customers’ requirements which can provide suggestions for hotel managers. The implications both for academic and industry are also drawn based on the obtained results. Originality/value Now, in the internet era, consumers can comment on their hotel living experience directly through the internet. The large amount of user-generated content (UGC) provided by consumers also provides chances for the hospitality industry to understand consumers’ opinions through online review mining. The UGC with consumers’ opinions to hotel services can be continuously collected and analyzed by hoteliers. Therefore, this paper demonstrates how to apply the hybrid approach integrating Kansei engineering and online review mining to hotel service development.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Zhong ◽  
Xiaoya Zhang ◽  
Jia Rong ◽  
Hing Kai Chan ◽  
Jinyu Xiao ◽  
...  

PurposeRobots, as the crystallization of new artificial intelligence, are being applied in various fields, especially the hotel industry. They are seizing the opportunities, using technology to improve the overall quality and comprehensive competitiveness. However, they also cause many problems due to practical limitations. The purpose of this paper is to study customers' recognition and acceptance of hotel service robots to guide the successful promotion of this technology.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposed a comprehensive model based on the theory of planned behavior, the technology acceptance model and then the perceived value-based acceptance model. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, grouped regression analysis and path analysis was adopted to validate the impacts of each variable to obtain the final reliable model using data collected from hotel guests using a self-designed questionnaire.FindingsThe empirical research based on the theoretical model shows that the constructed conceptual model can thoroughly explain the influencing factors of hotel robot acceptance, enrich the acceptance theory and provide academic support for the use and popularization of hotel service robots. Among all variables, attitude, usefulness and perceived value are the factors that have the greatest impact on acceptance. They have significant differences in the effects of adjustment variables such as gender, educational level, whether hotel robots have been used, and whether other robot services have been experienced on different paths in the model.Practical implicationsThis paper explored the customer acceptance of service robots in hotels, helped to understand the process of decision-making on service robot selection and contributed to the theoretical extension of the hospitality industry. The work guides hotel management to promote better-personalized products and services of robot technology in the hospitality industries.Originality/valueThe acceptance study on hotel service robots provides insight into the hotel industry to understand customers' attitudes and acceptance of emerging technology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (11) ◽  
pp. 2429-2453
Author(s):  
Fotis C. Kitsios ◽  
Evangelos Grigoroudis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the new service development (NSD) process in tourism. For this reason, factors influencing the process of service innovation in the hospitality sector were explored and correlated with business performance in the hospitality industry through a multicriteria decision analysis approach.Design/methodology/approachAn original multicriteria decision analysis approach is applied in order to estimate the efficiency of the NSD process. The approach follows the principles of ordinal regression analysis, using goal programming techniques. Collected data are based on in-depth structured and questionnaire-based interviews of 77 hotel managers in 147 new services in a representative sample of 99 hotels in Greece. Several financial ratios, covering different aspects of business performance, are used in order to evaluate the NSD process for three years after the services innovation had been launched.FindingsThese findings reveal the importance of financial liquidity and business efficiency for the hotel industry (i.e. the ability of a firm to use available resources in order to achieve specific sales goals). The aforementioned variables can determine how quickly and effectively assets are converted to cash. In general, the findings show the emphasis that should be given to customer needs, as well as to the effective management of a NSD project.Originality/valueFindings of this study may support hotel managers to make complex strategic decisions for future development. These findings have suggested that service innovation should be included as a strategic tool to assess differentiation effort in the hotel industry.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 2613-2633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyejo Hailey Shin ◽  
Miyoung Jeong

Purpose The hotel industry has witnessed an increasing number of service automation through service robots such as robot concierges. However, few studies have documented how to identify how hotel guests perceive a robot concierge for their service encounter. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of robot concierges on hotel guests’ attitudes and adoption intentions of robot concierges. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated the effects of robot concierges’ morphology and their level of interactivity with guests at different levels of hotel service on guests’ attitudes and their intentions to adopt robot concierges. To achieve the study’s objectives, this study conducted a 3 × 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design experiment. Moreover, the survey asked questions about subjects’ preferences of their service encounters (e.g. human employees, robot concierges and/or no preference) and reasons for their selected preference. Findings The results demonstrated that the robot’s morphology significantly influenced guests’ attitudes toward robot concierges. In particular, the caricatured robot was the most preferred morphology of robot concierges. The findings showed that even if guests had favorable attitudes toward robot concierges, they preferred human employees to robot concierges because of humans’ sincere and genuine interactions. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by investigating the causal impacts of the morphology of robot concierges, level of interactivity and level of hotel service on guests’ attitudes toward robot concierges. The thematic analysis of service encounter preference provides an overview of the factors that guests expect for their service encounters in a hotel setting.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaolong Sun ◽  
Fuxin Jiang ◽  
Gengzhong Feng ◽  
Shouyang Wang ◽  
Chengyuan Zhang

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide better service to hotel customers during the COVID-19 era. Specifically, this study focuses on understanding the changes in hotel customer satisfaction during the epidemic and formulating effective marketing strategies to satisfy and attract guests. Design/methodology/approach As the first victim of the COVID-19 virus, China’s hotel industry has been profoundly affected and customer satisfaction and needs have also changed. Taking 105,635 hotel reviews obtained from Tripadvisor.com in Beijing and Shanghai as samples, this study explores the changes in consumer satisfaction by using text-mining methods. Findings The results suggest that there are significant differences in overall ratings, spatial distribution and ratings of different traveller types before and after the epidemic. Generally, customers have higher “tolerance” and are more inclined to give higher ratings and pay more attention to hotel prevention and control measures to reduce health risks after the COVID-19. Research limitations/implications This paper proves the changes in customer satisfaction before and after the COVID-19 at the theoretical level and reveals the changes in customer attention through the topic model and provides a basis for guiding hotel managers to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Practical implications Empirical findings would provide useful insights into tourism management and improve hotel service quality during the COVID-19 epidemic era. Originality/value This research explores the hotel customer satisfaction in the field of hotel management before COVID-19 and after COVID-19, by using text mining to analyse mandarin online reviews. The results of this study will suggest that the hotel industry should continuously adjust its products and services based on the effective information obtained from customer reviews, so as to realize the activation and revitalization of the hotel industry in the epidemic era.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 9-11

Purpose Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the paperes in context. Findings Business has borne witness to an evolution in how it brings products and services to market since the 1980s – and hardly anyone has noticed. This is not an obvious change such as the exploitation of the internet or the effects of globalization. It is a more subtle, more varied, and has had an impact on how most businesses now operate in the modern environment. Put simply, it is the way the firms now create value through product and service development using project management techniques. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miyoung Jeong ◽  
Marketa Kubickova

PurposeCreating memorable experiences for customers at the individual property is one of the primary goals in hotel management across all segments. Adopting the concept of the ingredient branding, this study aims to attempt to identify the effects of bathroom amenity brands on customers' attitudes toward the hotel brand image and their behavior intentions toward a hotel brand. Specifically, this study assesses the importance of bathroom amenities on customer experience. It also examines the effects of bathroom amenity and their sustainable practices on hotel brand image and behavior intentions. Lastly, it provides suggestions for hoteliers in selecting right and appealing bathroom amenities while enhancing customers' hotel experience.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a 3 (hotel service level: economy, midscale, vs luxury) × 2 (bathroom amenity brand: luxury vs general) × 2 (bathroom amenity packaging: bottle vs dispenser) between-subjects experimental design. A total of 557 useable surveys were obtained to test the study's hypotheses.FindingsThe results reveal that customers had a better hotel image when high-end brand bathroom amenities in a bottle were offered. Specifically, when economy hotels provided high-end brand bathroom amenities, customers had a better hotel image, which lead to strong return intentions. Typically, bathroom amenities in the bottle were perceived better than those in the dispenser when it came to the hotel image.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study reconfirm that the level of hotel service, bathroom amenity brand and bathroom amenity packaging jointly affect hotels' overall image. Specifically, the generic bathroom amenity in the dispenser somewhat degrades the image of the hotel for economy hotels; however, the image of hotel is not significantly affected by the type of bathroom packaging when the hotel has luxury bathroom amenities. Thus, hotel management should pay more attention to selecting the bathroom amenity brand, which can offer more memorable experience for customers.Originality/valueLittle research has been documented on the effects of hotel bathroom amenity brands on customers' attitudes toward hotel brand image and their psychological behaviors in the hotel industry, lacking rigorous theoretical examinations. The current study provides several important contributions not only to the body of knowledge but to the hotel industry.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Margaretha Felicia Thung ◽  
Bernadette Thalia Tjahjowidodo ◽  
Serli Wijaya

Dengan berkembangnya teknologi, situs web berisi ulasan daring (online review website) sangat terkenal di kalangan konsumen karena ulasan daring dianggap sebagai sumber yang handal, terpercaya dan terbaru. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menganalisa ulasan daring di situs web Trip Advisor dan mengetahui atribut-atribut hotel yang menjadi penentu kepuasan maupun ketidakpuasan konsumen setelah menginap di hotel bintang 2 dan bintang 5 di Surabaya. Ulasan daring dianalisa melalui proses penambangan data (text-mining) menggunakan Voyant Tools. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat tujuh atribut hotel yaitu: Hotel, Service, Room, Food & Beverage, Location, Security dan Price/value yang sama-sama menentukan kepuasan konsumen ketika menginap di hotel bintang 2 dan bintang 5. Sebaliknya terdapat enam atribut hotel yang menentukan ketidakpuasan konsumen setelah menginap di hotel bintang 5 yaitu: Room, Hotel, Service, Food & Beverage, Location dan Price/value. Di sisi lain, atribut hotel yang paling banyak menjadi penyebab ketidakpuasan konsumen pada hotel bintang 2 adalah: Room, Hotel, Service, Food & Beverage dan Price/value.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyue Wendy Zhu ◽  
Cristian Morosan

Purpose – Interactive mobile technologies (IMT) offered to hotel guests during their stay represent an interesting development in consumer technologies in the hotel industry. Such technologies are designed to facilitate transactions and enhance the quality of guest experience. This research explains how hotel guests develop attitudes and intentions to use IMT in hotels. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Using data from students enrolled in a large hospitality program located in the Southwestern USA, the study validates a variant of the technology acceptance model, extended with constructs such as cognitive absorption and security that capture better the context of IMT in hotels. Findings – The conceptual model explained a large part of variability in intentions to use IMT. Among several predictors, cognitive absorption was the stronger predictor of attitudes. The analysis also revealed the dimensions of cognitive absorption as a second-order factor in the context of mobile commerce in the hotel industry. Research limitations/implications – This research offers a number of notable theoretical contributions. First, it provides an unique perspective on adoption of immersive technologies that enhance the experiential value of the hotel stay. Second, it revisits and validates the multidimensional construct of cognitive absorption. Finally, it ascertains the roles of cognitive absorption, playfulness, and security in the adoption of IMT. Practical implications – This research provides specific suggestions to integrate IMT in hotels based on system characteristics and users’ perceptions. Originality/value – To date, the research examining the immersive aspects of technology is scant. This research provides a novel platform for the systematic examination of the adoption of immersive technologies as they mediate the experiences in hotel service settings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 297-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijoylaxmi Sarmah ◽  
Zillur Rahman

Purpose With increased competition in service sector due to dynamic nature of customers’ taste and preferences, service providers have realized the importance of co-creating with customers across various stages of new service development. Co-creating with customers require a focused attention on the psychological variables that influence customers to participate in developing a new service. However, availability of scant literature creates difficulty in comprehending co-creative hotel service innovation practices, especially in developing country like India. The purpose of this paper is to explore the inter-relationships among the customer participation in hotel service innovation variables with the help of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach. Design/methodology/approach ISM approach is used to determine the direction of customer participation and categorization of psychological variables with their driving and dependence power. Identification of related variables was done through a review of literature initially and arrived at a common consensus through brainstorming sessions with academicians and hotel industry experts. Findings The results indicate that a few variables possess higher driving power that include: consumer innovativeness, customer participative behavior, customer socialization, willingness to co-create, role clarity, customer ability and their interlinking. Thus, the research contributes in the development of relationship among various identified variables of customer participation in service innovation (CPSI) using ISM. Research limitations/implications This study suggests that hoteliers should co-create with customers to develop new services by understanding their psychological variables that play a crucial role determining their active participation in new hotel service offerings. Practical implications This study suggests that hoteliers should co-create with customers to develop new services by understanding the enablers of customer participation in co-creative hotel service innovation. Hoteliers can have hierarchical map of their customers for co-creating at different stages of service innovation or can segregate the variables as per their driving and dependence power for enhanced applicability of the variables. Further, the observed inter-relationships among the CPSI variables can guide the managers in planning and implementing identified relationships for successful implementation of co-creative service innovation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge this study is the first to provide an integrated model using ISM and Matrix Impact Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification (MICMAC) analysis with a goal to identify and classify various key enablers of customer participation in co-creative hotel service innovation in India. The authors believe that this study will enhance the understanding of the psychological factors influencing customer-firm co-creative service innovation activities and help the academicians and industry practitioners to select right enablers for customer participation in co-creative hotel service innovation. Thus, this study will be the foundation for studying co-creative service innovation using the ISM and MICMAC approaches.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document