“What is beautiful we book”: hotel visual appeal and expected service quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1788-1807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia Kirillova ◽  
Janelle Chan
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Travel Agency ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Functional Value ◽  
Online Spaces ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Professional Photographer ◽  
Hotel Managers

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the effect of hotel aesthetics as represented in online spaces (e.g. online travel agency website) in prospective guests’ evaluation of expected service quality and booking intentions, as well as the interplay between aesthetic and functional values as related to those outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A scenario-based experimental design is conducted with 203 Chinese respondents. A between-subject two-way multivariate analysis of covariance (high vs low aesthetic value; high vs low functional value), which also controlled for respondents’ individual tendency to appreciate beauty, is used. Findings Results show that high aesthetic value hotels are more likely to be booked and perceived as able to deliver better services in SERVQUAL dimensions of tangibles, reliability and assurance. There are no significant effects for responsiveness and empathy. Given the presence of the aesthetic effect, hotel functional value has no impact on the outcome variables. Practical implications Hotel managers are recommended to employ professional photographer-artists who are aware of the aesthetic value of hotels and can translate this value into information technology-mediated spaces. Such professionals should be able to create a composition that balances the elements of classic (e.g. symmetry vs asymmetry) and expressive (e.g. color) aesthetics. Originality/value This research brings out a number of insights from the product experience literature in the hospitality context and points to the limitations of the product visual attractiveness in engendering positive service quality evaluation.

Hotel customer segmentation according to eco-service quality perception: the case of Russian tourists

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akin Aksu ◽  
Tahir Albayrak ◽  
Meltem Caber
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Segmentation ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hotel Customers

PurposeThis study aims to explore the components of eco-service quality at hotels and to cluster hotel customers based on their eco-service quality perceptions.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was adapted, and a survey study was performed on Russian tourists staying at the hotels located in Antalya, Turkey. Factor analysis results showed that the eco-service quality variable contains the dimensions of equipment, practice and staff and food. These factors were used to cluster hotel customers, and two groups were obtained as sensitive customers to eco-services and apathetic customers to eco-services. Cluster-based differences were identified by a series of cross-tabulations and regression analyses.FindingsSome socio-demographic and travel choice-related differences were obtained between the customer groups. The results of regression analyses showed that the most important determinant of sensitive customers' overall satisfaction was equipment, which was followed by staff and food and practice. The only significant determinant of apathetic customers' overall satisfaction was equipment.Practical implicationsHotel customers, who have different socio-demographic characteristics, are identified to have also distinct perceptions on the quality of eco-friendly equipment or services. Hence, hotel managers are suggested to develop proactive and value-generating environmentally friendly practices that appeal to different market segments. However, hotel managers should decide on prior areas and prefer low-cost options when “going green”, as some customer-groups do not notice such efforts.Originality/valueFrom the theoretical point of view, this study is original in showing the dimensional structure of the eco-service quality construct and the impact of each dimension on hotel customers' overall satisfaction. Both theoretically and practically, the findings offer valuable implications about the behavioural tendencies of Russian tourists towards eco-hotel practices.

Imagery makes social media captivating! Aesthetic value in a consumer-as-value-maximizer framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aljukhadar ◽  
Amélie Bériault Poirier ◽  
Sylvain Senecal
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Values ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Aesthetic

Purpose Social media bring about the imagery of people, places and products. Showing particular success in attracting women and millennials, these media (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest) are built around imagery consumption. This paper follows a qualitative theory building approach to extend the theory of consumption values and develop a framework based on the values social media deliver to consumers that explain their use outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The framework was analytically developed based on a review of the literature. In contrast to frameworks such as stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R), the framework proposes that people consume social media to maximize relevant values, namely, the aesthetic, social and learning value. Then, a study based on semi-structured interviews is performed to elaborate on the values and their undertakings. Findings The paper defines the consumption’s aesthetic value and underscores it as a focal driver of social media use and a key concept in social commerce. Data analysis suggests that aesthetic value engenders such responses as consumer’s inspiration, infinity sensation and habitual entertainment. Additional drivers of social media users are social and learning values. The social value engenders self-expression and social privacy, whereas the learning value engenders resourcefulness and parallel shopping. Originality/value This paper stipulates that people consume (i.e. use) social media to maximize relevant values, which, in turn, result in two groups of responses (inner and outer responses). The framework indicates that the relevant values mediate the relation between a stimulus (e.g. social media use) and response (e.g. entertainment, inspiration and behavioral intent). It highlights the centrality of aesthetic value in digital marketing and social commerce environments. The framework, thus, contrary to S-O-R, views the consumer as a maximizer of values rather than (a) processor of emotional and cognitive rejoinders.

scholarly journals Differentiating service quality impact between the online and off-line context: an empirical investigation of a corporate travel agency

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Fang ◽  
Zhen Lu ◽  
Linyin Dong
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Travel Agency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Line Context ◽  
Corporate Travel ◽  
The Impact

PurposeCorporate travel represents a significant source of revenue for the tourism industry. Therefore, the quality of service is essential for maintaining and expanding corporate cliental bases. Despite the importance, the extant literature has yet sufficiently examined corporate travel service quality (SQ) and its impact. To make up for the drawback, this study aims to differentiate the impact of SQ perceptions on customer satisfaction between the online and off-line contexts through an empirical investigation in one of the top five corporate travel agencies in North America.Design/methodology/approachThe well-established SERVQUAL measurement is applied in differentiating the impact of SQ dimensions between the online and off-line context. To empirically test the proposed corporate travel agency (CTA) SQ conceptual model, a set of survey data of “Welcome Back Survey” from HRG (a top five CTA in North America) was examined.FindingsThe study finds that for online services, assurance, responsiveness and empathy affect perceived SQ, whereas for off-line services, assurance, empathy and tangible are the three dimensions of perceived SQ.Research limitations/implicationsBy relying on the existing survey, the off-line context has one less dimension than the online context. Yet as an early effort in differentiating the differences in the impact of SQ between two service contexts, the study offers insightful findings.Practical implicationsThe findings will be helpful for business managers of CTAs to identify the factors that influence SQ in both online booking and off-line booking context. In particular, assurance and empathy are two dimensions that exert a significant impact on customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to compare the differences of the SQ of online and off-line corporate travel.

How do international tourists perceive hotel quality?

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 470-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Taylan Dortyol ◽  
Inci Varinli ◽  
Olgun Kitapci
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Turkish Culture ◽  
Hotel Service ◽  
Quality Dimensions ◽  
Service Quality Dimensions ◽  
Quality And Reliability ◽  
Hotel Service Quality ◽  
Hotel Managers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to identify tourists' perceptions of services provided by hotels in Antalya/Turkey and to explore hotel service quality dimensions. Specifically, the objectives are as follows: to identify the dimensions of hotel service quality, and to determine the relative impact of those dimensions on customer satisfaction levels, on customer value and on customers' intentions to recommend or revisit a hotel. Design/methodology/approach – The present study uses the framework which originally appeared in Juwaheer's study investigating international tourists' perceptions of hotels in Mauritius. In this framework ten hotel service quality dimensions were defined by factor analysis and then the most important dimensions for each component were determined using stepwise regression analysis. Findings – Of the ten hotel service quality dimensions, “tangibles” and “food quality and reliability” influence the customer satisfaction level the most. Customer value is explained by five dimensions which generate 37.8 percent of the variance. “Hotel employees and problem solving”, “transportation”, “food quality and reliability”, “climate and hygiene”, “level of price”, “tangibles”, “interaction with Turkish culture” and “friendly, courteous and helpful employees” are the main dimensions which affect whether a guest will recommend a hotel. “Tangibles”, “interaction with Turkish culture”, and “level of price” are seen as the most influential dimensions in terms of customers' intentions to revisit a hotel. Research limitations/implications – The basic limitation of the study is the unexplained variance, which is the result of the regression analysis. Therefore, future research should aim to determine the factors explaining that variance. Practical implications – In light of these findings, hotel managers in Antalya can better understand their guests' priorities and consequently, they can arrange their service encounter process accordingly to fulfill these priorities. Originality/value – This study presents potentially valuable information for hotel managers in Antalya with regards to understanding customer value and satisfaction, which are the key elements in terms of guests revisiting a hotel and recommending it to others. As providing an opportunity for a comparative study of service quality searches, this study contributes to the field.

Service quality and customer satisfaction: qualitative research implications for luxury hotels

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Lu ◽  
Celine Berchoux ◽  
Michael W. Marek ◽  
Brendan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Hotels ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Luxury Hotel ◽  
Luxury Service

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to determine whether luxury hotel managers and customers have the same understanding of service quality and satisfaction and whether there is a disparity between services offered by luxury hotels and the way customers actually experience them. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used interviews with managers and guests of 5-Star hotels in Taiwan and qualitative analysis to understand definitions and perceptions of luxury, service quality and satisfaction. Findings – The major findings of the study were that: there were no fundamental disconnects in the respective understandings of managers and guests; however, the two groups used different language to describe luxury, service quality and satisfaction; the managers evaluated satisfaction in terms of services provided, but the guests conceptualized satisfaction in terms of value received for the price of lodging; and luxury, service quality and satisfaction were closely related in the minds of the managers and guests and were not independent constructs. Research limitations/implications – Recommendations are made based on marketing communications theory, that is all factors identified in this study can be considered to be part of the brand identity of the hotel; local culture can introduce variables that may be outside the scope of international standards; and information on local expectations and preferences can inform advertising and public relations efforts of the hotel. Originality/value – This study is significant because little research into luxury hotel customer satisfaction has been done using qualitative methodology, which provides a richer understanding of the experiences of the participants than can quantitative design.

Value co-creation in B-to-B environments

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1251-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Berenguer-Contrí ◽  
Martina G. Gallarza ◽  
Maria-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina ◽  
Irene Gil-Saura
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Travel Agency ◽  
Main Partner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Social Satisfaction ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the way in which B-to-B relationships are built, based on commitment and trust affecting value co-creation (VcC) and resulting in greater or lesser economic and social satisfaction and the manager’s perception of the delivered value (business customer value) moderating these effects. Design/methodology/approach Through a means-end approach, a causal model is estimated with PLS using a sample of 268 hotel managers who rate their relationship with their main partner (travel agency or booking center) in Spain. Findings VcC is a) dynamic because it is episodic, where VcC is a mediator between the trust–commitment relationship and two types of satisfaction (economic and social) and b) synergetic, because when the hotel delivers higher levels of business customer value, the effects in the linkages of VcC–satisfaction(s) are intensified. These effects are not significantly different on economic versus social satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The empirical paper collects the perception of a single partner (hotel managers) in a single setting (hotels in Spain). The moderating role of business customer value on the VcC–satisfaction(s) relationship should be further analyzed. The paper contributes to the growing literature on B-to-B VcC by translating empirically the theoretical richness of the VcC concept as being dynamic and synergetic. Originality/value This paper adds quantitative evidence to theoretical assumptions on VcC as dynamic and synergetic. The quantitative modelling proves VcC as a true mediator, in a chain of variables in a B-to-B setting.

Change in brand attitude depending on fashion film type: the psychological mechanisms by engagement and consumer fantasy proneness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun Hee Park
Keyword(s):  
Attitude Change ◽  
Brand Attitude ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Fantasy Proneness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Film Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Narrative Forms

PurposeThis study investigates the effect of consumers' brand attitude changes according to the fashion film type. Furthermore, it examines the psychological mechanism by engagement and consumer fantasy proneness. This study is meaningful because it provides a more in-depth understanding of the use of fashion film as a means of consumer-oriented persuasion communication.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a 2(fashion film type: narrative vs non-narrative) × 2(consumer fantasy proneness: high vs low) mixed factorial design to test the hypotheses. ANOVA and the PROCESS macro mounted on SPSS was used to test hypotheses.FindingsThe group with high consumer fantasy proneness showed more changes in brand attitude when exposed to non-narrative than narrative fashion films, but the group with low consumer fantasy proneness showed no significant difference in brand attitude change according to the fashion film type. In addition, when consumer fantasy proneness is high, media and brand engagement for non-narrative fashion films increase sequentially, resulting in a greater change in brand attitude, whereas these psychological mechanisms do not work in groups with low consumer fantasy proneness.Practical implicationsFashion brands should identify their respective target group when producing fashion films and choose differentiated narrative forms. In the case of pursuing a fantastic aesthetic value, the non-narrative type induces more attention and curiosity from consumers than the narrative type, which affects the feeling of a special bond or relevance with the brand.Originality/valueThis study has value in that it demonstrates the rationale for why a fashion brand needs to select a differentiated content structure according to the aesthetic value pursued when making a fashion film in branding work.

The importance of aesthetics on customers’ intentions to purchase smartphones

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samrand Toufani ◽  
John Philip Stanton ◽  
Tendai Chikweche
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Functional Value ◽  
Promotional Strategies ◽  
The Aesthetic

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how potential purchasers of a personal information, communication and entertainment device such as a smartphone, perceive the aesthetics of such a product. It then examines whether appreciation of the product’s aesthetics influences their purchase intention through different dimensions of perceived value drawn from perceptions of the product’s aesthetics, or whether there is a direct relationship from aesthetics to purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods consisting of two focus groups, a pilot and large online surveys were used for instrument confirmation and data collection. Data were analysed and hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling techniques. Findings Aesthetics’ primary effect on purchase intention is not direct, but rather indirect through perceived social and to a lesser extent, perceived emotional value while the importance of aesthetics on perceived functional value is far less. There was also support for a formative approach in the construction of an aesthetics scale with the identification of four different latent factors of aesthetics. Research limitations/implications This study is product specific but should be extendable to the product category. The possibility of other variables affecting the aesthetic appreciation of a product also needs consideration. Practical implications The study provides managers with insights on how aesthetics can be used to strengthen purchase intention in terms of both product development and promotional strategies. Aesthetics’ appeal to social and emotional perceived values, rather than functional value, provides guidance on how to use aesthetics in promotional campaigns. Originality/value Despite the richness of the literature on aesthetics, only a limited number of studies have researched the factors influencing aesthetic appreciation of a product and the effect on purchase intention. This research expands knowledge in the area thereby providing new insights on the influence of aesthetics on marketing.

Evaluation and prioritization of service quality dimensions based on gap analysis with analytic network process

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Dabestani ◽  
Arash Shahin ◽  
Mohammad Saljoughian
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Gap Analysis ◽  
Analytic Network Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Process ◽  
Quality Dimensions ◽  
Service Quality Dimensions ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify customers’ critical demands through evaluating and prioritizing service quality dimensions (SQDs) based on service quality (SQ) gaps. Design/methodology/approach The customers of four-star hotels were asked to report on their expectations and perceptions about the service they were receiving. Afterwards, the gap between the customers’ expectations and perceptions was calculated. Eventually, the three sets of data were exploited to prioritize SQDs through analytic network process (ANP). Findings Findings suggest that security and confidentiality, price, and tangibles are the most crucial factors. Practical implications The results can provide hotel managers with insightful hints about those aspects of service that form their customers’ perception of SQ in order to assign their invaluable, but restricted, resources appropriately to offer a more competitive service to the customers through paying attention to those dimensions. Originality/value The innovativeness of the methodology was in that the authors proposed a noble method in filling out the difficult-to-complete ANP matrix. The authors also managed to consider the mutual relationship between SQD criteria, which is difficult to do in ordinary methods.

Role of affective forecasting in customers’ hotel service experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Lajante ◽  
Riadh Ladhari ◽  
Elodie Massa
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Affective Forecasting ◽  
Affective Reactions ◽  
Service Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hotel Service ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Service Experiences

Purpose Research on the role of affective forecasting in hotel service experiences is in its infancy, and several crucial questions remain unanswered. This study aims to posit that affective forecasting is a significant antecedent of customers’ affective reactions during a hotel stay. The authors investigate how customers’ service quality expectations influence their affective forecasting and how customers’ affective forecasting before an upcoming hotel service experience influences their affective reactions during the hotel service experience. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data through online questionnaires distributed among 634 US adults who had stayed at a hotel within the past month. Findings The results show that: service quality expectations influence affective forecasting; affective forecasting influences affective reactions; service quality expectations influence perceived service quality, thereby influencing affective reactions and affective reactions and service quality perception influence electronic Word-Of-Mouth intentions. Practical implications The study suggests that hotel managers should identify what hotel performance attributes customers value most and depict how these attributes elicit positive affective reactions in advertising to influence customers’ purchase decisions. Originality/value This is one of the few studies to investigate the antecedents and consequences of affective forecasting in hotel service experiences.

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