Contactless service in hospitality: bridging customer equity, experience, delight, satisfaction, and trust

Purpose Draws from the equity theory and customer equity literature, this study aims to argue that the implementation of contactless service as an innovative service design in the hospitality industry can generate customers’ emotional attachment and cognitive evaluation of the brand. Design/methodology/approach This study uses partial least squares modeling and data from a large-scale survey of hotel guests who have experienced contactless service in mainland China. The authors performed an importance-performance map analysis to evaluate the significance of critical variables and constructs by including the performance dimension. Findings Customer equity is a three-dimensional higher-order construct that embraces value-, brand- and relationship equity. A pleasant experience of contactless service in hospitality encounters generates a positive effect on customer equity and delight. Additionally, increased customer equity improves satisfaction and trust. Practical implications This study provides practical evidence for hospitality practitioners to consider contactless service in creating memorable experiences, improve customer satisfaction, build trust and add value to hospitality brands. Originality/value The findings of this study add to the understanding of emerging contactless services, contribute to the development of the equity theory and current customer equity literature and advance the implementation of innovative service design in hospitality.

Utilization of Social Media Marketing By Young Business Players in Binjai City in Developing Customer Equity

Various lines of business and marketing in all dimensions of the world have been digitized, the use of social media by business actors has had a major influence in introducing their products more effectively and efficiently, the role of social media in increasing sales and building communities is more targeted than conventional media use. This research study aims to analyze the use of social media by young entrepreneurs in the variable consumption, curation, creation and collaboration with customer equity in young entrepreneurs in Binjai City. The methods used were questionnaires and interviews as well as direct field surveys. The results obtained state that social media Instagram or Facebook is preferred compared to others as a means of promotion for business people, women entrepreneurs prefer Instagram. From male entrepreneurs. The results also show that the use of social media in marketing has a positive and significant effect on customer equity in young entrepreneurs in Binjai City.