Service quality and customer satisfaction: qualitative research implications for luxury hotels. Issue 2 (1st June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Carol; Berchoux, Celine; Marek, Michael W.; Chen, Brendan
• Is Part Of: International journal of culture, tourism and hospitality research. Volume 9:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 182
• Publication Date: 2015-06-01
• Subjects: Culture and tourism -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Hospitality industry -- Periodicals; 306.481905
• DOI: 10.1108/IJCTHR-10-2014-0087
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-6182

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</title> <p> – 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. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</title> <p> – 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. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</title> <p> – 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. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Research limitations/implications</title> <p> – 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. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</title> <p> – 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.</p> </sec> </abstract>