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Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Sri Lankan Hotel Industry
Abstract
After 30 years war, as a country Sri Lanka has a great opportunity to develop tourism industry and there are lot of tourists visit to spend holidays in Sri Lanka from around the world. In tourism industry Hotels play a major role. Therefore the hotels should be provided excellent services quality for their customers. Services quality is considered substantial when it comes to define organizational success. The winning strategy is to deliver best services quality to customers. Today, need to improve services quality in Sri Lankan hotel industry have come under limelight due to stiff competition where hotels are trying to attain competitive advantage through the human factor. Excellent quality service not only results in a profit strategy but also it is energizing for employees to perform to their potential to meet challenges. By providing quality service, hotels can sustain customers " confidence and gain competitive advantages over their competitors. This study studies the relationship between Services Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Sri Lankan hotel industry. In this research paper, quantitative methods were used. The data were collected through questionnaire which contained five point likert scale Statements. Results of different correlations, T-test and hypotheses testing revealed a great deal of existing services with customer satisfaction. In order to generate the results employed confirmatory factor analysis by using Smart PLS. Mainly courtesy of attendants, comfort in guestroom, cleanliness and environment of hotel have played vital role in creating serenity and subsequent contentment among customers. This study confirms direct relationship between Service Quality and customer satisfaction. It seems judicious to believe that understanding of customer satisfaction role is extremely significant as it appears key factor in the success of modern organization specially hotels.
... Tourist satisfaction has received a lot of attention from tourism scholars because vacations have a positive impact on it as well as general life satisfaction (Chen, Huang, & Petrick, 2016). An item or service of high quality can serve as a guarantee (WHDP, 2014). Prior experiences with Tourists' satisfaction or dissatisfaction are crucial because they affect how people anticipate acting in terms of purchases in the future (Sanchez-Gutierrez & Gonzalez-Uribe, 2011). ...
The study investigates the level of tourist satisfaction regarding the quality of eco-services provided in Okomu National Park, located in Edo State, Nigeria.
... According to Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) as cited in Ombui and Iravo, (2016) descriptive method facilitates to summary and organize the data in an effective and meaningful way. Gunarathne (2014) emphasizes that the descriptive method also clarifies the causal relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality and the need for quantitative data collection. Sample Size Procedure ...
This research examined the effect of customer service quality on customer satisfaction in Queensbury Hospital, Sri Lanka. To achieve the objectives of this study, data were collected through a questionnaire from a sample of 284 hospital consumers. These respondents were selected using the convenience sampling method. Data obtained from questionnaires were analyzed using a statistical tool called SPSS. The findings of the study show that Queensbury Hospital customers are satisfied with the four service quality dimensions (reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) and the effect of Tangibility is negligible. The findings also indicated that the relationship between the respective independent variables and the dependent variables was at the same level. The results show that all service quality dimensions except tangibility have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, service quality dimensions explain 51% of the variation in hospital customer satisfaction. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher makes some recommendations to the managers of the hospital and other researchers. Reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy are considered to be the most important factors affecting customer satisfaction. However, the hospital should be customer-centric and try to match the demands of the contemporary environment.
... Hotels that do not pay attention to the quality of their service may face problems such as dissatisfied travelers, lack of loyalty from tourists, and lack of competitive advantage (Dedeoğlu &;Demirer, 2015). According to (WHDP, 2014), by providing quality services, hotels can achieve customer trust and thus gain a competitive advantage. Meanwhile, according to (Rao &;Sahu, 2013), hotel operators are now focusing on maintaining better quality to meet the basic needs and expectations of customers. ...
In this comprehensive study, the focus revolves around delineating the intricate dynamics between service quality, hotel image, tourist satisfaction, and loyalty within the context of Artotel Group Hotel Bali. The pivotal role of service quality emerges as a central theme, elucidating that the realization of good service quality hinges upon the proficiency of human resources. The study underscores the significance of competent personnel in achieving maximum service values, which is further augmented by the presence of well-equipped infrastructure and facilities. Drawing on the theoretical framework of satisfaction, the researchers employ a quantitative descriptive method to delve into the nuances of these interconnections. Unveiling the outcomes of their investigation, the study propounds that both service quality and the hotel image wield a positive and statistically significant impact on tourist satisfaction during their sojourn at Artotel Group Hotel Bali. This illuminates a direct correlation wherein heightened service quality and a positive hotel image contribute to an elevated level of satisfaction among tourists residing at Artotel Group Hotel Bali. Consequently, the study not only underscores the critical importance of service quality and hotel image but also establishes a concrete link between these factors and the overall satisfaction of tourists, providing valuable insights for enhancing the hospitality experience at Artotel Group Hotel Bali.
... There is ample evidence, especially in the marketing literature, of perceived quality having a strong influence and a direct relationship with consumer satisfaction [53][54][55][56]. These findings are in line with the previous studies of rail-based public transport. ...
This study employs the fundamental concept of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model to explore the factors influencing passengers’ satisfaction with monorail service in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and their reuse intention. The study tests the hypotheses on 417 monorail passengers using a hybrid structural equation modelling based on parameter estimation of partial least squares (PLS-SEM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) method to estimate the proposed model. The results showed that the proposed model explains 70.4% and 59.5% of the variance in passenger satisfaction with the monorail service and reuse intention. The PLS-SEM results for Stage 1 showed that perceived quality and perceived value have a statistically significant influence on passenger satisfaction. Furthermore, all critical factors in the output from Stage 1 were used as the input in the ANN model to overcome the simplistic nature of the SEM model. The results for the ANN model (Stage 2) showed that perceived quality is the most crucial predictor of passenger satisfaction with the monorail service, followed by perceived quality. The outcomes of this study can help service providers, policymakers, and planners develop effective strategies for enhancing user satisfaction and improving monorail ridership.
... Customer satisfaction is considered as a vital element in assessing service quality due to its importance in a business' performance (Birgit, 2019). According to (Gunarathne, 2014), customer satisfaction can be guaranteed by ensuring high quality products and services are provided by a business. In the hotel and tourism sector, satisfaction is considered as an essential element of the sectors' position of value to a client. ...
Purpose: Service quality in game lodges context elicit customers’ emotional satisfaction, which subsequently influences consumer behavior such as revisit intentions and WOM recommendations. Service quality research has paid more focus on cognitive dimensions of customer satisfaction, giving little attention on affective or customer emotional satisfaction. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of service quality on tourists’ emotional satisfaction residing in star rated game lodges at Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted epistemological research philosophy guided by positivism paradigm with a quantitative and a cross sectional survey research design. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the respondents and data was collected using structured questionnaires that were administered to 312 respondents drawn from visitors who resided in star rated game lodges at Masai Mara national reserve and its conservancies in Kenya. Data was analyzed using structural equation model that tested hypothesis and the relationship between service quality and emotional satisfaction. Data was presented in the form of tables and figures. Findings: The findings suggest that in the context of game lodges, service quality is important for developing customer emotional satisfaction. The study results support a positive and significant relationship between service quality and emotional satisfaction. Recommendations: The study contributes immensely to the theoretical background on service marketing by providing thorough examination of the service quality and its influence on emotional satisfaction. The influence of service quality on emotional or affective aspects of customer satisfaction in game lodges context allied to value- percept display theory is rare. Thus, this study broadens the domain of value- percept display theory that has received little attention. The managers in game lodges should identify and improve on the service quality dimensions that make the most significant contribution to emotional satisfaction. This is a significant input to the service marketing especially in the little researched area in service quality perceptions and emotional responses among the traditional, domestic and the emerging tourism markets in game lodges in Kenya.
The existence of the internet provides significant changes in people's lives, one of which is shopping activities. In 2023, Shopee occupies the first position with the most number of visitors. Shopee has a shipping service, namely Shopee Express Drop Point. Complaints from customers have been increasingly volatile, causing a decline in the company's reputation. This research needs to be conducted to find out the dimensions that significantly influence customer satisfaction and loyalty and to provide improvement guidelines for the company. The research was conducted quantitatively using a questionnaire with a sample of 223 respondents. Sampling was done using a random sampling technique. The tools used in processing the data are PLS-SEM. The results of this study are the dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, accessibility, security, and empathy that have a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction at Shopee Express Drop Point, while customer loyalty is influenced by the dimensions of accessibility, security, and empathy. The results of this study were correlated with suggestions from respondents and review on Google Reviews to obtain a repair guide for the Shopee Express Drop Point company.
Several critical roles come into play regarding the smooth
functioning of the insurance sector business. One such significant role is
of an Insurance Actuary who is a specialist in evaluating financial risks to
calculate a suitable premium for products. The predication of future financial
scenarios will be done by the application theory of probability, statistics
and mathematics. This results in the estimation of appropriate premiums
to minimize the risks for insurance companies by considering several key
product development factors. This paper aims at understanding the role of
insurance actuary in new product design and development process and
the study analyzed the opinion of 85 actuarial professionals about
prerequisites for product design and development process, level of
involvement and pricing strategies. The findings of the study show that the
involvement of actuarial professionals is highly significant, and their
strategies are much required in the insurance product development process
and competition and cost driven are two important factors to be considered
in setting up of price. Finally, the study concludes that the insurance actuary
is key personnel who raise the confidence in risk management of insurance
business
Nowadays, the COVID-19 pandemic has had many harmful effects on the hotel industry. This study aims to identify and prioritize the factors affecting SERVQUAL in the hotel industry and evaluates five-star hotels during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The present study prioritizes the influence factors of SERVQUAL using the stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method and using the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method to identify the best hotel among the five hotels in Iran in 2022. In the present study, 22 influence sub-criteria in the hotel industry were studied, and the delivery of service promise sub-criterion was ranked first, which shows its importance among other sub-criteria. Among the hotels studied, A1 hotels ranked first among other hotels. The present study examines and prioritizes the influence factors of SERVQUAL in the hotel industry to help hotel managers to identify the most important influence factors of SERVQUAL in the hotel industry to implement these factors in their hotels and can improve their strengths.
This paper has highlighted that customer satisfaction is exceedingly personal estimation that is deeply influenced by the customer expectations regarding the services. The most dynamic verb in the lexis of customer satisfaction is 'to improve'. Hence the hotel industry like other industries is realizing the significance of customer centered philosophies with the overall goal in terms of customer satisfaction is to stay as close to their customers as possible. It started with the concept of customer satisfaction in the hotel industry and the determinants of satisfaction which eventually leads to future intentions of customers. 5 likert scales was worn to gauge the responses. The aftermaths of the study showed that improved and superior service quality and service features will augment the customer satisfaction and the future intentions of satisfied customers will be magnified.
Service firms like other organizations are realizing the significance of customer-centered philosophies and are turning to quality management approaches to help managing their businesses. This paper has started with the concept of service quality and has demonstrated the model of service quality gaps. SERVQUAL as an effective approach has been studied and its role in the analysis of the difference between customer expectations and perceptions has been highlighted with support of an example. Outcomes of the study outline the fact that although SERQUAL could close one of the important service quality gaps associated with external customer services, it could be extended to close other major gaps and therefore, it could be developed in order to be applied for internal customers, i.e. employees and service providers.
Relying on a Bayesian-like framework, the authors develop a behavioral process model of perceived service quality. Perceptions of the dimensions of service quality are viewed to be a function of a customer's prior expectations of what will and what should transpire during a service encounter, as well as the customer's most recent contact with the service delivery system. These perceptions of quality dimensions form the basis for a person's overall quality perception, which in turn predicts the person's intended behaviors. The authors first test this model with data from a longitudinal laboratory experiment. Then they develop a method for estimating the model with one-time survey data, and reestimate the model using such data collected in a field study. Empirical findings from the two tests of the model indicate, among other things, that the two different types of expectations have opposing effects on perceptions of service quality and that service quality perceptions positively affect intended behaviors.
textlessptextgreaterThe attainment of quality in products and services has become a pivotal concern of the 1980s. While quality in tangible goods has been described and measured by marketers, quality in services is largely undefined and unresearched. The authors attempt to rectify this situation by reporting the insights obtained in an extensive exploratory investigation of quality in four service businesses and by developing a model of service quality. Propositions and recommendations to stimulate future research about service quality are offered.
U radu se prikazuju rezultati kvantitativne primjene SERVQUAL modela (Parasuraman et al., 1988.) u hotelskoj industriji. Istraživanje je provedeno za vrijeme božićnih i novogodišnjih praznika 2001/2002. godine u šesnaest hotela Opatijske rivijere na stratificiranom slučajnom uzorku (N = 401) hotelskih gostiju. Rezultati kvantitativne primjene SERVQUAL modela u hotelskoj industriji pokazuju da su očekivanja hotelskih gostiju veća od njihove percepcije. To ukazuje na postojanje negativnog SERVQUAL jaza. Rezultati faktorske analize ukazuju na čistu faktorsku strukturu uz relativno visoke faktorske koeficijente. Trodimenzionalno rješenje ljestvice očekivanja rezultira sljedećim faktorima: pouzdanost, susretljivost i stručnost hotelskog osoblja i kvaliteta fizičkog izgleda. Ljestvicu percepcije također sačinjavaju tri faktora: susretljivost i stručnost hotelskog osoblja, pouzdanost i kvaliteta fizičkog izgleda. Osim faktorske analize, provedena je i analiza pouzdanosti, te izračunata složena pouzdanost te konstrukcije. Rezultati pokazuju da svi faktori premašuju preporučenu razinu 0.50 (Hair et al., 1995), rangirajući se od 0.77 do 0.96. Alpha koeficijent za ljestvicu očekivanja iznosi 0.8246, dok je za ljestvicu percepcije nešto veći i iznosi 0.9243. Dakle, istraživanje je pokazalo da je SERVQUAL instrument, korišten u ovom istraživanju, visoko pouzdan. Međutim, potrebna je i daljnja prilagodba i provjera instrumenta za ispitivanje, što uključuje i testiranje valjanosti instrumenta.
Delivering consistently good service quality is difficult but profitable for service organizations. Understanding why it is so difficult and how it might be facilitated is the purpose of the article. The authors' intent is to identify a reasonably exhaustive set of factors potentially affecting the magnitude and direction of four gaps on the marketer's side of their service quality model. Most factors involve (1) communication and control processes implemented in service organizations to manage employees and (2) consequences of these processes, such as role clarity and role conflict of contact personnel. Literature from the marketing and organizational behavior fields on these topics is reviewed and integrated with qualitative data from an exploratory study. Discussion centers on insights that can be obtained from empirical testing of the extended model.
The authors respond to concerns raised by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994) about the relative efficacy of performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations measures of service quality. They demonstrate that the major concerns voiced by these authors are supported neither by a critical review of their discussion nor the emerging literature. Several research issues relative to service quality measurement and strategic decision making also are identified.
The authors respond to concerns raised by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1994) about the relative efficacy of performance-based and perceptions-minus-expectations measures of service quality. They demonstrate that the major concerns voiced by these authors are supported neither by a critical review of their discussion nor the emerging literature. Several research issues relative to service quality measurement and strategic decision making also are identified.
The role of service quality in the success of hotel businesses cannot be denied. It is vital for the hotel managers to have a good understanding on what exactly the customers want. Identifying the specific expectations of customers, the dimensions of the service quality, and their relative importance for customers for each specific segment of hotel industry would definitely help managers in the challenge of improving the service quality. The objectives of this study were to investigate the service quality expectations of business hotels’ customers, examine whether the quality dimensions included in the SERVQUAL model apply in an international environment, search for any additional dimensions that should be included in the service quality construct, and measure the level of importance of each specific dimension for the customers of the business hotels. The findings of this study confirmed the five-dimensional structure of SERVQUAL; however, some of the dimensions found and their components were different from SERVQUAL. The five service quality dimensions identified in this study were named as “tangibles”, “adequacy in service supply”, “understanding and caring”, “assurance”, and “convenience”. The findings showed that business travelers had the highest expectations for the dimension of “convenience” followed by “assurance”, “tangibles”, adequacy in service supply”, and “understanding and caring”. The research findings also confirmed that, although the SERVQUAL scale was a very useful tool as a concept, it needed to be adapted for the specific service segments and for the cultural context within which it was used.