The impact of quality services on customer satisfaction in Ritz Carlton hotel

A high number of customers reflect better performance in the hotel industry. Service quality and service performance (SERVPERF) can be used as a measure of performance within the hotel industry. SERVQUAL (Service quality gap model) helps to identify any gaps between the actual services provided by the company and the expectations of the customers. Also, the tool can help in filling these gaps by indicating the appropriate measures to be taken. Whenever a company fills the gaps identified, the service quality goes up and therefore customer expectations are met sufficiently. In some cases, employees are needed to respond to prompt requests from customers. The fourth dimension is assurance and deals with the capabilities of employees to show trust and confidence in service delivery; competence, credibility, and security.

It has to assure customers feel safe while consuming the hotel’s services and products. The fifth dimension is empathy which deals with the ability and willingness of the employees to provide customised responses and care to various requests of customers. Understanding the customer is important in providing better services. Retraining them would equip them with better communication skills especially in terms of courtesy and politeness. Minh, Ha, Anh, & Matsui (2015) also observed that tourists were more concerned about the intangible aspects of service quality including empathy, responsiveness, assurance and reliability. Precisely, the researchers found out that empathy took the centre stage in terms of influence on customer satisfaction. The researchers also observed that reliability and assurance followed in position two and three respectively (Minh, Ha, Anh, & Matsui, 2015).

However, Jasinskas, Streimikiene, Svagzdiene, & Simanavicius (2016) had a slightly different observation that responsiveness is the most important aspect in determining service quality. Moreover, courteous attitude goes a long way as far as assurance is concerned in the hotel industry. These attributes are quite important in ensuring high quality services to customers. However, Shafiq, Shafiq, Din, & Cheema (2013) acknowledge the fact that their course had some limitations since they depended on participants from one city which has varying dynamics from other cities thus, it may not reflect the results of a larger region. In addition, the researchers relied upon a single tool. Limitations of the tool could have affected the results and the final conclusions. Moreover, the employees should use a language that can be understood by all kinds of customers.

In order to maintain good communication between the employees and the customers, the former must learn to listen well. This would help them to get a better understanding of the needs of the customers and also handle some of the rowdy customers in a better way. Therefore, the hotel industry must endeavour to provide satisfactory responses to enquiries and complaints from customers. Currently, technology has improved so many dimensions of the hotel industry from communication to maintaining hygiene and physical buildings among other areas. Alananzeh, (2017) noted that every hotel is high concerned about the risks of poor hygiene in the industry. Apart from the kitchen, gymnasiums, swimming pools, bedrooms, spa, and the sauna are other areas that hoteliers accord more attention in terms of hygiene.

Maintaining high levels of hygiene in the hotel is facilitated by the staff. These require proper training and retraining in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed in their job. Poor skills will contribute to poor hygiene and eventually provide poor quality services. Therefore, collaborative customisation is good for both the customers and the hoteliers. If this dimension is upheld in the hotel industry, customers would have better experiences and would be satisfied. According to Kasiri, Guan Cheng, Sambasivan, & Sidin (2017), customisation of services and standardisation of the same was seen as an impractical venture in the past. However, the current researchers and marketing practitioners have found a unique feature in combining both processes. Combination of the two dimensions, customisation and standardization in service provision helps to improve service quality significantly.

However, Watiki (2014) had a different observation that reliability contributes the largest percent towards customer satisfaction while empathy comes second. Tangibles and responsiveness are in the third and fourth positions respectively. According to Watiki (2014), assurance is the least influential aspect among the five dimensions of service quality. Rao & Sahu (2013) observed that customers’ perceptions exceeded their expectations on service in the front office desk in hotels. The researchers gave recommendations that it would be prudent to retrain staff members on regular basis to maintain the quality of the services especially at the front office desk. The studies reviewed were carried in various regions of the world. Different regions have varied cultural and different market dynamics that have influence on the perceptions of customers.

This difference could have contributed largely to the differences in ranking the dimensions of service quality. Another gap exists in the sense that it is not possible that all hotels around would have same levels of tangibles. Various hotels have different employees with varied capabilities. Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction: A study of hotel industry of Faisalabad, Pakistan.  International Journal of Management & Organizational Studies , 2(2), 49-53. Retrieved from https://www. researchgate. net/publication/259183110_Impact_of_Service_Quality_on_Customer_Satisfaction_A_Study_of_Hotel_Industry_of_Faisalabad_Pakistan Minh, N. v11n10p73 Jasinskas, E. , Streimikiene, D. , Svagzdiene, B. , & Simanavicius, A. Impact of hotel service quality on the loyalty of customers. v2i1. 37 Na, L.  Service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry (Master's thesis).