Customer Loyalty in Hospitality: Can the Quality Perception Be a Key Factor?

Mariana Inácio Marques (), Ana Afonso Alcântara (), Gabriel Guerreiro e Carreira () and João Caldeira Heitor ()
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Mariana Inácio Marques: ISG – Business & Economics School, GOVCOPP – Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies
Ana Afonso Alcântara: Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território, Master’s in Strategic Management and Tourism Development by Instituto Superior Técnico
Gabriel Guerreiro e Carreira: Escola Superior Hotelaria e Turismo Estoril, National Interpreter Guide and Tourism Mail Certified by the National Union of Tourist Activity, Translators and Interpreters (SNATTI)
João Caldeira Heitor: ISG – Business & Economics School, CiTUR – Centre for Tourism Research, Development and Innovation

A chapter in Quality Innovation and Sustainability, 2023, pp 103-117 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This chapter aims to analyze the features related to the perception of service quality and understand whether they are somehow related to the customers’ loyalty. In fact, it is quite complex to analyze the quality of a service so broad such as hospitality, and sometimes the quality perception varies according to personal intrinsic aspects, which makes the evaluation a subjective process. Since quality perception is something complex and subjective, it is important to understand whether customer loyalty is related to the perception of the quality of the service they enjoy. For this study, we applied a questionnaire to the Estoril Coast hotel managers since this is a region of a major importance for Portuguese tourism, and it is even considered an international brand. Questionnaires were also applied to tourists to better understand the demand behavior. Models of quality in services are also presented, some of them applied to hospitality. The analysis of the guests’ answers showed just a few claims to fulfill hotels’ questionnaires, so it is important to consider other mechanisms for evaluating the service quality. In fact, this chapter helps to verify the existence of a relationship between the perception of quality in the hotel industry and guest loyalty and the finding can provide some inputs to hotel managers and marketeers. The major results show that hotels recognize the importance of keeping customers loyal and that loyalty increases sales (90%), helps to get free advertising (80%), and importantly constantly improves service (70%).

Keywords: Services; Hospitality; Quality; Loyalty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-031-12914-8_9

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-12914-8_9

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