Corporate image,loyalty, and commitment in the consumer travel industry

Abstract

This article examines the impact and interrelationship of corporate image, satisfaction, and commitment on customer loyalty in the travel industry. A corporate image–commitment–loyalty model was developed and tested. Partial least squares (PLS) was used to test the direct and indirect linkages between the four variables, and an alternative model was proposed. The tourism and travel industry is highly price sensitive and competitive with low levels of customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is a valuable asset in highly competitive markets, and understanding factors affecting customer loyalty is important to travel agencies who are seeking ways to maintain a strong customer base. The results of a mail survey conducted in New Zealand indicate that corporate image has a positive significant influence on customer commitment and customer satisfaction. Affective commitment is the focal point in the relationship and contributed most in predicting customer loyalty. The influence of customer satisfaction, on the other hand, contributed a much smaller effect. The key implications for travel agencies are build strong emotional bonds with customers and improve corporate image through trust and service delivery.     

Where are the airlines headed? Implications of airline industry structure and change for consumers

The airline industry is undergoing unprecedented change. This paper explores the consumer impacts of recent airline industry change, in the context of its oligopoly market structure and current industry environment. Economic and noneconomic events, increasing competition from low‐fare carriers, technological developments, and changes in industry practices are transforming consumer travel and interaction with airlines. Consumers can anticipate more direct flights, increased price transparency, and increased fees and time cost of security.     

International Hotel Companies in Russia

Abstract

Existing studies addressing the modal choice in the global hotel industry have discussed to a limited extent the restrictions posed to the choice of entry mode by the local environment, mainly the host government. This paper describes entries of foreign hotels in a market, Russia, in which the local (city) government has an active role in the hotel industry. The study proposes that, in the Russian market, the foreign hoteliers have to take into account the interests of the local governments regardless of the operation mode. On the basis of secondary data collected mainly from industry reports and Russian newspapers, the strategic choices made by the foreign hotel companies can be divided into two categories. First, some hotel chains have brought their brands to the Russian market early, but have made strategic concessions in the mode of entry. Second, there are companies that have stuck to their general strategies and postponed entry to Russia until it could be done with the mode preferred by the company.     

Development and Growth of the Business Class

Abstract

Air travel is forecasted to be a strong growth market for the 90s. An annual growth rate of over 4% is being predicted until the end of the century. Comprising 20% of the seats and 40% of the overall revenues, the business travel segment had assumed an important strategic focus within the airline industry. This study looks at the competitive issues involved in meeting the demands of the business traveler, especially in the light of the changing relationships between those who supply the product, those who distribute, and those who use it. With corporate America along with the rest of the world continuing to do more business, but with less travel, this study looks at some of the changes that the airline industry can implement to lure business travelers back. Finally, a model is proposed, which the airlines can use to adopt to the changing needs of the market.     

Does Value for Money Create Advocates? A Study in the International Airline Services Industry

ABSTRACT

New carriers and business models have dramatically transformed the aviation industry. Using feedback ratings from 109 carriers and 36,710 passengers, this study first shows that emerging market airlines typically offer better value-for-money propositions than their established competitors. The study then relates perceived value for money with recommendation intention. The relationship is very strong without significant outliers; true loyalty shown by such customer advocates drives a service firm's profitability. Even the best entrenched airlines should not ignore this change in competitive climate, but respond by focusing on value for money as the standard for their business model's value proposition.     

中国酒店宾客意见反馈系统评估

宾客意见反馈体系对宾客满意度至关重要。本研究通过对中国10家酒店的386位住店客人问卷调查发现,"宾客意见卡"是酒店普遍使用的宾客意见反馈渠道,而客人认为酒店直接对客服务的员工是所有宾客意见反馈渠道中最有效也是他们使用最多的渠道。研究发现大部分客人有特别欣喜或不满意时会向酒店反映。本研究为中国酒店经营者提供了重要的宾客意见信息,建议他们要让员工了解宾客意见反馈对酒店的重要意义,不仅以积极的态度欢迎宾客反馈意见,还要授权直接对客服务的员工优先处理宾客反映的问题,同时注意提高他们处理宾客意见的知识和技巧。     

A New Look at the Antecedents and Consequences of Relationship Quality in the Hotel Service Environment

Abstract

As economic conditions improve, hotels are investing in new ways to improve service quality and perceived value that hopefully will lead to better customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study took a new look, with newly developed scales, at the antecedents and consequences of relationship quality in the hotel service environment to shed new light on the factors hotels have to deal with to achieve their objective of satisfied and loyal customers. Using a structural equation model, it was determined that the tangible and intangible factors of perceived value, timeliness, and hotel facilities are antecedents of hotel quality. Hotel quality, subsequently, is a determinant of both customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, consistent with previous research, customer satisfaction is not a guarantee of customer loyalty.     

Estimating travellers’ value when purchasing auxiliary services in the airline industry based on the RFM model

The recency/frequency/monetary value (RFM) segmentation framework remains a mainstay in the retailing industry to quantify consumer values. However, the RFM model does not consider the added value travelers ascribe to auxiliary services. We extend the RFM framework to an RFM-P model by considering the likelihood of purchasing ancillary services during travel (P). We proposed four traveler groups based on the RFM-P model using unique sales data provided by Chinese airline. The four customer groups were compared through the lens of personal and scenario characteristics to estimate travelers’ purchasing behaviours in airlines. The results help managers make market decisions and fill gaps left by consumer value theory and the RFM model in the retailing industry.     

Linking employee and customer misbehaviour: The moderating role of past misdemeanours

Abstract

Traditionally, studies that examine the activities of misbehaving employees and customers have done so in a separate and unrelated manner. Drawing on research that explores deviance amplifications and deviant learning, the current study aims to address this identified gap in the literature and provide empirical evidence of the linkages between perceived employee deviance and the severity of customer misbehaviour. Utilising equity, power and differential association theories, a conceptual model is forwarded comprising four hypotheses between the constructs: perceived employee service deviance; customer repatronage intent; severity of customer misbehaviour; and past customer misbehaviour. Using survey responses from 380 consumers of bars, hotels and restaurants, the empirical results offer support for the forwarded research model. The results show that customers perceiving employee misbehaviour are profoundly affected. Such experiences erode their repatronage intentions and are linked (directly and indirectly) to the severity of dysfunctional customer behaviour performed. Consumers’ past experience of misbehaviour is also found to impact the hypothesised relationships. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings and outlining directions for future research.     

Influence of Organizational Form and Customer Type on Online Customer Satisfaction Ratings

In this paper, we explore the impact of the organizational form (company‐owned versus franchised) and the type of customer (nonbusiness versus business) on online consumer‐generated satisfaction ratings in the hotel industry. Our empirical study deals with 6,348 TripAdvisor reviews regarding stays at one of 134 hotels of a plural form chain located in a Western European country. Our main finding reveals that the type of customer moderates the relationship between organizational form and customer satisfaction; business travelers having higher satisfaction with franchised hotels than company‐owned hotels in terms of satisfaction. We discuss the implications of these findings for the management of plural form chains.     

Validating Restaurant Service Quality Dimensions

Abstract

Service-based industries such as hotels and restaurants are spending a tremendous effort to measure and improve the service quality of their businesses. Service quality is one of the key factors in achieving competitive advantages in the restaurant industry since high service quality presumably results in increased customer satisfaction, and thus increased future patronage. The purpose of this study was to examine the two generic service-quality dimensions: physical quality and staff behavior/attitude in restaurants by employing the confirmatory factor analysis approach. The findings indicated that the two-factor model of restaurant service quality was successfully validated and also, the predictive accuracy of the model was established.     

Sources of Customer Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Information Technology Help Desks

As the use, development, and control of information systems diffuses through organizations and society, the importance of the information technology help desk in effective management and use of information resources increases. This study examines service encounters with help desks to understand the events and behaviors that cause customers to distinguish very satisfactory from very dissatisfactory service. While considerable research has investigated the determinants of customer satisfaction with service encounters in retail industries such as airlines, restaurants, and hotels, there has been little work investigating the dimensions of professional service encounters. Using the critical incident technique, the authors analyzed over 500 incidents from customers of information services. Help desk critical incidents were classified into three broad categories which were further subdivided into 12 categories which lead to satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The three broad categories, core service delivery failures, customer situation, and helper characteristics and behavior, were consistent with categories found in previous service encounter research, while the subcategories were different in several ways. This suggests that some dimensions of service encounter satisfaction are consistent across service industries, while others are context specific.     

Trust and direct marketing environments: A consumer perspective

The desire to establish long‐term customer relationships has led companies to consider normative as well as outcome related aspects of relationship development. Much of the research undertaken in this field has focused upon such activity in business‐to‐business markets. The current study sought to examine these issues, from the consumer perspective, in relation to approaches made by firms using direct marketing techniques, specifically direct mail. Empirical assessment was made of a sample of consumers in relation to their receptivity to product and service offerings from firms, and the effects of commitment, trust and privacy concerns upon this receptivity. In conclusion, some implications for marketing practice in developing customer relationships in direct marketing environments are discussed.     

Product bundling strategies in Swedish markets: links to business orientation and perceived effects on consumer influence

Product bundling is an increasingly important marketing strategy within many industries, and consumer influence on companies' ranges of product bundles is, thus, becoming an important issue. The aim of this study was to investigate product bundling strategies consumers are exposed to by some selected companies in the Swedish automobile, travel and banking industries. Bundling strategies were considered in relation to business orientation as well as the consumer's potential to influence the product bundles offered by these companies. Fourteen qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with senior representatives from the three sectors. Interview respondents were selected in cooperation with their respective companies. Results underwent interpretative analysis, and the findings indicated that business orientation is linked to product bundling techniques and to the type of customer influence on product bundling. Consumers were exposed to mixed and complementary bundling strategies, and customers of companies that apply a market orientation were found to have greater opportunities to influence product bundles directly, whereas companies that apply a production‐oriented approach were less able to respond to their customers' wishes. Consumer influence on the product bundles of production‐oriented companies was found to be of a more indirect nature.     

Integration of Multiple Sales Channels with Web-Based Technology–A Case of the Pharmaceutical Industry

ABSTRACT

Channel-centric selling approach is considered a competitive advantage when web-based technologies, such as the Internet, call centers, and database marketing, have emerged. A basic starting point is building corporate Internet Presence Sites (IPSs). The study attempts to answer the fundamental question of how effective IPSs are in reaching target customers and how they are integrated in multi-channel strategies for customer contact. In order to attain homogeneity in sampling, only the pharmaceutical industry was selected. The research entailed both content analysis of IPSs and a focus group study of physicians and pharmacists, conventionally the major target customers for pharmaceutical companies. Results showed that large companies incorporate significantly more attributes related to public relations, building of user group and communities, and services to business partners; but the interviewees did not report any usage of the IPSs. To increase return on companies' hefty investment, the researchers suggested a framework for companies to integrate web-based strategies with multiple sales channel design.     

我国专业自驾游公司的现状与突围——以深圳为例

深圳的自驾游在全国起步最早,业态最多,竞争也最为激烈。在新的形势下,专业自驾游公司有必要进行清晰的市场定位和科学的发展策划。通过深入调研各种形式的自驾游公司,最终摸索出一条适合专业自驾游公司的发展道路。本文为深圳专业自驾游公司大胆提出了"金字塔"的市场细分、"三高"的市场定位、"三级跳"的营销目标以及"八爪鱼"的盈利模式等一系列的发展对策。深圳专业自驾游公司如能贯彻以上思想,定能杀出一条血路,独拥一番天地。     

The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Customer Relationships

Abstract

The passage of the ADA has created sweeping changes for many companies. In addition to providing accommodation for disabled employees and customers, companies are learning how to deal with the disabled. This paper presents guidelines for salespersons who are likely to encounter disabled customers more frequently in the future. Suggestions for managing disabled customer relationships are made.     

旅行社国内游客满意度评价研究

随着中国国内旅游业的迅速发展,旅行社在这一市场上的竞争也日趋激烈,提高游客满意度,巩固和扩大客源已迫在眉睫。在实证研究的基础上,运用因子分析法对旅行社国内游游客满意度的影响因素进行了量化分析,并提出了相应的改进对策。研究结果可以有效地指导旅行社改进国内游服务质量,提高游客满意度和旅行社的综合竞争力。     

The impact of technological and organizational implementation of CRM on customer acquisition, maintenance, and retention

In recent years, customer relationship management (CRM) has been a topic of the utmost importance for scholars and managers. Despite the evidence provided by numerous empirical studies, many companies that have implemented CRM systems report unsatisfactory levels of improvement. This study analyzes what influence companies can expect CRM implementation to have on performance and how they can leverage its impact. The authors propose a conceptual model that investigates the link between technological and organizational implementations, as well as the implementations' interactions with management and employee support and CRM process-related performance. By measuring CRM performance in terms of the initiation, maintenance, and retention of customer relationships, the study provides a detailed picture of what CRM implementations are capable of achieving. The results of the empirical study, conducted across four industries and ten European countries, indicate that CRM implementation does not impact performance equally for different aspects of the CRM process, and that it has an impact only if adequately supported by the appropriate company stakeholders.