Understanding The Hospitality Consumer (Hospita...
HOSP 7090 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM (3) LEC. 3. This course aims to explore and critically examine current debates, critical reflections of contemporary ideas, controversies and pertinent queries relating to the rapidly expanding discipline of consumer behavior in hospitality and tourism. Must be a student enrolled in the HOSP graduate program.
Understanding the Hospitality Consumer (Hospita...
In the last decade, many hospital designs have taken inspiration from hotels, spurred by factors such as increased patient and family expectations and regulatory or financial incentives. Increasingly, research evidence suggests the value of enhancing the physical environment to foster healing and drive consumer decisions and perceptions of service quality. Although interest is increasing in the broader applicability of numerous hospitality concepts to the healthcare field, the focus of this article is design innovations, and the services that such innovations support, from the hospitality industry. To identify physical hotel design elements and associated operational features that have been used in the healthcare arena, a series of interviews with hospital and hotel design experts were conducted. Current examples and suggestions for future hospitality elements were also sought from the experts, academic journals, and news articles. Hospitality elements applied in existing hospitals that are addressed in this article include hotel-like rooms and decor; actual hotels incorporated into medical centers; hotel-quality food, room service, and dining facilities for families; welcoming lobbies and common spaces; hospitality-oriented customer service training; enhanced service offerings, including concierges; spas or therapy centers; hotel-style signage and way-finding tools; and entertainment features. Selected elements that have potential for future incorporation include executive lounges and/or communal lobbies with complimentary wireless Internet and refreshments, centralized controls for patients, and flexible furniture. Although the findings from this study underscore the need for more hospitality-like environments in hospitals, the investment decisions made by healthcare executives must be balanced with cost-effectiveness and the assurance that clinical excellence remains the top priority.
So what new trends are emerging? An increased consumer awareness of all things sustainable, purposeful and health & well-being has set new benchmarks for hospitality enterprises. EHL Insights presents to you the current trends in the hospitality industry of 2023.
Following on from the orientation towards visually appealing content, it seems only natural that businesses in the hospitality industry should seek to capitalize on features such as virtual tours, conjuring up a digital environment for consumers to picture themselves in.
This study provides a comprehensive, systematic review of CEM literature and detailed understanding of the mechanisms for managing customer experiences in the hospitality industry. It integrates state-of-the-art CEM knowledge in the generic business context, along with principles of hospitality management, and advances CEM research by emphasizing the need for collaboration among marketing, operations and human resources.
The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of leading scholars in the hospitality management academic field and senior managers of hospitality firms to this article. Their insights, thoughts and views contributed substantially to building a broader understanding of CEM from both a theoretical and practical perspectives. The authors, therefore, express their sincere thanks to Professors Anna Mattila, Bonnie Knutson, Chris Roberts, Beverley Sparks, Byron Keating, Srikanth Beldona, Khaldoon Nusair and David Solnet, and the senior managers from Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Crowne Plaza, The Fairmont, Columbus Hospitality, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Staybridge Suites.
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T.(C). and Jaakkola, E. (2018), "Customer experience management in hospitality: A literature synthesis, new understanding and research agenda", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 21-56. -10-2015-0549
Consumer behavior concerns why consumers make the buying decisions they make. This includes understanding what consumers want, how much they're willing to pay, how they choose what they will buy, and how they finalize the buying process.
In the hospitality industry, consumer behavior affects how guests choose the hotels, restaurants, and entertainment. If you're studying your guests' behavior, you will want to know what factors led to them choosing your business. This information can help you attract similar customers.
Cultural characteristics are based on learned behaviors, usually related to close relationships like family, friends, or teachers. When we consider this from a hospitality point of view, decisions are based on how a person was raised and the attitudes of their family. For instance, if you grew up in a family that frequently stayed at nice, medium- to high-priced hotels, you may likely follow that pattern as you get older. You will likely avoid economy hotels because your family stayed at nicer properties. As you evaluate your guests' needs, you will want to consider habits and traditions that affect their choices. While you may not be able to change these factors, understanding them can help you better comprehend their viewpoint.
Personal preferences play a large role in the hospitality industry. Personal characteristics include opinions like wanting a swimming pool, a restaurant in the hotel, or valet parking. Personal factors are individual and are affected by each guest's likes and dislikes. Personal preferences are highly variable and can be affected by a person's mood, recent experiences, and current needs. This factor is highly subjective and may change from day to day. From a management perspective, understanding the traits of your property and clearly marketing those traits helps guests decide if your property will be a good fit for their needs.
Consumer behavior is the foundation for many choices that your guests will make. Consumer behavior is the process of evaluating why people make choices or purchase products or services. As you consider the consumer behavior of your customers, you will want to look at the psychological factors that are influencing their choices, such as cultural, which are based on learned behaviors, usually related to close relationships like family, friends, or teachers; social, which are who people interact with; and personal preferences, which are individual factors that are affected by each guest's likes and dislikes. By understanding your guests' motivations, you can support their opinions and offer solutions within your hospitality business.
Many hospitality organizations have adopted sustainability plans. This intentional approach involves incorporating sustainable practices that reach across all business operations. Sustainability plans can help improve brand image. Most consumers care about sustainability, according to a recent Trip Advisor survey. It found that 62% of travelers had opted for more environmentally friendly hotels, food and transportation, and 69% of survey respondents said they intended to make even more environmentally responsible travel choices in the future.
While sustainability in hospitality offers clear advantages, professionals in this industry must still overcome challenges to build sustainable strategies. For one, they must correct misconceptions that sustainability costs more money and that consumers do not care about it, when in fact becoming more energy-efficient saves money and developing a brand known as sustainable attracts more patrons.
To ensure success as a hospitality manager, you should have an exceptional understanding of the hospitality industry and display an aptitude for customer service. Ultimately, a top-notch hospitality manager should have excellent managerial skills and the ability to communicate with personnel and customers effectively.
Essentially, diversity in the hospitality industry means not just recognizing differences but valuing them and understanding how these differences may impact the individual experience. Both employees and customers come with a unique background, set of experiences and cultural history. Recognizing this will help foster better teamwork so that employees can effectively communicate and collaborate. It will also lead to better job satisfaction, which reduces turnover and creates loyal and productive workers. At the same time, customers will be able to enjoy inclusive services that speak to their individual wants and needs.
Volara provides custom voice-based solutions for the hospitality industry. Volara enables hoteliers to leverage popular consumer voice assistants to drive efficiency, increase revenues, and build loyalty. 041b061a72