Satisfaction And Service Quality In Uk Budget Hotels Tourism Essay

Satisfaction And Service Quality In Uk Budget Hotels Tourism Essay The outline for the research is presented here. It includes Introduction to the topic and of the company. This is followed by Literature Review. Next comes methodology of research and then Analysis and Results. These are followed by Discussion and Recommendation. Finally the Conclusion and its contents are given. The budget hotels or low-cost hotels are in great demand today. This is because currently the world is facing the worst economic recession in decades, which has reduced the ability of people to spend on non-essential products and services like holidays. Also there have been huge cuts in the travel budgets of many firms as a result of which more and more companies are using budget hotels for business travel. Another key target market for budget hotels are the backpackers who stay in either youth hostels or budget hotels. This sentiment has been echoed by the author Fiorentino (1995) stating that budget hotels especially thrive in the recessionary environment. The author has further gone to say that, the budget hotel is not only a booming short-term phenomenon, but a major strategic development in the international hospitality industry that represents the introduction of the no-frills, purpose-designed and branded product concept in hospitality. However the quality of service and the level of satisfaction in such types of accommodation has been an area of interest for academics and hotel managers for a long time. But it is especially important in the current economic scenario and presents a great opportunity to study these. Background The concept of budget hotels originated in America but it is widely used in the developed world including the UK and many successful chains of such hotels are thriving today. Prominent amongst them are Travelodge and Premier Inn. With the exponential usage of the internet in the serach and booking of accommodation there has been an explosion of websites that offer value for money or budget accommodation and this is causing strong demand for such accommodations. Aims and Objectives The aim of this study would be explore the significance of the service quality and satisfaction in the budget hotels operating in the UK. The principal aim of this research will be met by following objectives: To identify factors affecting service quality in UK budget hotels; To explore the consumers perceptions of service quality in UK budget hotels; To explore the consumers expectations for service quality in UK budget hotels; To report the gap between the perceptions and expectations for service quality in UK budget hotels; To study the factors affecting the customer satisfaction in the budget hotels Literature Review Importance of Service Quality The effectiveness and importance of the service quality according to the academics and marketing experts will be researched and written Importance of Customer Satisfaction The effectiveness and importance of the service quality according to the academics and marketing experts will be researched and written Service Quality in Hospitality Industry The quality of service is a much researched subject in the hospitality arena. According to the authors Benà ­tez, Martà ­n and Romà ¡n (2007), Hotels provide an ample range of services to customers, including lodging services, reception, meals, room service, among others. Service quality can be regarded as a composite measure of various attributes. It not only consists of tangible attributes but also intangible/subjective attributes such as safety, quietness, which are difficult to measure accurately and usually studied throughout linguistic information. Thus details and expert views on what constitutes service quality will be researched here. Measurement of service Quality SERVQUAL instrument by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry is the most popular one used in the measurement of quality of service today in the hospitality industry. This is the one which will be used here as well for the measurement of service quality Measurement of customer satisfaction The ways of measuring customer satisfaction are varied from periodic surveys to continuous ones. The best and most popular methods will be studied here. Methodology of Research To assess the service quality and customer satisfaction levels in the firm chosen a number of factors will have to be studied. Both primary and secondary data will be used to understand this. A budget hotel chain in the UK will be chosen and firstly secondary data will be gathered on that organisation to understand its marketing strategies and the overall strategic direction the firm has undertaken. Then a questionnaire will be developed for the survey that will be carried out to gather primary data on that organisation and its customers. Rationale for Research There has been tremendous increase in the number of budget accommodations in the UK and surge in demand created increase in the supply with lots of new budget hotels creeping up in the pre-recession growth years. This led the hotels to compete on prices and service quality was side-lined but the view today is changing and the hotels are feeling that there is a need to focus on the customer satisfaction and quality of service being offered in the budget hotels to gain a sustainable competitive advantage amongst the increase in the competition. However, globally the hotel sector is experiencing the decline in service quality and consumers satisfaction. Decline is perceived by the consumer, because in 1990s consumers expectations were raised to the standard that hotels couldnt sustain and exceed (Briggs, Sutherland, Drummond, 2007:1009). Similar pattern has also been noticed in relation to the budget hotels where, constant updates of tangible and intangible aspects in budged hotels resu lted to development of upper budget hotel type, with the provision of full-service three star hotel facilities (Fiorentino, 1995: 457). There has been a lot of research in the field of service quality and customer satisfaction in the hospitality sector but there is very little such research done in the budget hotel segment which is one of the fastest growing segments in the hospitality industry today. Hence this research attempts to study and evaluate the factors that affect customer satisfaction and service quality. Selection of Research Methodology Secondary data will be used to meet the research objectives. A range of academic journals and other literature will be used to understand the already published experts views and data on the subject. As author Churchill (2001) suggested the data to be collected for this research will be decided on the different aspect of the research and their importance and relevance to this study. Questionnaire Design A structured questionnaire will be designed for the purpose of this study. It will have questions relating to the customer satisfaction and service quality regarding the chosen hotel. The service quality will be based on SERVQUAL elements of Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy. The SERVQUAL is the most popular and commonly used tool for measuring the quality of service in the hospitality sector. The questionnaire will also include question on customer satisfaction. Analysis and Results The data gathered from the survey will be analysed to gain insight into the results and to find the levels of satisfaction and the quality of service offered by the company. The results will be given in both tabulated form as well. Discussion and Recommendation This chapter will discuss the results found and the insight generated by the analysis. It will then give the recommendations for managers Conclusion: This will list the findings of the study and the recommendations for the future studies as well as the limitations of this study

Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely Essay

In this short story, Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely, Socrates Furtlow, an ex-convict, faces the dilemma of getting a job. Socrates served 27 years in prison after killing two of his friends while drunken. Furtlow was now living life as a bumb who went around selling old bottles and cans to make a living. This story tells his struggle to find honorable work as a black man in society because of his background. He ended up lying on his application because he was afraid of what people might think. Although there was discrimination and disrespect not being completely honest with people may come back to haunt you later. A 58 year-old man who hadn’t worked in 37 years would have a hard time finding a job as it is the fact that Socrates was an African American didn’t make anything easier. Socrates assumed places of business in his home neighborhood, knowing his background, wouldn’t even think of hiring him. So Socrates traveled approximately 14 miles and 3 bus transfers from his apartment in Watts, to a Bounty Supermarket to try and get a job. He had been practicing for a week on how he would ask for his job application. Though he was a murderer and not a thief, as he entered the store, he wondered what the workers would think if they knew of his prison background. The assistant manager, Anton a young white man came up to Socrates and asked if could help him. Socrates felt as though he was being miss treated from the get go. After Socrates asked for â€Å"an application† Anton played dumb acting as though he didn’t understand what kind of application he was asking for. Once Socrates made it clear he was there for a â€Å"job application† Anton had yet another insulting question, â€Å"Uh. How old are you, sir?† (p. 2626) Being a man of imprisonment of twenty-seven years, Socrates knew his rights and knew that it was unlawful to discriminate against someone by their age or race. Anton continued to say that they didn’t have any openings at the time and made it clear that he wasn’t going to get an application. Socrates also made it clear that he wasn’t going to be turned away so easily. â€Å"I know what you said. But first you looked at my chothes and at my bald head. First yo’ eyes said that this is some kinda old hobo and what do he want here when it ain’t bottle redemption time.† (Gates and McKay p. 2626) Everyone should have an equal opportunity in getting a job and at least a fair chance with an application. After Socrates and Anton discussed their  rights and the law the assistant manager went to the main office to fetch and application. The elevated office looked over all the checkout counters and where Socrates stood waiting. Socrates was then center of attention to all the bag boys and checkers as they all knew their boss, Anton was unhappy. Anton and an older white woman exchanged a few words then she handed him the application and he stormed back down to Socrates. Rudely handing him the app Anton was about to go on with his day but Socrates wanted a pencil to fill it out and give it back. He had come a long way to turn in an application not just receive a sheet of paper and wasn’t leaving until he did so. Thirty minutes later Socrates stood at the foot of the stairs leading up to the main office with his almost completed application in hand. Nearly forty minutes passed and he knew they could see him and he could see them but he waited patiently, on the outside, though inside he was thinking of throwing a brick through the window. He had a few questions for the manager, Ms. Halley Grimes, when she finally came down to take the application but she rudely tried to brush my off as though she were too busy. She told him they would give him a call if it went through the main office and came back fine. He then told her he had no phone and it would be better if they wrote to him, but she unwilling to help in any way explained that without a phone she could do no more for him. He begged for her to just send it in anyway and he would find a way to be in touch. So for five consecutive days Socrates took three busses to the Bounty Supermarket to ask if they had heard from the head office. The woman started to worry and told Socrates again that because he hadn’t a phone he couldn’t work there and that he returned she would call the police. On the fifth day he showed up and two gentlemen from headquarters were there to speak with him. Socrates told his story and how he had been mistreated from day one and that he was told he couldn’t work if he didn’t have a phone. Socrates then explained that with no job he couldn’t afford a phone and with no phone he couldn’t get a job. That is probably the most adverse way of showing the meaning of â€Å"equal opportunity†. The two men explained why he would not be able to work at that location because Ms. Grimes was afraid of him, but that they may have a job in Santa Monica. Lying on an application is a crime in itself. Socrates didn’t fill in one question on his application know if they knew what he was he wouldn’t have a chance at a job. The two men noticed the  blank question and confronted Socrates. After all his talk about equal opportunity and the law, he lied and said it was just an honest mistake and that he was clean. So the two men gave him the job in Santa Monica and he would finally have a paycheck coming in, that is until the untold comes back to bite him in the rear. You can be fired just as fast as you were hired, or slow in his case, if you lie on an application. This story begins a series of confrontations (with violence lying just below the surface) that explore both the necessity and the irony of equal opportunity. Works cited Gates, Jr., and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. 2nd. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2004. Print.

Proud to Be Me

Danae Fuller [Company Name] Proud To Be Me! Staring in the mirror I can’t begin to tell you how, The things I saw when I was young don’t even faze me now. When yet girls, to all my friends, see we were all the same, Until I heard that girls like me were given different names. At first I didn’t like the thought of being called â€Å"black† I took offense to something dark I didn’t like that I was marked Along the way began a sparkThere goes the question mark. I love the fact that I’m unique My darker skin and curved physique I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me. I don’t resemble every girl on ads and TV screens, The things I eat, may not be your favorite style cuisine. Perhaps the way I treat my hair is not your own routine, And maybe we don’t need the same amounts of strong sunscreen I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me.Thinking back I have to say, I’m proud of those before, Fightin g till the tide of freedom washed up on the shore. Taking strides towards victory accomplishing much more, Than people could’ve thought but now Sir Justice won the war. I love the fact that I am black cause black is simply me So now I've no reason to question reflection, I know who I am I accept my imperfections. I'm proud of the difference in my own complexion, I have no complaints, no change, no objections.

Mexico City Is The Capital Of Mexico Essay - 1158 Words

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