The research of the influence of hotel service quality on the customer satisfaction level in the post-COVID period

Restoring the country’s hotel sector after COVID-19 requires comprehensive efforts, including service quality that impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. Undoubtedly, measures were taken timely to maintain and restore the quality level. Nevertheless, this is a challenge for the sector with its consequences. Additionally, the current situation and the complexity of the new global economic relations have increased that impact. The combination of these consequences has the most significant burden on the personnel and managers of the hospitality industry. After quarantine restrictions, consumers crave vivid emotions, traveling, high-quality services, and good-natured and competent attitudes toward them. The level of satisfaction largely depends on service quality provided from registration to departure. The post-COVID period is poorly studied, the recovery process is proceeding quite quickly, requires new approaches and effective solutions, especially in light of the satisfaction of the contemporary guests’ needs and the latter are changing. The problem of the study is to determine the level of consumers’ satisfaction with hotel services after the lifting of restrictions, and, as it is known a satisfied guest leaves more money in the tourism industry, which gives a positive impetus to the tourism development in the country, region, and district. The discussion included the following research methods: a literature review and a survey of consumers who traveled and lived in hotel enterprises among 181 respondents. Using the analysis results, practical recommendations were formulated for hotel managers and staff, which would ensure sustainability and valuable solutions for implementation. The scientific study offers an empirical contribution based on the consumers’ opinions regarding hospitality enterprises.

1. Ctatistika turizma Bjuro nacional'noj statistiki Agentstva po strategicheskomu planirovaniju i reformam Respubliki Kazahstan. URL: https://old.stat.gov.kz/official/industry/22/statistic/7. (In Russian).

2. Koncepcija razvitija turistskoj otrasli Respubliki Kazahstan na 2023–2029 gody. Postanovlenie Pravitel'stva Respubliki Kazahstan ot 28 marta 2023 goda No. 262. URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P2300000262. (In Russian).

3. Postanovlenie Glavnogo gosudarstvennogo sanitarnogo vracha Respubliki Kazahstan ot 7 ijunja 2022 goda No. 27 «O snjatii ogranichitel'nyh meroprijatij v punktah propuska cherez Gosudarstvennuju granicu Respubliki Kazahstan». URL: https://online.zakon.kz/Document/?doc_id=34778588. (In Russian).

4. O rashodah domashnih hozjajstv na poezdki v Respublike Kazahstan. Bjuro nacional'noj statistiki Agentstva po strategicheskomu planirovaniju i reformam Respubliki Kazahstan. 2022. URL: https://old.stat.gov.kz/official/industry/22/statistic/7. (In Russian).

5. Ajay S. Budke, Harshal S. (2023) Athnikar. Impact of health wellness amenities on customer satisfaction of 5-star hotels in Mumbai // A Journal of Historical Research. Vol. 52. Issue 2. P. 42–51. (In English).

6. Wang D., Li X., Liang X. (2019) How does hotel service quality affect online reviews? Evidence from TripAdvisor // International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1733–1750. (In English).

7. Han H., Hyun S.S., Lee S. (2018) Impact of hotel service quality on perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions among foreign guests // Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 431–449. (In English).

8. Tsai H.T., Wang S.Y., Tsai M.T. (2021) The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intention in Upscale Hotels: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value // Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1–23. (In English).

9. Park J., Robertson R., Wu C.L. (2019) The influence of hotel service quality on hotel loyalty // International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1723–1740. (In English).

10. Wang D., Li X., Liang X. (2019) How does hotel service quality affect online reviews? Evidence from TripAdvisor // International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1733–1750. (In English).

11. Mukherjee A., Kumar A. (2022) Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Business and Leisure Hotels // International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 99. (In English).

12. Kandampully J., Zhang T., Bilgihan A. (2015) Customer loyalty: a review and future directions with a special focus on the hospitality industry // Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 379–414. (In English).

13. Kim D., Kim W.G., An J.A. (2017) The role of hotel service quality in the formation of travelers’ behavioral intentions // International Journal of Hospitality Management, vol. 62, pp. 84–94. (In English).

14. Wang D., Li X., Liang X. (2020) Understanding the impact of hotel service quality on tourist satisfaction and loyalty // Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 669–687. (In English).

15. Özdemir S., Arslan H. (2022) Effects of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions in the Hotel Industry // Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 133–155. (In English).

16. Al-Ababneh M., Khattab S.A. (2018) Service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty in an emerging market: Testing the mediator role of satisfaction // Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 711–728. (In English).

17. Grönroos C. (1982) An Applied Service Marketing Theory // European Journal ofMarketing, no. 16(7), pp. 30–41. (In English).

18. Parasuraman A., Zeithaml V., Berry L.L. (1988) SERVQUAL: Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consumer Perceptions of Service Quality // Journal of Retailing. Vol. 64. No. 1.5. (In English). (In English).

19. Cronin Jr.J.J., Taylor S.A. (1992) Measuring service quality: a reexamination and extension // The journal of marketing, pp. 55–68. (In English).

20. Fogarty G., Catts R., Forlin C. (2000) Identifying shortcomings in the measurement of service quality // Journal of Outcome Measurement, no. 4(1), pp. 425–447. (In English).

21. Belobzheckij V. (2012) Metody ocenki kachestva uslug // RISK: resursy, informacija, snabzhenie, konkurencija. No. 1. P. 374–379. URL: https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=17805347. (In Russian).

22. Dzhandzhugazova E.A. (2005) Marketing v industrii gostepriimstva. Ucheb.posobie dlja stud. vyssh. ucheb.zavedenij. 2 izd. – M.: Izdatel'skij centr «Akademija», 224 p. (In Russian).

23. Nikulina Ju.N. (2022) Sovremennye tehnologii obespechenija i ocenki kachestva uslug v turizme // Jekonomika, predprinimatel'stvo i pravo. V. 12. No. 7. P. 1901–1918. URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=49298215. (In Russian).