Improving Tourism And Hospitality Services

by E. Laws

• ISBN13: 9780851999951
• ISBN10: 0851999956
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-24
• Publisher: Cab Intl

Summary

This book analyzes the nature and quality of experiences for the industry's clients, its staff and others affected by its operations. It draws together several approaches to the study of tourist satisfaction, equating this with quality in tourism or hospitality services. It examines situations which have caused problems resulting in customer dissatisfaction, where the quality of service provided has fallen short of expectations, for various reasons. Other examples show how some of the industry's most successful organizations succeed in providing profitable services which their customers enjoy, and return to as loyal customers knowing what standards of service to expect.

Author Biography

Professor Eric Laws is the author of a dozen books on tourism management. He has now retired and conducts short courses on tourism service quality in interesting parts of the world.

Table of Contents

Figures	ix
Tables	xi
Case studies	xiii
Acknowledgements	xiv
Introduction	xv
Chapter 1 Service quality in tourism and hospitality
Introduction	1	(1)
The context to contemporary tourism service provision	2	(2)
Tourism and hospitality service failures	4	(2)
Case studies	6	(3)
Analysing tourism service quality	9	(2)
Conclusion	11	(2)
Chapter 2 Tourism and hospitality service quality research
Introduction	13	(3)
The distinguishing characteristics of tourism services	16	(3)
The challenge of managing services	19	(1)
Myopia in managing services	20	(2)
Service encounters - moments of truth	22	(1)
Theoretical frameworks for tourism and hospitality service research	22	(6)
Qualitative research and case studies	28	(1)
Case studies of service problems	28	(2)
Conclusion	30	(2)
Chapter 3 Analysing service experiences in tourism and hospitality
Introduction	32	(1)
Events in tourists' experiences	32	(4)
Satisfaction boosters and depressants	36	(1)
Service phases, episodes and events	37	(1)
Consumerist gap taxonomy for service encounter analysis	38	(1)
Consumerist gap research methods	38	(2)
The diary method and its limitations	40	(1)
Just noticeable differences	40	(1)
Content analysis theory	41	(1)
Critical incident techniques	42	(1)
Expectations of responses to service difficulties	43	(3)
A synthesis of service experiences and service design	46	(1)
Conclusion	46	(2)
Chapter 4 Tourism and hospitality service delivery systems
Introduction	48	(1)
Technical aspects of service systems	48	(2)
Style considerations	50	(4)
Performance criteria	54	(1)
Design errors	55	(2)
Service blueprinting	57	(3)
Mapping tourism services	60	(1)
Development of service blueprinting	61	(1)
Service blueprinting as a research tool	62	(10)
Perceptual blueprinting	72	(1)
Implications for organizational change	73	(4)
Conclusion	77	(2)
Chapter 5 Service quality and tourist satisfaction
Introduction	79	(1)
Definitions of quality	79	(1)
Issues in service quality	80	(5)
Gaps between expectations and service experiences	85	(1)
SERVQUAL	85	(2)
SERVQUAL and tourism	87	(2)
The SERVQUAL debate	89	(1)
Dissatisfaction with services	90	(1)
The costs of managing service quality	91	(8)
Conclusion	99	(1)
Chapter 6 Marketing tourism and hospitality services
Introduction	100	(1)
The service marketing paradigm	100	(1)
The significance of influencing consumer choice	101	(2)
Core and enhanced services	103	(3)
Service bundles	106	(2)
Differentiating tourism services	108	(1)
Positioning tourism services	109	(3)
Exaggerated service claims	112	(3)
Issues in pricing tourism services	115	(1)
Pricing inclusive holidays	116	(1)
Seasonal pricing	117	(1)
Late booking	118	(1)
Responses to late offers	119	(1)
Price relativities as a signal of product quality	120	(2)
Reducing price levels and broadening market demand	122	(1)
Customer loyalty	122	(1)
Further consideration of tourism purchasing decisions: consumer involvement	123	(3)
Time in the experience of tourist services	126	(3)
Conclusion	129	(1)
Chapter 7 Improving tourism and hospitality service systems
Introduction	130	(1)
Service management	131	(2)
Dyadic and multiplex service interactions	133	(1)
Customer participation in services	134	(1)
Service encounters	135	(4)
Service performance: further discussion	139	(1)
The Servuction approach	140	(1)
Quality control	141	(1)
Service standards	141	(1)
Quality control in tourism services	142	(1)
ISO 9000	143	(1)
Quality audits	144	(1)
Profit impacts of service quality control measures	145	(1)
Service problem or service crisis?	146	(1)
Learning from complaints	147	(1)
Service interruptions	148	(2)
Understanding passenger expectations during delay management	150	(5)
The costs of quality control	155	(2)
Conclusion	157	(1)
Chapter 8 The management of tourism and hospitality organizations
Introduction	158	(1)
First or second generation service thinking	158	(2)
Managing service companies	160	(2)
Organizational climate	162	(5)
Service design and organizational cultures	167	(3)
Interdependency in the holiday industry	170	(3)
The limits of management control	173	(3)
Further considerations	176	(1)
Conclusion	177	(1)
Appendix: slides for a management development workshop	178	(5)
Bibliography	183	(18)
Index	201