Using integrated quality assessment for hotel service quality ...

Qual Quant (2011) 45:349–364 DOI 10.1007/s11135-009-9301-4

Using integrated quality assessment for hotel service quality Ching-Chow Yang · Yung-Tsan Jou · Lai-Yu Cheng

Published online: 24 December 2009 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Abstract In the age of growing foreign tourism, providing excellent quality service at hotels is increasingly more important. Service quality and customer satisfaction have gradually been recognized as key factors used to gain competitive advantage and customer retention. Most companies conducted satisfaction surveys of their customers, with a view of using analysed results to identify attributes of potential improvement. However, this kind improvement decisions on the attributes with a lower satisfaction level needs not to be appropriated. Thus, to achieve higher levels of overall satisfaction with the hotel experience, this study combined four simple methods, including Kano’s model, refined Kano’s model, ImportanceSatisfaction model, and the Improvement index, to evaluate two types of hotels. The integrated approach of service quality measurement is based on the importance and satisfaction survey of the quality attributes. The survey, with 24 attributes and service items, were administrated to a random sample of 400 customers at one business hotel and one resort hotel in Taiwan. The strategies of these two kinds of hotels were compared and discussed in this study. On the basis of the key quality attributes identified by employing the integrated approach, which are significantly different from those identified on the basis of a simple satisfaction survey, hotels can make appropriate decisions on specific areas for improvement to further enhance the hotel service quality in Taiwan. Keywords Business hotels · Resort hotels · Importance-Satisfaction(I-S) model · Kano’s model · Services quality improvement

1 Introduction The hotel industry often meets some problems that were attributed to the wide variation of facilities and services, problems like the lack of uniform operation standards, inexperienced C.-C. Yang · Y.-T. Jou (B) · L.-Y. Cheng Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200 Chung Pei Rd., Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan, ROC e-mail: [email protected]

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work-force inadequate and unreliable information for marketing and planning were indicated (Liu and Liu 1993; Pine and Phillips 2005; Tisdell and Wen 1991). This industry is often regarded as global service industry (Litteljohn 1997; Mace 1995). With the developments of globalization, the competition in the hotel industry has become much keener than before (Sin et al. 2005). Thus, the quality performance needs to be improved continually with management techniques and quality standards, such as star rating system of hotel classification (Liu and Liu 1993; Pine and Phillips 2005). Additionally, as international travelers expect quality standardized, hotels require providing professional, efficient, and international service like reservation systems, clean and comfortable rooms, and good staff’s attitudes (Mace 1995). Undoubtedly, with the advent of the age of globally competitive market, service with excellent quality provided to meet customer’s needs and expectations in hotel is more profoundly important than ever (Weaver and Oh 1993). Service quality and customer satisfaction have gradually been recognized as key factors used to gain competitive advantage and customer retention (Callan and Kyndt 2001; Su 2004). From the perspective of marketing, customer satisfaction is achieved when the customer’s needs and expectations are fulfilled (Lam and Zhang 1999; Sin et al. 2005). The crucial point of customer satisfaction is to identify the important attributes, considered by customers as their needs and expectations. Furthermore, those attributes should be focused and worked (Gundersen et al. 1996). In fact, service industry, especially in hotel, often faces two obstacles. First, there are relatively few reliable and valid instruments used to measure quality perceptions in service industry. Second, they do not know what aspects the customers consider to be important and when to evaluate the hotel experience (Gundersen et al. 1996). Some studies were conducted to develop theoretical frameworks and introduce various methodologies to measure service quality in different types of hotel industry (Akbaba 2006; Callan and Kyndt 2001; Ekinci et al. 2003; Juwaheer 2004; Tsang and Qu 2000). The results of these studies contributed to the several perspectives of service quality of hotels. Moreover, these studies proved that there have been different elements of service quality dealt with for the hotels that serve to different markets in the world. In addition, researches into various types of hotel industry have been investigated, such as business hotels, resort hotels, motels, airport hotels, and convention hotels all have distinguishing characteristics. Besides, some of these studies have been undertaken to measure the factors that affect the selection of accommodation by customers. There are relevant attributes, such as cleanliness of room, convenient location, security, image, value for price, additional services like international direct dialing (IDD) facilities, friendliness of staff, and leisure facilities as some of the most important factors in the selection of accommodation (Callan and Kyndt 2001; Choi and Chu 2001; Lockyer 2003; Saleh and Ryan 1992; Weaver and Oh 1993). Indeed, in a highly competitive global society, hotel industry need to implement proactive strategies and create brilliant quality attributes targeted. The improvement of service quality was realized to be an imperative strategy for raising competitiveness. Thus, this study established an integrated quality assessment with the purpose of categorizing actual requirements of customers, and their actual satisfaction level. Moreover, this research also explores the areas of customers’ importance and satisfaction with accommodation attributes to achieve the goal of useful evaluation. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to assess the service quality of business and resort hotel using integrated quality assessment. The specific purposes of this study were (1) to classify the quality attributes on the Kano’s model; (2) to sort the quality attributes on the refined Kano’s model; (3) to categorize the quality attributes on the Importance-Satisfaction model (I-S) model; (4) to decide the priority of improvement on the basis of the improvement index (Ii); (5) to compare these two kinds of hotels.

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2 Integrated quality assessment The method established in the study integrated with the Kano’s model, refined Kano’s model, Importance-Satisfaction model (I-S model), and Improvement index (Ii) to obtain more valuable quality information that achieving the professionalism and standardization of hotel service quality. 2.1 Kano’s model In the broad field of quality management, many methods are available for investigating performance quality of the service providers and requirement characteristics of the customers. Of the range of methods available, one of the widely utilized methods by industries and academic researchers is the Kano’s model. This model is a practical research tool for a myriad of quality management facets (CQM 1993). The Kano’s model was developed with the purpose of helping one better understand how the relationship between the degree of fulfillment and the level of customer satisfaction of attributes can be categorized into five categories of perceived quality, that is Attractive, One-dimensional, Must-be, Indifferent and Reverse (Kano et al. 1984). As a matter of fact, the Kano’s model has been applied to a large variety of domains. Some examples include, cleaning services, family restaurants, supermarkets (Schvaneveldt et al. 1991), logistics customer service (Huiskonen and Pirttila 1998), innovative product design and development (Shen et al. 2000), kindergarten development (Sa and Saraiva 2001), health service (Jane and Dominguez 2003a), banking (Bhattacharyya and Rahman 2004), employee satisfaction (Martensen and Gronholdt 2001; Matzler et al. 2004), and service quality (Yang 2003a). Evidently, sufficient numbers of research studies have confirmed the applicability and the generalizability of the Kano’s model for quality assessment time and again. Quality management researchers of various areas have recommended the Kano’s model be applied and integrated to assess quality (Jane and Dominguez 2003b; Matzler and Hinterhuber 1998; Shahin 2004; Shen et al. 2000; Yang 2003a). 2.2 Refined Kano’s model Continuing the work previously carried out, Yang (2005) conducted a recent study with the aim of further refining the precision of the Kano’s model in evaluating the influences of quality attributes. The Kano’s model has been used extensively by service industry. Quality attribute of Kano’s model which influenced on customer satisfaction is usually closely related to the degree of importance attached to it by customers (Kristensen et al. 1992). As a result, Kano’s model can be refined by considering the importance of certain quality attributes. For that reason, Yang (2005) highlighted the concept that degree of importance is a critical dimension considered by customers when they evaluate quality performance. The degrees of importance were assessed into two categories. These two categories were ‘high’ importance if the degree of importance was greater than the mean of the importance degree for the all quality attributes, and ‘low’ if below the mean. This allowed classification of the categories according to the refined Kano’s model. By adding the degree of importance of quality attributes, a new refined model was developed to divide quality attributes into more precise categories and quality decisions as Table 1. Organizations can obtain a more accurate understanding of the quality attributes from the customer’s perspective based on the refined model, and can thus make more precise quality decisions (Yang 2005).

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Table 1 Categories of quality attribute in refined model Categories of quality attributes in Kano’s model

Categories of quality attributes with HIGH importance in refined model

Categories of quality attributes with LOW importance in refined model

Attractive

Highly attractive: These are good weapons for firms to attract potential customers. These represent strategic attribute offerings High vale-added: These make a high contribution to customers’ satisfaction. They can lead to increased profits. Firms should make efforts to provide such attributes to customers Critical: These are necessary to customers. Firms must provide enough fulfilment of these attributes to customers Potential: These attributes will be becoming the “attractive attributes” gradually. Firms can consider providing these as strategic weapons to attract customers in the future

Less attractive: Because these have little attraction to customers, these quality attributes can be discarded if cost considerations demand this Low value-added: These attributes make less contribution to customer satisfaction. However, firms cannot ignore these attributes. Firms need to avoid providing too less level of these attributes to dissatisfactory customers Necessary: Firms can meet these at a required level to avoid dissatisfying customers

One-dimensional

Must be

Indifferent

Care-free: If necessary, firms don’t offer these attributes in view of cost considerations

2.3 Importance-Satisfaction model Enterprises typically select those attributes with the lowest satisfaction rating as being the areas where concentrating their efforts to improve. However, this is not the most appropriate method for determining areas of improvement. Customers usually evaluate quality performance on the basis of a few important attributes (Deming 1986; Berry et al. 1990). Furthermore, a survey designed by a firm will not necessarily reflect the customer’s assessment of the most important quality attributes (Bertram 1991; Hiam 1992). Attributes of lesser concern to customers are not areas in which firms should concentrate their efforts to improve. For these reasons, firms are increasingly conducting simultaneous surveys of customer satisfaction and surveys of the importance of certain quality attributes. Yang (2003a) has used these two kinds of survey to develop an Importance-Satisfaction model (I-S model). Continuous improvement is considered one of the important quality activities for an organization to purse the best quality for its services. With the intention of not only to understand the actual satisfaction level, but also to highlight the strengths and the areas for improvement, Yang (2003a) developed the Importance-Satisfaction model. In the I-S model, the horizontal axis show the degree of importance of a quality attributes, and the vertical axis shows the satisfaction level of the quality attribute. The means or medians of the degree of importance and the level of satisfaction were then taken as the central point to show a vertical line and a horizontal line respectively. These two lines can divide the order pair (importance scale, satisfaction scale) into four areas as follows and illustrated in Fig. 1 (Yang 2003a,b): •

Excellent area: The quality attributes classified in this area are those customers consider important and for which the performance is satisfactory to them. The owner should retain these attributes.

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Fig. 1 The Importance-Satisfaction model

• • •

To-be-improved area: The quality attributes located in this area are those considered as important to customers, but in which performances have not met with their expectations. The owner must focus on these attributes and make immediate improvements. Surplus area: The attributes listed in this area are those customers consider less important but satisfactory to them. The owner can reduce the fulfillment of these attributes, due to the cost consideration. Care-free area: The quality attributes categorized in the areas are those Customers consider less important and have lower satisfaction levels. The owner does not need to pay much attention to these attributes, since customers pay less concern to these items.

I-S model is a simple yet powerful structure for finding out the “excellent attributes” and the “to be improved attributes” which require improvement activities immediately (Yang 2003b). Thus, an analysis of the degree of importance of an attribute versus its satisfaction level can unveil more useful information about firm’s quality performance than that provided by a simple I-S model. With the focus on improvement activities, the I-S model helps organizations to make a more precise decision on improvement actions. This key function of the model provides important guidelines for quality decisions. Based on the analyses and decisions, required actions can then be planned and initiated for quality improvement. Base on the above-described model development studies; therefore, the Kano’s model and the I-S model were chosen and integrated to be applied to this study. 2.4 Improvement index (Ii) By following the above reasoning, it is possible to define an improvement index (Ii) for each attribute as Eq. 1 (Yang 2004): Ii =

satisfaction level − importance degree importance degree

(1)

Most of the improvement indices are negative, since the satisfaction level of virtually most attributes is less than its degree of importance. Firms then can decide the priority of improvement on the basis of the improvement index. The lower the value of Ii, the more priority can be improved by firms. If a firm can conduct an evaluation using Kano’s model, the refined Kano’s model for more precise category of quality attributes and strategy decisions, the degree of satisfaction

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Fig. 2 The model of assessing quality of hotel industry

and the degree of dissatisfaction for each attribute in deciding areas for improvement, and the improvement index can provide useful information for improvement. In view of the critical aspect, integrating the Kano’s model, the refined Kano’s model, the I-S model, and the improvement index with the aim of obtaining more valuable service quality information becomes a strategic move. Actually, the integrated quality assessment has been found not only significant as an academic research model, but also constructive for practical implementation in the service industry (Yang 2003a). As service competitive has virtually become a requirement in Taiwan, the need to provide key service quality attributes to support Taiwanese hotels’ service quality has also intensified.

3 Methodology The main purpose of this research was to assess the quality of hotel using integrated quality assessment. In order to better comprehend and effectively accomplish the specific purposes of the study, a model of assessing quality of hotel was developed as Fig. 2. This model helps in terms of defining the major factors and paths of the study. There are eight primary steps four major paths incorporated in the model. The following research questions were developed to guide the investigation. RQ1: RQ2: RQ3: RQ4:

What are the differences of quality attributes classifications defined by the Kano’s model among customers between two types of hotels? What are the differences of quality attributes categorization defined by the refined Kano’s model among customers between two types of hotels? What are the differences of quality attributes identified that need to be improved among customers between two types of hotels? What kinds of quality attributes need to be considered first among customers between two types of hotels?

3.1 Participants A pilot study was conducted in February, 2006. It was necessary to test the preliminary ideas as to how costumers prefer service provider from hotels, and to assess the reliability of the attributes. As a result, the target populations for our study were those travelers including international travelers staying in the Taiwan international hotels. The survey questionnaires were

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administrated to a random sample of customers in these two selected hotel in Taiwan. Data collection lasted a period of 2 months during March 10th to May 10th, 2006. Participation in this study was entirely voluntary. There are 400 travelers of two types hotels participated in the study, with 200 travelers for each hotel; one business hotel, and one resort hotel. Of the 259 questionnaires returned, 234 (58.5%) were completed and usable, with 115 travelers stay in business hotel (57.5%) and 119 travelers stay in resort hotel (59.5%). 3.2 Measure Initially, items utilized in previous studies on the some relevant elements and critical attributes considered important to customers in relation to hotel evaluation such as physical provide, cleanliness of room, convenience of order, security, staff service quality, etc. (Brotherton 2004; Callan and Kyndt 2001; Choi and Chu 2001; Greathouse et al. 1996; Lockyer 2003; Saleh and Ryan 1992; Weaver and Oh 1993). As a result, 24 service items and quality attributes considered in hotel were developed and included in the instrument for study. Naturally, the methods suggested by Kano et al. (1984) and Yang (2005) were incorporated into the construction of the survey instrument. The survey fits the purpose of the study. The final questionnaire consisted of three general categories: (1) how customers would feel if an item was either fulfilled or unfulfilled, (2) how customers would feel if an item was either degree of importance or satisfaction level, and (3) four demographics items. To capture a broader data base in relation to the customers’ nationalities, we translated the Chinese questionnaire version into English languages. A total of 52 items were developed and used in this survey to achieve the proposed objective. In part one, the quality attribute questionnaire, is structured in reference to the Kano’s model. A five-point Likert-type scale was used, with “1” meaning “very unsatisfied” and “5” meaning “very satisfied”. There are a total of 24 pairs of service items and quality attributes in the first part. Each item in this section requires the participants to provide a pair of responses. The first in each pair, a functional question, refers to a situation in which the hotel service item and quality attribute is fulfilled. The second in the pair, a dysfunctional question, refers to an opposite situation in which the same attribute is unfulfilled. In part two, 24 pairs of items were used. The second part included the importance and satisfaction questionnaire, is structured in reference to the I-S model. A five-point Likert scale was used (1, very unimportant to 5, very important for the degree of importance and 1, very unsatisfied to 5, very satisfied for the satisfaction level). The demographic characteristics including customers’ gather, age, educational background, and occupation were surveyed in part three.

4 Findings and discussion 4.1 Background analysis of participants This study is based on a survey taken by 234 international travelers from two selected hotels in Taiwan. Table 2 summarizes the participants’ background information, including gender, age, levels of education, occupation. There were 58.26% of the respondents were male, 41.74% of the respondents were female in business hotel. Most respondents were in the age categories 31–40 (39.13%), followed by 41 or above (32.17%). It explains that customers whose ages were over 31 were regarded as the primary potential target in business hotels. The major occupation of respondents was service industry (60%). On the contrary, 57.14% of the

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Table 2 Background of subjects’ demographic characteristics (n = 234) Variables

Gender Age

Education

Occupation

Items

Male Female 30 or below 31–40 41 or above Senior high school or below Bachelor Master or above Manufacturing industry Service industry Others

Business hotel (n = 115)

Resort hotel (n = 119)

Frequency (s)

Frequency (s)

Percentage of total

51 68 79 26 14 19 82 18 17 49 53

42.86 57.14 66.39 21.85 11.76 15.97 68.90 15.13 14.29 41.18 44.53

67 48 33 45 37 19 81 15 23 69 23

Percentage of total 58.26 41.74 28.70 39.13 32.17 16.52 70.43 13.05 20.00 60.00 20.00

respondents were female in resort hotel. Most respondents were in the age of 30 or below (66.39%). It revealed that the primary potential target of resort hotels is customers who were less than 30. The major occupations of respondents were from careers, including professors, student housewife, and so on (44.53%). Regarding to the educational level of participants, most of them were bachelor holders, with 70.43% of the respondents in business hotel, and 68.90% of the respondents in resort hotel. The above-described results clearly indicate that these customers who stay in business hotels may not only take business as the main purpose during their trip. Similarly, customers with leisure purpose during their trip may not necessarily stay in resort hotels. Additionally, the owners are recommended to not only focus on the male as their target in business hotels, but need to offer more sweet and amiable services to meet female customers’ needs. The owners are suggested to consider the particular services for family and kids in resort hotels. Therefore, providing services with excellent quality in these two types of hotels need to be fully and carefully considered separately. 4.2 The strategy of integrated assessment Table 3 summarizes the analytic results of all the attributes on the methods for determining improvement among customers’ surveys used in two types of hotels. However, some services such as “providing free transportation service from/to the airport/ station”, “free domestic call service”, “laundry service”, and so on were not offered by the resort hotels. Thus, these attributes could not be surveyed and provided in Table 3. From preliminary analysis of Table 3, it shows that the 10 attributes with the lowest satisfaction (value less than 3.42) were much the same as those with the lower than the degree of importance. However, the two attributes described as “to provide fruit basket in room upon arrival” and “to provide free beverage/cocktails coupon for guests” in business hotels were the exceptions of the 10 attributes (see columns 3 and 4). It appears that providing fruit basket and free beverage coupon for guests in business hotels are identified as not very important. Additionally, taking action on these 10 attributes is therefore unlikely to provide significant benefits. In conducting a survey using Kano’s model, it is a must for hotels to place emphasis on “must-be” attributes and “one-dimensional” attributes. Based on the Kano’s model (see columns 5), the attributes described as “to provide breakfast for our guests” and “to provide the toothbrush and tooth paste” are treated as “must-be” quality attributes by customers in

123

11R

11B

10R

To provide free bottled water on daily basis 3.94

4.04

–

4.08

10B

To provide free transportation service from/ to the airport/station

4.11

4.13

To provide hot drinking water

9B

9R

4.34

4.24

8R

4.34

8B

Room rate is reasonable

7R

4.31

7B

To provide the toothbrush and tooth paste

4.46

4.42

To provide breakfast for our guests

6B

6R

4.55

5R

4.45

5B

The convenience of reservation service

3.88

4.5

To provide Internet access service

4R

4B

4.77 4.71

Cleanliness and comfortable rooms

3R

3B

4.84 4.48

Service attitude of the service staff in the hotel

4.86

Safety of the facilities 4.77

Import. (mean)

Quality attributes

2R

2B

1R

1B

No.

3.42

3.67

–

3.61

3.45

3.75

3.43

3.31

3.39

3.72

3.45

3.79

3.76

3.88

3.38

3.7

3.84

3.95

3.71

4.06

3.85

3.97

Satist) (mean)

Indifferent

One-dimensional

Attractive

Attractive

Indifferent

Indifferent

Attractive

Attractive

Must be

One-dimensional

Must-be

Attractive

One-dimensional

One-dimensional

Attractive

Attractive

One-dimensional

One-dimensional

Attractive

One-dimensional

One-dimensional

One-dimensional

Category of Kano’s model

Care-free

High value-added

–

Highly attractive

Potential

Potential

Highly attractive

Highly attractive

Critical

High value-added

Critical

Highly attractive

High value-added

High value-added

Less attractive

Highly attractive

High value-added

High value-added

Highly attractive

High value-added

High value-added

High value-added

Refined Kano’s model

Care-free

Excellent

–

To-be-improved

Care-free

Excellent

To-be-improved

To-be-improved

To-be-improved

Excellent

To-be-improved

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Care-free

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Located area in I-S mode

Table 3 The analytic results of the all attributes on the methods for determining improvement index among customers’ surveys used in two types of hotels

−0.132/12

−0.092/14

–

−0.115/9

−0.162/8

−0.093/13

−0.211/3

−0.219/1

−0.217/2

−0.137/7

−0.226/1

−0.142/6

−0.175/6

−0.129/8

−0.13/13

−0.176/3

−0.184/5

−0.173/4

−0.173/7

−0.162/5

−0.194/4

− 0.182/2

Ii/order

Using integrated quality assessment 357

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To provide tea bags, coffee pack etc. 4.04

3.57

22R

22B

3.62 –

To provide City Tour service

21R

21B

–

3.68

20R

3.42

To provide car rental service

20B

3.7

19R

–

19B

To provide safe deposit facility

18R

3.75

To provide in-room international direct dialing (IDD) service

18B

3.77 –

To provide gym center facility

17R

17B

3.77

–

3.83

3.73

3.87

4.02

3.91

4.39

To provide swimming pool facility

To provide laundry service

To provide daily newspapers or magazine

To provide complete tourist information and booklet

3.95

To provide free domestic call service –

Import. (mean)

Quality attributes

16R

16B

15R

15B

14R

14B

13R

13B

12R

12B

No.

Table 3 continued

3.44

3.44

–

3.42

–

3.33

3.34

3.46

–

3.39

–

3.55

3.7

3.63

–

3.5

3.61

3.62

3.4

3.63

–

3.55

Satist) (mean)

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Attractive

Attractive

Indifferent

Attractive

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Attractive

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Attractive


Care-free

Care-free

–

Care-free

–

Care-free

Care-free

Care-free

–

Less attractive

–

Care-free

Highly attractive

Care-free

–

Care-free

Care-free

Less attractive

Care-free

Care-free

–

Less attractive


Care-free

Care-free

–

Care-free

–

Care-free

Care-free

Care-free

–

Care-free

–

Care-free

Excellent

Surplus

–

Care-free

Surplus

Surplus

Care-free

Surplus

–

Care-free


−0.15/11

−0.036/22

–

−0.055/20

–

−0.095/12

−0.022/15

−0.064/18

–

−0.095/11

–

−0.060/19

−0.159/9

−0.037/21

–

−0.086/15

−0.032/14

−0.065/17

−0.153/10

−0.071/16

–

−0.101/10

Ii/order

358 C.-C. Yang et al.

–

Quality attributes differences within 3% are categorized together B business hotel, R resort hotel

24R

3.25

To provide free beverage/cocktails coupon for guests

24B

3.33 –

To provide fruit basket in room upon arrival

23B

Import. (mean)

23R

Quality attributes

No.

Table 3 continued

–

3.37

–

3.38

Satist) (mean)

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent

Indifferent


–

Care-free

–

Care-free


–

Care-free

–

Care-free


–

0.035/24

–

0.016/23

Ii/order

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resort hotels. The owners of resort hotels must fulfill the requirement of customers regarding to these two quality attributes, otherwise customers will be dissatisfied. More importantly, those two belonging to the “critical” were classified by refined Kano model (see columns 6). Hence, the owners of resort hotels were recommended to show much more concern about the critical attributes, and then providing enough fulfillments of the breakfast, toothbrush and tooth paste. In contrast, offering breakfast to our guests in business hotels was identified as “attractive” and “highly attractive” by Kano model and its refined model. Usually, the owners in business hotels tend to think that customers stay in business hotels simply take business as the main purpose during their trip, and neglect to offer breakfast to customers whose main purpose was the enjoyment of ease and comfort. Therefore, offering breakfast is a good weapon for owners in business hotels to attract more potential customers. In addition, offering the toothbrush and tooth paste in business hotels, is classified as “one-dimensional” and “high value-added” by Kano model and its refined model. This is the quality attributes which directs the owners to provide as these services as possible to achieve customer’s satisfaction, then increase profits. Similarly, the attributes, described as “safety of the facilities”, “cleanliness and comfortable rooms”, and “the convenience of reservation service” are all classified as “one-dimensional” and are refined as “high vale-added” both in these two types of hotels (see columns 5 and 6). In resort hotels, the attributes are classified as “attractive” should be emphasized like “staff’s service attitude” and “providing swimming pool facility”. Those two attributes are classified as “highly attractive” in refined Kano’s model. Therefore, these are good weapons to attract potential customers in resort hotels. However, staff’s service attitude in business hotels is not emphasized as the one in resort hotels. Moreover, providing swimming pool facility in business hotels is identified by customers as not important. Maybe customers who stay in business hotels do not expect for this service; they even do not have time to enjoy this facility. Furthermore, some attributes of business hotels are re-categorized as “low valueadded” attributes in the refined Kano’s model such as “providing free domestic call service”, “daily newspapers or magazine”, and “IDD service. Although those three services are attractive factors, it is identified as not so importance for customers in business hotels. Thus, the owners of business hotels can put less emphasis on these attributes if less cost demands (see columns 5 and 6). In order to obtain a more accurate analysis, it is required to consider the I-S model in assessing areas for potential improvement. Using the I-S model to analyze the results, it can be regarded that four qualities attributes were located in the “to-be-improved” area (see Table 3; Fig. 3). Among these attributes, the two above-described service items, providing the good quality of breakfast, toothbrush and tooth paste. The owners in resort hotels not only need to show much more concern about the critical attributes, but also require urgent actions for improvement. On the other hand, in business hotels, to provide free transportation service from/to the airport/station need to be raised of customers’ satisfaction levels. Among these four attributes, only the attribute, “room rate is reasonable” needs immediate improvement in both business hotels and resort hotels. From the analyses, some quality attributes located in the “excellence area” in Table 3. The owners should make efforts to maintain its good performance. However, it is worthy of special attention that all of their satisfaction scores were significantly lower than their importance scores. Thus, some attributes located in excellence still need to refer to the improvement index (Ii) for deterring the priority improvement for increasing the customer’s satisfaction level. The improvement index (Ii) for each quality attribute was therefore calculated (see column 8 of Table 3). Most all of the quality attributes had negative indices. The lower the index indicates more appropriate improvement needed for this attribute.

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361 3.9

4.2

3 1 2

4.0

3

3.8

1

Satisfaction-R

Satisfaction-B

5 6

3.8

9

7

11 16 1413

3.6

17

4

10

12 15

3.4

24 23

22 19 21 18 20

5 16

3.7 14

3.6 3.5 11

3.4

8

2

4

22 9

6

7

13

8

19

3.2 3.0

3.5

4.0

Improtance-B

4.5

5.0

3.3 3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

4.4

4.6

4.8

Importance-R

Fig. 3 The display of the I-S model of for Table 3. Notes: The numbers are showed the same as in Table 3. The means (4.03 of importance; 3.61 of satisfaction) were taken as the central point in left figure. The means (4.21 of importance; 3.54 of satisfaction) were taken as the central point in right figure. B business hotels, R resort hotels

Taking the attributes with the lowest improvement index in business hotels, customers stated that the room rates are not reasonable. Thus, setting the reasonable room rates is required most urgently for enhancement (Ii = −0.219). Similarly, this item is identified as the third improvement needed in resort hotels. Other items need to be improved immediately are “the security of the facilities” and “Internet access service” in business hotels. Although these two service items belong to the “excellent” area, the owners are suggested to take into these two actions as top priorities for achieving customer’s higher satisfaction. On the contrary, the lowest improvement index of resort hotels is offering breakfast for guests (Ii = −0.226). Therefore, the first priority was to provide breakfast with good quality for the guests in resort hotels If owners want to reduce management costs, attributes located in “care-free” or “surplus” should be considered. For example, providing daily newspapers, tea bags, safe deposit facility, or tourist information is not very important among guests in both business hotels and resort hotel. These attributes were identified by customers as less influential on quality-evaluation process, if these services lack (see column 7 of Table 3). It is worth to note that some attributes are very dissimilar between two types of hotels. For example, providing access Internet, hot drinking water, free daily bottled water are identified as central and satisfactory among customers in business hotels. However, customers in resort hotels pay much attention to these services (see numbers 4, 9, and 11 of Table 3). Oppositely, the attribute (the number 16 of Table 3), swimming pool facilities, provided in business hotels is identified as redundant and unnecessary; whereas it is essential and excellent for customers in resort hotels. Usually, the owners afford more cost to manage the hotels. And the costs also reflect on the price. Thus, it represents that the customers will afford this cost of services provided. However, the customers may not emphasize these service provided from hotels. Hence, these kinds of survey in this study will achieve the win-win situation. Additionally, it can be concluded that it is not appropriate to base a decision on elements to be improved on a satisfaction survey alone. Therefore, it is better to conduct several surveys simultaneously, such as refined Kano’s model, refined Kano’s model, Importance-Satisfaction model, and the improvement index. This provides hotels with valuable information that can be used to determine the quality attributes requiring improvement as above-discussed. Finally, the worthy results of these surveys are summarized as below.

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Attribute 4, described as “to provide Internet access services”, was a “highly attractive” attribute, and belong to the “excellent” area in business hotels. Thus, the owners of business hotels suggested considering this service item as priorities improvement. Attribute 6, described as “to provide breakfast for our guests”, was a “critical” attribute, and belong to the “to-be-improved” area in resort hotels. It was also the lowest Ii. Thus, the first priority was to provide breakfast with good quality for the guests in resort hotels. Unexpectedly, this service in business hotels is a good weapon to attract more potential customers. Attribute 7, described as “to provide the toothbrush and tooth paste”, was a “critical” attribute, and belong to the “to-be-improved” area in resort hotels. It was also the second improvement needed in resort hotels. Thus, the owners of resort hotels must immediately fulfill the requirement of customers, then providing enough fulfillments of the toothbrush and tooth paste. Attribute 8, described as “room rate is reasonable”, was a “highly attractive” attribute, and belong to the “to-be-improved” area both in business hotels and resort hotels. It was also respectively the first improvement needed in business hotels and the third in resort hotels. Thus, setting the reasonable room rates is required most urgently for enhancement both in these two types of hotels. Attribute 16, described as “to provide swimming pool facility”, was a “highly attractive” attribute, and belong to the “excellent” area in resort hotels. Thus, the owners of resort hotels suggested considering this service item to attract potential customers in resort hotels.

5 Conclusions This study will contribute for bettering the service quality of hotels as well as enhancing the future improvement planning and strategy. Customers usually evaluate product and service quality according to the attributes they consider to be important (Deming 1986; Berry et al. 1990). Thus, this study considers the importance degree is also a critical dimension considered by customers when hotels evaluate quality performance. This study examined two kinds of customer surveys in two types of hotels. Besides, this research provided four kinds method of analytic results that can be referred as worthily and helpful information for a decision on which attributes to improve. This allows the selection of those attributes that are identified as being in need of improvement by many methods simultaneously, as above-discussed. In conclusion, this study contributes to provide key service quality attributes to support Taiwanese hotels’ service quality has also intensified. Hotel operators should become conscious that the service items located in the unimportant classification. It might make sense to suggest that spending money or adding services that belong to the unimportant category may not be an effective way to please the customer. Additional, those attributes located in the important category when it involving the actual satisfaction level of customers. Then, hotel operators can get valuable information to strengthen and highlight to achieve improved in this important category. References Akbaba, A.: Measuring service quality in the hotel industry: a study in a business hotel in Turkey. Hosp. Manage. 25, 170–192 (2006) Berry, L.L., Zeithaml, V.A., Parasuraman, A.: Five imperatives for improving service quality. Sloan Manage. Rev. 31(4), 29–38 (1990) Bertram, D.: Getting started in total quality management. Total Qual. Manage. 2(3), 279–282 (1991)

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