Front office service quality as a predictor of revisit intention

 

Dr. Akash Sharma*

Ph.d in Commerce, Independent Researcher, Delhi, India

akashsharma2897@gmail.com

Abstract: The main goal of the study is to find out how tourists' opinions of how the front desk worked at the hotel affected how happy they were with their stay and how likely they were to return to one of Kashmir's five-star hotels. A structured questionnaire was given to 500 visitors as part of this study to find out what they thought about the front desk, the level of service, and their general happiness. The research method used was both descriptive and analytical. The results show that customers are most satisfied when staff members are polite, personal information about guests is kept private, and check-in and check-out times are kept on time. People have pointed out that custom deals and hotel changes need to be made available more often. The study stresses how important it is to offer personalized services, run processes efficiently, and have skilled staff in order to make customers happier and more faithful. Some suggestions for better hotel management include giving employees more chances to learn and grow, making communication better, streamlining operations, and giving guests more options. From the guests' point of view, this study adds to the field of hospitality by showing what the front desk does in Kashmiri hotels. This study talks about the goals of Kashmir's star hotel group and focuses on how the front desk is thought to affect customers' general happiness.

Keywords: Front Office Practices, Revisit Intentions, Star-Category Hotels, Kashmir

INTRODUCTION

Many of Kashmir's economic gains can be traced back to the hospitality business, especially the hotels in the area. These things happen because Kashmir's beautiful nature and rich cultural history draw in a lot of people from all over the world. The industry has made it through many dangerous situations, such as natural disasters and uncertain political conditions, by adapting quickly to new trends and meeting the changing needs of tourists from around the world (Rath, 2020). With new services and better technology, the business will always be on the cutting edge of technological change. Fusion has made it possible for people to have experiences that are both unique and memorable (Bhat & Sharma, 2022). Aside from that, environmentally friendly ways to travel have become more popular in the area over the past few years. Businesses and groups in this area have done eco-friendly things to protect the environment from the damage that tourists cause. These efforts to be environmentally friendly are good for both the ecosystem and the rising number of socially conscious tourists who want to have fun without sacrificing their beliefs. The country's tourism industry has a bright future because of the strong partnership between the public and private sectors. This partnership has improved infrastructure, made the country more accessible to tourists from other countries, and boosted location marketing. This is possible thanks to partnerships with tour companies from other countries.

METHODOLOGY

A thorough study methodology was established in order to investigate in a methodical manner whether or not front-office procedures have any direct influence on the level of satisfaction experienced by visitors and whether or not they plan to return. This study, which was called "Impact of Perceived Front Office Practices on Guest Experience and Revisit Intentions: A Study of Star Category Hotels in Kashmir," followed a certain set of steps. Creating an organized questionnaire to get answers, using a stratified random sample method to split differences by category, and strictly following the rules for data gathering and analysis were all important parts of this plan.

Research Design

A organized questionnaire and a descriptive and analytical study design were used to gather the raw data. This last one is especially important for the front desk staff of Kashmiri hotels with multiple stars because it shows how happy or unhappy customers are with the processes and how likely they are to come back. A detailed and analytical design was needed to fully grasp the complex connections between the work of the hotel front desk and the happiness of its guests. (Creswell & Creswell, 2017).

 Questionnaire Development

Because we were doing this study, we read a huge amount of writing on hospitality and service quality, which helped us decide to make this questionnaire. This method helped the poll focus on the most important things that affect hotel guests' experiences with customer happiness, service quality, and front desk operations. Questionnaire sections on demographics, front desk operations, service quality, and guest satisfaction were used to gather a wide range of experiences and practices that affect how happy visitors are and how likely they are to come back. The goal was to make this kind of data collection easy. (Hair, Black, Babin, & Anderson, 2010).

Sampling Method and Study Population

We used stratified random sampling for this study to make sure that our group would be a good representation of the wide range of hotel guests who stay in Kashmir's four-star hotels. For making a statistically sound conclusion with a good margin of error and confidence level, 500 responses were enough for the sample size. People who had stayed at these places in the last 12 months were asked to take part in the study. (Kothari, 2004).

Data Collection Procedure

A stratified random selection method was used to make sure that the sample properly represented the wide range of tourist groups staying in Kashmir's star-rated hotels. It was assumed that 500 people would reply, which is a large sample size. This sample would be made up of people who had stayed at these hotels in the last year so that there is a good margin of error and level of trust. (Kothari, 2004).

Data Analysis Technique

In addition to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA), tests for validity and reliability have been used to process the data. EFA analysis was used to reduce the amount of data collected from questionnaires about front desk processes, service quality, and visitor happiness. This was done to find the underlying structure between the questions. Although CFA was used to prove the factor structure made by EFA, it was also used to look at the connections between hidden factors and variables that could be seen. Cronbach's alphas were used to figure out how reliable the poll was. Lastly, several tests of construct and content validity were done to make sure the questionnaire was accurate and met the goals of the study. (Tabachnick&Fidell, 2013).

The influence of front desk practices on guests' experiences and satisfaction

The way the front desk works has a big effect on how happy customers are with the hotel and how they feel about their first thoughts. A lot of these steps, like greeting guests when they come, answering their questions, and making sure the checkout process goes smoothly, have a big effect on how guests are treated. It is said by Rehman et al. (2022) that front desk workers must be professional, caring, and attentive in order to give excellent service that can make customers happy and faithful.

Also, running a good front desk is important for making a good impact on customers, helping them quickly with their problems, and getting to know them well. Front desk staff can make clients' whole experience with the company better and leave a lasting impact by always giving great service and one-on-one care.

In addition to making customers happier, these events may also help spread good word about the hotel and bring in new customers. It is well known that front desk procedures can make guests' experiences better, but there aren't many studies that look at how these procedures affect guests' happiness and chance of returning to Kashmir's five-star hotels. In order to fill in this gap in knowledge, this study will look at how guests' opinions of the hotel's front desk affect their total happiness and likelihood to book another stay there. Kashmiri hotels could improve their services and, by extension, the experiences of their customers if they made smart choices. To reach this objective, you must fully understand how the activities at the front desk affect customer happiness and the likelihood that they will return. This study will help hotel businesses in the area focus their time and money on front desk processes that make customers happier and more loyal. The results will tell these companies very important things.

Objectives of the Study

1.      To assess the state of front desk procedures at upscale hotels in Kashmir.

2.      To evaluate the impact of these strategies on visitor satisfaction.

3.      To determine the relationship between visitors' degree of satisfaction and their plans to return.

4.      To identify areas where front desk procedures need to be enhanced to promote customer satisfaction and loyalty

Significance

There are significant implications that can be drawn from the results of this research for lawmakers and hotel management working in Kashmir's hospitality industry. Hoteliers can improve service and gain a competitive edge by focusing on the most important parts of front desk tasks that affect how happy and loyal guests are. There is also useful information in the data that can be used to teach front desk workers how important it is to provide excellent customer service for the corporate success. The data may also support a strategy that focuses on the customer in the hospitality industry. Policymakers could use this information to create rules and standards that make it easier for people to use this approach. In the hotel industry in Kashmir, this study adds to what is already known by shedding light on the specific factors that affect customer satisfaction and trust.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) Results

After the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was done, three factors were found: front desk methods (17 items), service quality (9 items), and guest happiness (8 items). How strongly each question in the questionnaire is linked to each factor is shown by the factor loadings for each item on those factors. The numbers close to one show that all the things have a strong link to the important factor.

•         Factor 1: Front Office Practices has a substantial influence on this dimension, as seen      by the heavy loadings for a number of items.

•         Factor 2: The significance of service quality in the whole visitor experience is highlighted by its strong linkages with its contents.

•         Factor 3: The variation in loadings for the variable "Guest Satisfaction" indicates that different aspects of visitor satisfaction have been captured by the questionnaire questions.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) Results

The findings of the CFA corroborate the factor structure that was discovered in the EFA. The hypothesised model seems to be a good match for the data, as shown by the very significant loadings that each factor has on a subset of items.

•         Factor 1: Front Office Practices show strong loadings, especially on staff contact and efficiency-related issues.

•         Factor 2: Information quality and employee training are highlighted in service quality loadings.

•         Factor 3: The general level of satisfaction with front desk services is the main focus of guest satisfaction levels.

Reliability and validity  Reliability:

For each part, the following Cronbach's alpha numbers were found to show how reliable they were:

·         The number is 0.797 at the front desk.

·         The level of service is 0.768.

·         Customer Satisfaction: 0.907

These values are above the acceptable threshold of 0.7, indicating that the scales are internally consistent and reliable.

Validity: The construct validity of the questionnaire is shown by the fact that both the EFA and CFA data have a factor structure. Findings from both exploratory and comparative factor analyses show that the questions are good at measuring the things that were meant to be measured (such as front desk procedures, service quality, and guest happiness). This is because factor loadings show that the questionnaire items are good ways to measure these things.

As a result, it would indicate that the questionnaire has both reliability and construct validity for the purpose of determining the influence of front office operations on the level of pleasure experienced by guests and their intents to return to Kashmir's star-rated hotels. Because of this, we are in an excellent position to assess the data that was obtained from a sample size of 500, which would allow us to draw reasonable conclusions about what these guest experiences would indicate for the management of the hotel.

Demographic Profile of Respondents

There is information about the people who answered the poll that can help you learn more about them. This could help you learn more about how people from different groups feel about the quality of service and how the front desk works at high-end hotels in the Kashmir Valley. The number of responses from each of several ethnic groups is shown in the table below.:

Table 1: Demographic details

DemographicFeature

Distribution(%)

Age

 

Up to 20

13.0%

21-35

35.1%

36-50

30.5%

51-65

15.1%

66 & above

6.0%

Gender

 

Male

52.3%

Female

47.5%

Marital Status

 

Married

54.7%

Unmarried

45.5%

Education

 

Upto 10+2

11.0%

Under Graduation

18.7%

Graduate

29.3%

PostGraduate

35.1%

Other

5.3%

Occupation

 

Student

9.5%

GovernmentEmployee

13.7%

Shopkeeper

11.3%

Auto/Rickshaw owner

4.8%

Agriculturist

11.0%

Businessman

40.3%

Other

9.3%

Income

 

Up to 3Lacs

24.3%

3-6Lacs

24.7%

6-9Lacs

23.3%

Above9 lacs

27.4%

 

Analysis

·               Age Distribution People in their 20s to 40s often stay at the high-end hotels in Kashmir Valley. People between the ages of 21 and 35 make up 35.2% of all respondents. People between the ages of 36 and 50 came in second, with 30.6%.

·               Gender Distribution: There is a little male majority (52.4%), although the gender distribution is reasonably balanced for the most part.

·               Marital Status: There are more than fifty-four point eight percent of respondents who are married, which may have an impact on their choices about certain kinds of services or lodgings.

·               Education Levels: A lot of people who answered (35.2% of postgraduates and 29.4% of graduates) have degrees from colleges and universities, which suggests that most people are well-educated. user who knows more about the service they receive and can set higher standards for it

·               Occupation: Forty-two percent of the respondents are businesspeople, which may be indicative of the reasons they travel and the expectations they have about the service they get.

·            Income Brackets: A modest bias toward higher income levels (above 9 lacs: 27.4%) can be seen in the distribution of income, which distributes pretty equally throughout the four categories.

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers found that how the front desk works has a big effect on how happy and loyal customers are after staying at high-end hotels in Kashmir. People think that making a good first impression is only half the fight. Long-term guest happiness and loyalty rely on how professional the front desk staff is, how good the security and monitoring is, and how quickly guests can check in and out. They also believe that there should be deals that make it easier to welcome and serve customers, as well as changes to certain rooms that are either free or not too expensive. People who run the government and people who work in the hotel business will both be affected by this. This study says that hotels should keep their staff trained in areas like customer service, cultural understanding, and keeping their technical skills up to date. That being said, the numbers show that they need to improve their security and data merging to keep the information of their guests private. Also, they should write more personal letters before and after a guest's stay. The authors say that the most important thing to do to fix the problems that have been brought up is to give all customer service workers the same training. Digital contact tools, easy-to-use technology for check-in and check-out, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are some other ideas. As privacy becomes more important, the hotel needs to put data security at the top of their list of priorities to keep guests trusting that they will keep their information safe. The business could turn a corner at this point. The results of this study can be used to start a lot of interesting new research projects. It might be interesting to look at how people' expectations change over a longer period of time. You could also listen to guests from different cultures and compare their points of view. Aside from that, it would be interesting to see how AI and the internet of things change the hotel industry. Another option is to do a cost-benefit analysis of the money spent on technology and staff training for hotel management. Another option is to do a full investigation into the many issues that front desk workers may be having.

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