ABSTRACT
The conceptualization of the service quality construct, its relationship to ongoing customer satisfaction, loyalty and spending patterns, and methods of evaluating it, have been a central theme of hospitality literature and research over the past 15 years. Hospitality organizations must now cater to a progressively discerning customer-base, who, are now willing shop around and cut traditional consumer ties due to service-based competitive differentiations. Consequently, a large proportion of marketing effort is now being directed at both getting and keeping customers. Evidence suggests that an organization’s ability to consistently satisfy customers with quality service will go a long way toward achieving this core objective. Not surprisingly, a large proportion of organizational effort is now being directed at developing an operational means for improving customer service perceptions. Inherent in any such approach is the need to continually monitor operational performance and create new service opportunities so that energies can be better directed at consistently satisfying customer needs.
