Marketing Practices and Consumer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry (A Case Study of Abia Hotel Ltd. Umuahia)
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
- This study intends to investigate marketing practices and consumer satisfaction in the hotel industry (A case study of Abia Hotel Ltd. Umuahia).
- To develop a broad vision about Hotel industry business.
- To acquire the necessary managerial stills require running the hotel industry.
- To develop and strengthen the hotel industry.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
These are lots of work done in this area of consumer satisfaction. Its mention is to made of all, there would not be enough space and time. We would therefore limit ourselves to a reasonable volume. With the past few years, there has been a notable single of interest in the concept of consumer satisfaction. In Nigeria, several seminar has been held on this subject.
A case in hand was the one that took place in April 1977 at the Federal palace hotel on the standard hotel performance. the subject of consumer satisfaction is such a vast area that nearly all academic discipline have approached it from their own perspective discipline (psychologist, sociologist economic geographers and others).
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The book of John Milar (1771) is used here because he was also to combine theories from most these discipline, to descried the work. He developed a model for understanding discontent in his work. He was able to classify consumer discontent under three categories thus:
Discontent as a result of drop in quality of goods as well as the loss of pride of workmanship in goods and services.
Magnify the difference between the product received, and the product expected.
Generalized negativity: As any discrepancy between expectations and reality results.
Assimilations contrast: As zones or latitudes of acceptance and rejection in consumer perception.
The experiments related that there is a point beyond, which consumers will not accept increasing disparity between product and actual performance. According to Buslarit and rothe one of the ways of explaining consumerism in this concept is using the sense of frustration much and have realized less, this may properly be called the driving force behind consumerism.
Another of though worked in the development of marketing on the development of marketing concept and come up with their result as the basis for providing satisfaction a object a company’s goal.
Martneau also out that in the world of advertising and markets research are most continually encounter one particular slogan which is “market are people”. He also said that human beings are dynamic complex creatness irrational at least as often as rational, maturated in large by emotion habit and prejudice differing deally in personality structure in aspiration.
Disconnect as a result of decrease in options
Disconnect as a result of decrease in options available. The study also revealed that satisfaction is primarily a function of the interaction between expectations and performance evaluations. That history his learning and experience part successes and failures as well as his level of aspiration a system of expectation that consists of what ought to be and what probably will be. He however stated the limit forces as the individual measures performances of the product or services the modified his prior set of expectations in an updating feed back like process of dissonance reduction, nationalization or elective expectations.
Infact, there has been other research work to confirm this, in the work of Ralph Andersion, he used four psychological theories to develop his work. There are:
Cognitive dissonance: He used this as any discrepancy between expectations and product performance that will be minimized.
Generalized: As a customer who will in all he was saying that business successes depends on the ability to know the total name them get his needs thus is what is called consumers, express satisfaction because his needs were meet as a result profit were maximized. Rich and join used social class is a significant factors in determining consumer behavior. These of the same class always want to be consistent with the product or service they use. It is this perception of self that produces satisfaction researcher have been satisfaction in general the relationship between only modest. Improvement beyond chance in discriminate analysis of satisfied versus, dissatisfies consumer has been made possible by use of demographic characteristics as studied by Kjell.
Kolter (2014) also wrote about this concept. He said that the marketing interrogated marketing aimed at general customer satisfaction as the key to satisfy organizational goal. Research work has been done focusing on the study of consumer behavior as a means to understanding consumer behavior or dissatisfaction.
Another work conducted by Andrew and whitening (2013) observed as strong relationship between satisfaction in there has be found to be significantly greater among persons high in his self esteems she feel competent and effective and who demonstrate trust in others. in summary most of these research work have been related to various demographic, socio-psychological, none treated the topic with respect to the management of marketing practices within a given marketing characteristics.
Consumer satisfaction is considered as a right by every individual irrespective of the market characteristics. From experienced it is not so. The area of consumer satisfaction vary with the market characteristics. Market characteristics core refers to the satisfaction in which demand and supply play the key role reading to a state of either a buyer or a seller market. There is buyers and sellers market of which Nigeria is in the later. The characteristics of these markets can be formed in imoisillis work. The second concept is the management of marketing mix-marketing mix are used o appeal to particular market segment.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the description of the method gathering information adopted in the study so we the analysis of data collected.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
The survey research, design is adopted in carrying out the research.
AREA OF THE STUDY
The area of the study is composed in Abia hotel ltd Umuahia the corporation belong to the hotel industry. It is also one of the best quoted hotel industry on the block exchange market. Infarct, 100% share equity is fully owned by Abia State government, while none is owned by private individuals.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population study is limited to Abia Hotels Ltd, Umuahia. The corporation belong to the hotel industry Umuahia was chosen because of its steady progress and expansion in the hotel industry. The population is 200.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
In this chapter, data generation form the respondents were presented and analysis. The researcher adopted a composite presentation more concise and comprehensive in order to qualify the respondent more appropriately. We employed such statistical tools as frequency table and percentage – 200 questionnaires were distributed, 160 were returned completed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The research study has dealt extensively with factors, which affect marketing practices and consumer satisfaction in the Hotel industry, chosen for the study are in achieving certain set goals. some hypothesis were tested as to the validity of proposition put forward.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
If management is to maximize customer satisfaction and resulting profits, it must recognize that components of satisfaction are of varying degrees of importance to the customer. Also it must recognize that these same factors have wide variations in cost although they provide different levels of satisfaction. Consequently, management should adopt a marketing mix policy that will provide satisfaction and at the same time make profit. To do this, management should start by developing a conscious marketing programme with particular reference to the mix. Thus, it can do reference to the mix. Thus, it can do by first gathering information to defend the characteristic needs, and want of it’s market and market segments so it can modify it’s serve that market.
Segmentation is important both conceptually and practically because it allows the management to analyze and improve care for discrete of the total consumer market.
This form of market research can be expensive, time consuming and misleading. Though many hotels are already trying to monitor consumer satisfaction by soliciting suggestion and complaints. Management do not often see their hotels as a product, but hotel services do meet the definition of “something that satisfies a need or wants; the hotel should embark on inventory and evaluate its product line (services) especially in this age of concern with cost effectiveness, it is inefficient of all hotel, to try to offer all services, capitalizing on current strength one hotel may decide to offer the best restaurant with all the varieties needed, another to specialize in providing conference and meeting facilities. All in an attempt to create distinctive characteristics.
Quality is not only a function of technical facilities but a combination of services provided, location appearance and attitude of staff, it is difficult to control price especially in this country where there are short ages of nearly everything. Pricing system in a particular hotel largely depends on many factors, like cost, inflation and the market condition. This not withstanding to arrive at a price reasonable to both consumers and management a board should be set up to review and adopt process for the different grades of hotels.
Finally, promotional strategies should be used to enhance other aspect of the marketing mix. Through it is seen as a waste by most hotels today, it could become useful as an instrument of crating satisfaction in consumers. But whatever promotional strategy and a coordinated marketing programme. Thus, the integration of the component parts of the mix represent a most importation step in the marketing programme, since it is performed to create a synergistic effect for an enterprise offering. The integrated while is assumed to be greater than the separately implemented component mixes. This is based on the nation that the consumer views on offering as a bundle of satisfaction rather than separate components.
CONCLUSION
The findings revealed that there is a relationship between age, status, nationality and satisfaction, which is a contribution of other research work dine in those areas but no relationship between education and nationality. It also revealed that size has a relationship with market practices. Thirdly, that there is a relationship between marketing practice and satisfaction which goes on to show that lack of the basic use of the marketing-mix on the part of management to meet the expectation of consumers results in the dissatisfaction, expressed by consumer.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The hotel industry should carefully evaluate he challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The growth potential for hostel services is so great as to make them an important consideration when analyzing consumers expectations.
Consumers dissatisfaction can be handled by conscious development of a marketing mix programme.
Service should be made to appear as tangible as possible.
Hotel services should be viewed from the customers perspective in order to lessen the relevant positive intrinsic aspect of the services offerings.
By carefully attention to those issues, the hotel industry can increase the likelihood or providing total service offerings that match their unique capabilities with the needs of target market.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The study is a victim is divided loyalty one ot the researcher and the other to the degree requirement. Besides, the time duration for this is usually too short. Apart from the fact that the study is limit dot Abia hotels limited Umuahia because or it’s international reputation in terms of facilities and services. The study is also limited to other marketing strategies by it’s management and consumer behaviour to facilities being provide by the management.
SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
The researcher suggests that further research be carried out at the following areas:
1) Hospitality industry and service excellence.
2) This study be repeated using another hotel to see how similar or different the results are
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