A probabilistic approach to measure hotel service quality

Abstract

In this paper we present a probabilistic approach to the evaluation of hotel service quality. The proposed model stems from the need to provide hotel management with a diagnostic tool to evaluate and control the service quality from the customer satisfaction perspective. In order to manage a service effectively, its main quality 'elements' need to be evaluated, identifying suitable standards of comparison and verifying that the quality requirements are fulfilled. The quality elements of the hotel service can be classified into different categories. So the proposed model evaluates the contribution of each category to the hotel service quality level by identifying the logical structures which represent the relationships between them (the categories) and customer satisfaction. The practical implementation of the model does not involve the customers but only some quality experts who are specifically instructed in simulating, in a short time, several contacts between customers and service. A practical application of the method to the hotel industry is analysed and discussed.