Тhe Positive Customer Experience as a Factor for Guest Satisfaction and Loyalty

Abstract

In the contemporary hospitality industry, superior customer experiences are essential to gaining customer loyalty and achieving a competitive advantage. The guest experience lies at the heart of hospitality and is a major driver of loyalty and personal recommendations. Guest satisfaction reflects the experience guests have in the hotel establishment. But it also reflects the performance the hotel achieves through the services it offers and the way it differentiates itself from its competitors. That is why it is important that guest satisfaction and experience are at the very heart of a hotel's management strategy. Improving customer satisfaction is a critical component of the hospitality industry’s value proposition to the guests (Siguaw a. Enz,1999). Consequently, the hospitality industry spends millions of dollars per year to better assess guest satisfaction and understand the elements of loyalty. With an understanding of what causes guests to stay and to return, hoteliers can act to increase loyalty. This article aims to provide an overview of what is known so far about customer experience and identifies some emerging issues that play an important role in it. It will also describe ways that create excellent customer experience. This will help practitioners to understand the factors that influence customer experience and thus to choose the right satisfaction effective strategy which will turn their guests into loyal customers.