호텔기업의 고객경험품질과 충성도 및 프리미엄 지불의사 간의 구조적 관계

Abstract

The hotel industry secures customers using Customer Relationship Management(CRM) as a strategy to build relations with them. The existing CRM strategy was effective in securing and maintaining customers. But it was not good enough to increase customer value. Customer Experience Management(CEM) appeared as a complementary solution to overcome CRM limitations. CEM enhances profitability through building long-term relations with customers by understanding their experiences. The hotel industry should provide complex functions such as business areas, social gatherings, relaxation, entertainment, etc., in addition to simple services such as accommodation and food and beverage services. It is essential to understand customers' experiences as they are vital to entire process. However, the preceding studies are mainly carried out on single functional experience in conceptual research and service contact because it is difficult to measure experience in every levels and concepts. Also, depending on SERVQUAL as a criterion of service quality, generalized problems were not abundantly addressed in the criterion of experience. This study presents a wider and more simplistic criterion, focusing on general customer experiences. The study measured items available to the hotel industry based on 4 dimensions of experience quality proposed by Maklan and Klaus(2011). Also, it examined if loyalty and willingness to pay more were increased by relation affect and brand affect from customer experiences and behavior outcomes on the hotel industry. Based on these analyzed outcomes, the practical implications were provided for the customer experience management of the hotel industry and a simple criterion of customer experience quality. In this study a survey was carried out on customers who had experienced domestic and overseas hotels within the last 6 months. This data was used in an empirical analysis with a valid sampling of 306 copies. It was done with frequency, reliability and exploratory factor analysis using the SPSS 18.0. The proposed research model was analyzed through the structure equations model AMOS 18.0. The research findings may be summarized as follows. First, an outcome of research hypothesis states that each component of customer experience quality influences the relation affect. ‘The moment of truth’ and ‘product experience’ were shown to have a significantly positive(+) impact, while ‘peace of mind’ was shown not to have a significantly positive(+) impact. Second, an outcome of research hypothesis states that each component of customer experience quality influences the brand affect. ‘The moment of truth’ and ‘product experience’ were found to have a significantly positive(+) impact, while ‘peace of mind’ was shown not to have a significantly positive(+) impact as the hypothesis of relation affect. Third, an outcome of the research hypothesis states that the relation affect influences loyalty and willingness to pay more. The positive relation affect between customers and employees was shown to have a significantly positive(+) impact on them, respectively. Finally, an outcome of the research hypothesis states that the brand affect influences loyalty and the willingness to pay more. The positive affect on brand customers had acquired at hotels was shown to have a significantly positive(+) impact on the loyalty and the willingness to pay more. From the findings of the study, theoretical implications are as follows. First, as a complementary solution for CRM, CEM is suggested as a strategy to create earnings through building up long-term relations with one customers by understanding customers' experiences. Second, studies on the single functional experience in the preceding study of customer experiences were carried out based on SERVQUAL criterion. The comprehensive and simple dimensions of customer experiences for the hotel industry are proposed in the study. Third, although both positive and negative affects were discussed in the preceding study, the study examined positive relation and brand affects due to experienced management. Finally, it can be predicted that the quality of customer experiences will be likely to make customers become more profitable because customers are willing to pay more with a sense of loyalty built through positive affect to hotel industry. In the practical implications, the dimension of experience quality examined by the study can be used as an index to measure and manage experience of customers in the hotel industry. Also, a strategy can be developed to design the experience of customers with differentiated, valuable premium product and service by recognizing changes such as consumption trend, needs and expectation etc. In the study, those non-members at five-star hotels are not considered and therefore, are necessary in future studies. Also, only domestic customers were surveyed despite the ratio of foreign customers at five-star hotels is growing owing to increase in foreign tourists. Therefore, comparing studies between foreign customers and domestic customers at five-star hotels will be required if the index of customer experience quality is valid.

Key Words: Customer experience quality(EXQ), Customer experience management(CEM), Relation affect, Brand affect, Loyalty, Willingness to pay more(WTP)