Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Retention: Marriott Study

This research project examines strategies for improving customer satisfaction and retaining loyal customers within the hospitality industry, with a specific focus on the Marriott Hotel. The report begins with an introduction and rationale, followed by a detailed outline of the research objectives and questions. The methodology section describes the use of both primary (questionnaires) and secondary research methods, including journals, online articles, and newspapers. The literature review synthesizes existing research on customer satisfaction, highlighting key factors such as value for money, service quality, and the importance of employee satisfaction. The study identifies critical elements that contribute to customer satisfaction, such as minimizing waiting times and providing personalized services. It emphasizes the significance of understanding customer needs to enhance service quality and foster customer loyalty in a competitive market. The report concludes with a comprehensive list of references from books and journals that support the research findings.

Research Project

Table of Contents
Aim- A study of improving customer satisfaction and retaining loyal customers within
hospitality businesses- a case reference to Marriott hotel...............................................................1
Objectives........................................................................................................................................1
Research questions......................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE..........................................................................................1
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH METHODS..........................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

Aim- A study of improving customer satisfaction and retaining loyal
customers within hospitality businesses- a case reference to Marriott hotel.
Objectives
 To assess the factors which are significant for customer satisfaction in Marriott hotel.
 To identify the problems faced by Marriott in satisfying customers.
 To evaluate the needs of employee satisfaction in regard to deliver better customer
services.
Research questions
 What are the most significant factors for customer satisfaction?
 What are problems faced by hotel in satisfying needs of customers?
 What are the needs of employee in order to deliver better customer service?
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE
Customer satisfaction is considered as crucial factor that helps in creation of value for
clients and also assists in anticipating and managing their needs in order to gain satisfaction.
Here, hospitality businesses are required to maintain its quality of services so that customers
could attain satisfaction and become loyal client for future. Customer satisfaction is the result of
their perception of the value they received from carrying out any transaction and attain desired
results (Blut and et. al., 2015). Now-a-days it is essential for every hospitality business to
provide and sustain better customer satisfaction in order to retail clients for long term.
Developing effective relationship would result in gaining loyalty of customers and thus enhance
the productivity of firm in market.
Further, due to increasing competition in hospitality businesses customer satisfaction is
becoming the relevant issue that needs to be discussed in order to solve the same. It is essential
for hotel businesses to assess the needs of customers and then provide them proper quality
services so that customer satisfaction can be attained (Zablah and et. al., 2016). Through
improving the service quality it would result in minimizing customer dissatisfaction and retain
loyal customers for future. Further, this study would result in assessing the varied factors that
would help in improving satisfaction among customers in hospitality businesses.
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PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH METHODS
 Primary methods- Here, in order to conduct the study on identifying the factors to
improve customer satisfaction and loyalty within hospitality businesses, researcher will
use questionnaire method that will be helpful for businesses to identify the needs and
wants of customers and attain best results (Khoshnejad and et. al., 2014).
 Secondary methods- Further, different secondary sources such as journals, online articles
and newspapers will be used to conduct the study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
As per the view of Saeidi and et. al., (2015), in order to understand customer satisfaction
factors it involves value for money, minimizing waiting time, better quality services etc, all this
leads to gain customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is essential for hospitality businesses to employ
skilled workers within firm and thus improve their satisfaction level so that they could be
retained for long term in firm. Also, providing proper service quality assumes that it is one of the
best way to enhance customer satisfaction and retain them within firm for long term. There are
several issues identified in gaining customer satisfaction such as delivering greater value is
required within service industries and therefore they need to be improved in order to make then
happy and relaxed. However, Yoon and et, al., (2016), argued that customer satisfaction needs to
be identifies by the management of hospitality firm so that they can improve their service quality
in order to retain guests within firm for long term. Also, in such competitive market, it is
essential for hospitality businesses to raise their standard
Orel and Kara (2014), stated that customer satisfaction and productivity helps in attaining
success within firm. Therefore, management needs to identify the factors that would enhance
customer satisfaction and thus improve business performance so that success can be attained. It
has been noticed that there is high demand of quality services among customers and thus they
need to improve their quality and raise satisfaction among customers. For instance, through
evaluating the responses of customers it could be assessed that there are certain customers who
want personal service, location nearby airports and standard service and luxury etc. Thus, all
such needs could be evaluated and then it needs to be fulfilled so that satisfaction among
consumers can be attained. However, Sengupta, Balaji and Krishnan (2015), it assesses that if
business does not focus upon satisfying the needs of customers then it would decrease their
productivity and sales in market. Due to rise in competition, if quality services are not rendered
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then customers does not aim to make repeat purchase from firm and decreases the brand image in
market.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Blut, M. and et. al., (2015). How procedural, financial and relational switching costs affect
customer satisfaction, repurchase intentions, and repurchase behavior: A meta-
analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 32(2). pp.226-229.
Khoshnejad, M. and et. al., (2014). Serial processing in primary and secondary somatosensory
cortex: A DCM analysis of human fMRI data in response to innocuous and noxious
electrical stimulation. Neuroscience letters, 577, pp.83-88.
Orel, F. D. and Kara, A. (2014). Supermarket self-checkout service quality, customer
satisfaction, and loyalty: Empirical evidence from an emerging market. Journal of
Retailing and Consumer Services, 21(2). pp.118-129.
Saeidi, S. P. and et. al., (2015). How does corporate social responsibility contribute to firm
financial performance? The mediating role of competitive advantage, reputation, and
customer satisfaction. Journal of Business Research, 68(2). pp.341-350.
Sengupta, A. S., Balaji, M. S. and Krishnan, B. C. (2015). How customers cope with service
failure? A study of brand reputation and customer satisfaction.Journal of Business
Research, 68(3). pp.665-674.
Yoon, S. and et, al., (2016). A study on the Impact of Consultants’ Nonverbal Communication on
Customer Satisfaction, Trust, and Long-term Relationship Orientation of the Client
Firm. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 9(26).
Zablah, A. R. and et. al., (2016). A cross-lagged test of the association between customer
satisfaction and employee job satisfaction in a relational context. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 101(5). pp.743.
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