http://www.scribd.com/doc/33636406/An-MBA-Dissertation-An-Investigation-Into-Con sumerBuying-Behaviour-User-Friendliness-as-Success-Factor-in-High-Tech-Products http://www.scribd.com/doc/4366975/dissertation-on-BRIC-countries-by-ashish http://www.scribd.com/doc/6321416/How-to-Do-an-MBA-Project http://www.scribd.com /doc/50739770/How-to-Write-E-retailing-Dissertation http://www.scribd.com/doc/31 244688/Dissertation-Report-on-Opportunity-Challenges-forGreen-Marketing-by-GYAND EEP sm http://www.scribd.

com/doc/26988589/Adidas-Reebok-Merger-Case-Study Customers S atisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui: A qualitative study By: (Students Name) (Students ID)

Submitted to: (Supervisors Name) (Course Title) In partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of the Bachelor in Int ernational Business Degree

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 3 Declaration This is declared that this is original work which the author of this paper has produced on the subject. Further, this paper is produced for the fulf illment of the degree requirement of the Bachelor in International Business. Hen ce, it is not produced for any other qualification, institution and journal.

Abstract Customers satisfaction has been the main focus of business industry as i t is believed that higher level of customer satisfaction may result in higher le vels of repurchase. In order to analyze the customers satisfaction and the factor s contributing customers loyalty to the resort or hotel, this study has taken up Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Samui Island as case study. The resort is located in Koh-Samui Island, which has approximately 87% of tourists turnover. The study exa mines the level of customer satisfaction in the light of Seven Ps of Marketing M ix. In order to study certain level for each service product, a self administere d questionnaire was placed in the hotel lobby to record the comments of the cust omers. The study concludes that employees loyalty and training is pivotal for the sustainability of the type of the service of Resorts with customers.

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 5 Acknowledgement I heartedly acknowledge and thank my supervisor (Name) for his v aluable guidance and console. I also appreciate the co-operation of administrati on and staff of Nora Beach Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand for facilitating my resea rch study. This piece of work wouldnt have conclusive and informative without val uable customers feedback. Therefore, I am very thankful for their interest and fu lfilling the questionnaire provided.

Table of Contents ABSTRACT Chapter I: Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Purpose of Study 1.3 Objectives of Study 1.4 Study Structure Chapter II: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Service 2.2.1 Service Theories 2.2.2 Elements of Service 2 .2.3 Impact of service on Customer Satisfaction 2.2.4 Quality in Customer Servic e 2.3 Customer satisfaction 2.3.1 Customer Satisfaction Theories 2.3.2 Functiona lities of Customer Satisfaction 2.3.3 Customer vs. Employee Satisfaction Modelin g 2.3.4 Marketing of Services 2.4 Hotel Categories 2.4.1 Types of hotel 2.5 Nora Beach Resort and Spa 2.5.1 Information of the hotel 2.5.2 Type of customers 2.6 Conclusion Chapter III: Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research framework 3.3 Sampling 3.4 The data collection tool 3.5 Data collection 3.6 Data analysis 3.7 Conclusion References Appendices III 1 1 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 11 11 11 11 12 12 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 17 19 21

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 7 Chapter I: Introduction 1.1 Background Nora Beach Resort is a luxurious retreat in Thailand, situated in a strategic pl ace of Koh Samaui, the 3rd largest island, which offers its customers a break fr om the hassles of the real world. The resort enjoys a spectacular hillside setti ng, overlooking a seclude bay just north of the world famous Chaweng Beach. It i s located a few minutes from the airport and a short drive from the city centre (Nora Beach and Spa, 2007). The Koh Samui has many attractions for the tourists. It is famous for the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan. There are also a lot of vi siting places on the island like the Big Buddah, Namuang Waterfall, Hin Ta Hin Y a, Sawadee Shrine, Hin Lad Waterfall, Scuba Diving, Dinning and restaurant and S amui nightlife etc. These attractions have attracted visitors tremendously and h ave contributed significantly to enhance the business opportunity for the local hotels and resorts offering services like spa. Nora Beach is one of the most fam ous resorts of the Samui Island. Customers satisfaction is the main concern for e very resort and hotel in order to keep the customers loyal to the resort and mak e them permanent visitors. It is believed that higher level of customer satisfac tion may result in higher levels of repurchase. According to Oliver (1997), repe at purchasing is essential to a continued stream of profitability through achiev ing higher levels of customer satisfaction. Satisfaction can be defined as the co nsumers fulfillment response. It has been a judgment that a product or service fe ature, or the product or service itself, provides (or is providing) a pleasurabl e level of consumption-related fulfillment, including

levels of under-fulfillment or over-fulfillment (Oliver, 1996, p. 14). The concep t of consumer satisfaction occupies a central position in marketing thought and practice. Conceptually, satisfaction is an outcome of purchase and use results f rom the buyers comparison of the rewards and costs of the purchase in relation to the anticipated consequences. Operationally, satisfaction is similar to attitud e in that it can be assessed as the sum of the satisfactions with the various at tributes of the product or service. In the competitive market place, the organiz ations are striving for competence with more focus on Customer Satisfaction (Buc hanan, Gilles, 1990). In recent years, the marketing of services has changed tre mendously in terms of approach and consumer behaviour. The consumer behaviour ha s been considered the ultimate success scale within the industry. The hotel indu stry is also among those sectors, which has been trying to attract customers for long term visits. For this purpose what the hotel industry needs is the effecti ve marketing mix focused with customer satisfaction and loyalty. Since 2003 the h oliday makers often visit Thailands famous islands with turn over of 87.81% (Touri sm Statistics, 2003). Koh Samuai, is often visited by holiday makers for its splendid beaches, whilst the famous Nora Beach Resort and Spa is t he first preference of the visitors to stay and enjoy spa facilities offered by it. The Nora Beach and Resort is one of the most favorite resorts seizing custom ers satisfaction for the profound service. 1.2 Purpose of Study The purpose of the study is to analyse the level of customers satisfaction at Nor a Beach Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand. The study will try to suggest the strategy for achieving a desirable customers satisfaction in light of marketing mix.

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 9 1.1 Objectives of Study The objectives of the study are as follow: To understand the level of customers satisfaction by conducting a survey. To anal yse the characteristics of the customers satisfaction which contribute their loya lty for the particular resort or hotel. This will be done by analysing purpose o f visit, gender, age, education and other characteristics. To suggest a strategy to retain customer loyalty by adopting an effective market ing mix. 1.4 Study Structure As the purpose of this study is to study and analyse the customers satisfaction w ith the case study of Nora Beach Resort and Spa at Koh Samui. For this purpose, the researcher will explore the contemporary literature on customers satisfaction in order to analyse the characteristics that attract and keep the customers loy al to a particular resort or hotel. Further, the customers satisfaction will be m easured and analysed through self administered survey which were placed in the h otel lobby of the Nora Beach Resort. Further, methodology of the study will be e xplained in the methodology section as how the researcher collected and analysed the primary data. Finally, the results of the study will be presented that woul d be followed by the conclusions and recommendations.

Chapter II: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The analysis of the customers satisfaction involves many characteristics to study . While analysing the customers behaviour and satisfaction, one has to study 7 ps of marketing in order to assess which factors can attract and keep loyal the cus tomers with a certain resort or hotel. In the following section, this study will review the literature customers satisfaction in the context of the services offer ed by the Nora Beach Resort and Spa focusing the following seven factors: 1. Pro duct 2. Price 3. Place 4. Promotion 5. People 6. Process 7. Physical Evidence 2.2 Service The study of customers satisfaction in the field of general marketing has evolved into important parameters that need to be identified and understood in order to satisfy the needs and wants of customers (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry, 198 8). Since the success of a business has been linked to providing high levels of customers satisfaction, a substantial amount of effort has been focused on

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 11 identifying how consumers perceive service quality in various settings. Gronroos (1982) defined service quality as the outcome of an evaluation process where the consumer compares his expectations with the service he perceived he has receive d. In other words, perceived service is measured against expected service. Servic e quality has been seen as the result of comparing a customers expectations prior to receiving the service with the customers experiences with the service. Wyckof f (1984) defined the concept of service quality from the companys perspective. Se rvice quality is the degree of excellence for meeting the customers requirements, and control over the variability in achieving that excellence. 2.2.1 Service Theories A service is an intangible product involving a deed, performance, or an effort th at cannot be physically possessed. Dominant component is intangible (Service Mark eting, 2007). Services are different from products because of their built-in cha racteristics which make it different from products. These characteristics includ e intangibility, perishability and inseparability. These characteristics make se rvice not only different from physical goods, but they also require a greater de al of expertise in delivering them because the results of service offerings are mostly prompt and the feedback is immediately. Successfully delivering services depends upon how effectively a business promotes its service as there are higher chances of postpurchase dissonance in service offerings, if they do not meet th e requirements of the customers. Sometimes services are offered as part of a pac kage including a physical product. In that situation the quality of delivering t he service depends upon the ability of the physical product. Apart from that eac h service experience can hardly be equal which makes services more heterogeneous in nature (Savitt, 1986).

In the hotel industry which is mostly dependent on services, it is very importan t that the service delivery is prompt and accurate. It is very important that th e hospitality industry makes its expectations clear to its employees, as the ser vice is delivered through them and creates a culture of service within the hotel s (Verret, 2000). 2.2.2 Elements of Service Co-ordinated marketing mix is designed in consideration of the elements of servi ce. The elements of service are 1) Intangibility, 2) Inseparability, 3) heteroge neity, 4) Perishability. These elements of service in-fact differentiate it from goods. Hence therefore these elements create marketing challenges and opportuni ties as well that lead to the marketing strategy, which is different as of goods . 2.3 Impact of Service on Customer Satisfaction Since it is not good that satisfy the customer but the services provided. This m ay be either the services provided independently. The customer satisfaction is p sychological state, which definitely needs a consistent measurement and analyses (Carrol, Reichheld, 1992). The customer satisfaction is directly associated wit h quality of service. The quality constitutes Value, Time, Access, Environment a nd commitment to the customer. (Carrol, Reichheld, 1992). This direct associatio n of service to customers has created a shift in the approach. Now, the approach has been that satisfy existing customers by providing the best service quality rather imploring capital over attracting the prospect customers (Buckinx, Geert, Van den 2007).

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 13 2.2.4 Quality in Customer Service A number of studies have been conducted in-order to measure the quality standard s for the service industry. However, the service quality model as provided by Ka y, Tore and Gronous has been given a priority for the instant results. For the a ssessment of customer satisfaction to the quality of service, the model bases th e customer recent experiences in comparison of the customers perception or expect ations (Storbacka, Strandvik, Gronroos, 1994). The customer satisfaction is the right standard for the quality of service. A quality of service determines the b usiness relationship and obviously the customer retention, as well. If the custo mer is dissatisfied with the service quality then it may end with adverse behavi ours, which are customer may move away or no longer needs the service or may end with weaker relationship. Thus it is pivotal that in-order to retain customer l oyalty then quality focus service needs consistent measurement and follow-up. 2. 3 Customer Satisfaction In the hospitality industry, customer satisfaction plays a crucial role because of its direct impact and proven impact on revenue generation, capability for hos pitality business. Not only does customer satisfaction create a strong word -of -mouth advertising for these hotels, but it also helps them to retain their exis ting customers providing them with a significant opportunity to create long term relationships with their existing customer base. 2.3.1 Customer Satisfaction Th eories

Customer satisfaction means that the customer is satisfied with a product or ser vice which meets the customers needs, expectations and wants (Customer Service an d Satisfaction, 2007). One of the fastest growing segments in marketing research is the study of customer satisfaction (Dutka, 1994). Customer loyalties are cre ated when a customer is satisfied and once a business has established customer l oyalties, it becomes one of the important components of sustainable and profitab le growth. Customer satisfaction is strewn from customers expectations which pass through three different stages before rendering satisfaction. At level I of exp ectation, expectations are simple and take the form of assumptions. Level II exp ectations are higher than level I expectations and customers require satisfactio n through service quality meeting some requirements or specifications. The level s III of expectations require organizations to delight their customers and produ ce something which attract customers towards its services and products. (Service Marketing, 2007). At this third stage customer satisfaction turns a customer in to a loyal customer and provides opportunities for organizations to forge longterm relationships with their customers. 2.3.2 Functionalities of Customer Satis faction The functionality of customer satisfaction in the business world is that how eff ectively the services/goods meet the customers expectations. Therefore we can see across marketing world that each businesses success story relies on Customer Sat isfaction. Thus the customer satisfaction has become the key element of business strategy in todays market place (Buchanan, Gilles, 1990). Although the customer s atisfaction varies from an individual to individual, however certain recommend s tandards can be opted in-order to mitigate positively the popular

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 15 perception. The common tool to opt the level of customer satisfaction is survey or collection of primary data where customer is asked to evaluate the open ended and close ended statements in accordance with the customers own perception. The nce the performance of the service/goods becomes contingent of that certain leve l of Customer Satisfaction. 2.3.3 Customer vs. Employee Satisfaction A cycle of success was added to customer loyalty with employee loyalty as well (Sc hlesigner and Heskett, 1991). The concept suggests that customers satisfaction is contingent with employee ability to provide the services to customer therefore compact training and development of employees is inevitable in any service indus try. The model is illustrated as follow: Figure 2.3.3

Source: Sloan Management Review PP17-28 When employees are well trained in executing the service and well provided with corporate culture then in turn it will certainly maximize the sales volume with profit Marketing Mix (Services) maximization. Further, it will also develop the customer loyalty, which deems necessary for the sustainability of service indust ry in competition. 2.3.4 Marketing of Services Marketing is a broader concept which includes many d ifferent sub processes to make it a complete subject. Marketing mix is a critica l part of the marketing process as it includes the whole gist of marketing in it . A marketing mix is generally composed of 4 Ps which include product, pricing, p romotion and placement. These four Ps combine together make a complete marketing process (Netmba, 2007). The usefulness of the marketing mix was effective in the early marketing days when physical products were the main offering of the compa nies. However, with the changing customer perceptions and advancements in the co ncepts of marketing, this combination lost its touch as more and more variations in this mix came in. Marketing mix is critical to the success of the marketing process because if there is any misbalance in the mix, then there can be serious issues which may cause the failure of the whole marketing effort. Therefore all four parts are critical and need to be effectively evaluated before deciding on their precise levels and contribution to the whole marketing mix. (Logman & Pau wels, 1998). Product

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 17 Price Place Promotion People Place Physical For the hospitality industry, the marketing mix may work in different ways as th e services often do not find the media vehicles to advertise them effectively. T his is often due to the fact that services because of their perishability do not provide a tangible look which can provide a sensual attraction to the customers . Secondly, the placement or the delivery channels used in the hotel industry ar e limited as services are consumed the same time they are being offered therefor e there arent many delivery channels available in this sector. Also the decision of selecting a channel through which to market your service depends upon differe nt dynamics of profit and cost weighing by the service providers (Coughlan, 1985 ). Therefore, it is vital to determine customers satisfaction with the service of No ra Beach Resort and Spa in order to create the most efficient system for the hot el. 2.4 Hotel Categories A hotel in itself is an institution, which provides temporary fringe facilities. The hotel

services are ranked on the ability of services of restaurant, guest rooms, excel lent amenities, excursion, entertainment and others. 2.4.1 Types of Hotel The price and quality determines the type of hotel. This is indicative the type of services available by the establishment. The hotels are categorised as 1 star to 5 star, which is indicative of their hospitality and facilities available in the premises. 2.5 Nora Beach Resort and Spa 2.5.1 Information of the Hotel The Nora Beach Resort is a luxurious retreat in Thailand, situated in a strategi c place of Koh Samui, the 3rd largest island, which offers its customers a break from the hassles of the real world. The resort enjoys a spectacular hillside se tting, overlooking a secluded bay just north of the world-famous Chaweng Beach. It is located a few minutes from the airport and a short drive from the city cen tre (Nora Beach Resort and Spa, 2007). The profound services of Nora Beach Resor t and Spa are as follow: Bars and Restaurants. Recreation Anodas Spa Rooms However, additional supportive services are as follow:

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 19 Travel and Tours Desk. Taxi/Limousine Service. Swimming pools Laundry and Dry Cl eaning. Gymnasium/Fitness Room. Baby Sitting Facilities. 2.5.2 Type of Customers The type of customers visit Nora Beach Resort and Spa are holiday makers, howeve r the professionals on travel also frequently visit the resort. According to a s tudy by Thailand Tourism Statistics that 87% of tourists are holiday makers at K oh Samui Island; where the Nora Beach Resort is jewel of the attraction for the holiday makers at Koh Samui Islands. These categories of visitors consist of mal e, female and children with age diversity from 13 to 55 years on average. They p refer Nora Beach for the reason that major attractions of Island are nearby the resort. 2.5 Conclusion Since 2003 the holiday makers often visits Thailand famous islands with turn over of 87.81% of the Thailand tourism industry (Tourism Statistics, 2 003). Koh Samuai, Thailand is often visited by holiday makers for the splendid bea ches, whilst the

famous Nora Beach Resort and Spa are happened to be the tourists bustling prefer ence. Since then is that tourists favorite Beach Resort seizing enough the Custom er Satisfaction for the profound services? This will be analysed in the next sec tion of the study. Chapter III: Methodology 3.1 Introduction The research will be intensively based on the collection of primary data and lysis of both primary and secondary data. The major reliance of the research ign is collection of primary data via questionnaire and then preference will given on Thai tourism statistics for Beach resorts in Thailand. The research designed with more ana des be is

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 21 focus on customer satisfaction therefore characteristics of services as being of fered to customers will also be examined that whether these services are exactly being offered according to the perception of the customers or they are variant to the customers needs. Therefore, the questionnaire is rightly designed in consi deration of Seven Ps of marketing mix in-order to understand the quality standar ds of services at the par of customer satisfaction. The type of questions in the questionnaire is consisted of two parts. The part one tries to explore the cust omer satisfaction and perception regarding the service of Nora Beach Resort; how ever the Part two actually examines the customer reach and the personal characte ristics. The part examines the quality of service as being executed at Nora Beac h those are Spa, Rooms, Restaurant, Food Menu, Travel Desk and others. The secon d part examines the service experiences, preferences and awareness regarding the Resort services. At the end, it tries to know the demography, age and sex of th e respondent as such those customers group may be fragmented in-order to underst and the diversity of customers visit Nora Beach Resort. 3.2 Research Framework The researcher has developed the questionnaire in order t o collect quantitative and qualitative data. It will undergo a reliability and v alidity pilot test. The language of the questionnaire is English, since the majo rity of the guests are international. There will be three parts to the questionn aire, which will consist of list questions, rating questions and open questions. The variables of this test will be described using SPSS in order for the resear cher to analyze by quantitative data analysis. For the

qualitative data which supplements the quantitative data, it will be analyzed us ing content analysis. 3.3 Sampling The population will be customers who stay in Nora Beach Resort and Spa; a total of n= 50 customers will complete the survey. The sampling technique needed for the case study will be non- probability sampli ng which are purposive and convenience. 3.4 Data Collection tool The data collec tion tool is the designed questionnaire, which is consisted of twenty three ques tions. The collection will be through questions of open ended and close ended ty pe. These types of questions will try to analyze the customers assessment and exp ectations regarding the facilities and services as provided at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Thailand. 3.4 Data Collection The research will be based on positivism principles with ded uctive approach. Since no evident research has been recorded yet therefore major reliance will be over the primary data collection. The questionnaire developed will be placed in the guest rooms, as well as in the lobby and will be collected by Ms.Napaphon Rattanarak a proctor who was trained according to the guidelines established. Permission was granted by the resort manager to conduct this study following highest ethical standards and principles. 3.6 Data Analysis This stud y expects to provide recommendations on improving service quality for

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 23 Nora Beach Resort and Spa. The study will aim to ascertain the level of customer satisfaction with service quality; to enable the resort to gain a sustainable c ompetitive advantage through customer satisfaction in Koh Samui, Thailand. The a nalysis will examine that what are the products at frontline to the customer bac ked by tangible products? What is the perception of customer regarding the servi ce? Is there customer loyalty with the service? What type of customers i.e. by a ge, profession, purpose and others are interested in availing the service? Thus in a nut shell following attributes will be analyzed of collected data: The qual ity of service The speed of service The Pricing Any Complain. Types of Services Requirements Customers Perception. For this, responses will be evaluated on Five Point scale as shown below: * 1(a) Very dissatisfied *Evaluation Scale An evaluation scale is designed to understa nd the level of customer satisfaction. The scale numbers from 1-5 is actually fr agmentation of five levels of satisfaction. The 2(b) Moderately dissatisfied 3(c ) Neutral 4(d) Moderately satisfied 5(e) Very satisfied

collected data under each level will carefully be calculated in ratio as it is s hown in equation as below: 1+ (a) +. /5 *100; 2+ (b) +. /5*100 etc. An end result w ill show the decree of satisfaction with particular form of service as offered a t Nora Beach Resort. Finally, the collected result under each service category w ill be sum up and will be divided of hundred then mathematical result will show the total ration of customer satisfaction with the services provided. 3.7 Conclusion The study has relied over Likert Technique because in-order to as sess the level of customer satisfaction the best available method was to conduct survey. The respondents were visitors to the resort who availed the hospitality of the establishment. Their responses may be biased or truly reflective of the actual performance of the services as being provided at the resort. However, thi s provides a lot of interesting information regarding the perception of the cust omers. It was found that customers encourage of the new profound services at Res ort, for instance; the resort has newly introduced more spacious and well decora ted rooms, which were at the full satisfaction of the customers. It is significa nt to note here that customers prefer the room services of the resort for the re ason that the location is nearer to islands attractive spots. Contrary, it seems that employees are not as much satisfied. It was found that employees have to ou tback from their homes, which are far away from their duty stations. Thus resort must try to provide transport, housing facilities or special allowances in-orde r to reduce the travel hectic.

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 25 References Buchanan, R. and Gilles, C. (1990) "Value managed relationship: The key to custo mer retention and profitability", European Management Journal, vol 8, no 4, 1990 . Buckinx W., Geert Verstraeten, and Dirk Van den Poel (2007), "Predicting custo mer loyalty using the internal transactional database," Expert Systems with Appl ications, 32 (1). Carrol, P. and Reichheld, F. (1992) "The fallacy of customer r etention", Journal of Retail Banking, vol 13, no 4, 1992. Coughlan, A.T. (1985), Competition and cooperation in marketing channel choice: Theory and application . Marketing Science 4(2), 110-29. Customer Service and Satisfaction. (2007). Cus tomer service and satisfaction. [Online]. Available from URL: http://66.102.9.10 4/search? q=cache:jAe83fvPRXIJ:media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/18/04714595/ 047 1459518.pdf+Definition+of+customer+satisfaction&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3, [accesse d 6 September 2007]. Dutka, A. (1994). AMA handbook for customer satisfaction: A complete guide to research, planning & implementation. Chicago: NTC Business Bo oks. Gronroos, C. (1982). A Service Quality Model and Its Marketing Implication. European Journal of Marketing, 18, 35-42. Logman, M. , & Pauwels, W. (1998). An alysis of marketing mix interaction effects and interdependencies: A normative a pproach. Managerial and Decision Economics 19(6), 343-353. Netmba. (2007). The m arketing mix. Netmba [On-line]. Available from URL: http://www.netmba.com/market ing/mix/, [accessed 6 September 2007]. Nora Beach Resort and Spa. (2007). Nora B each Resort and Spa. [On-line]. Available from URL: http://www.norabeachresort.c om/, [accessed 21 September 2007]. Oliver, R. L. (1996). Satisfaction: A Behavio ral Perspective on The Consumer. New York: McGraw-Hill. Parasuram, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Consu mer Perceptions of Service Quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12-40. Savitt, R. (1986). Time, space and competition- formulations for the development of Mark eting Strategy. Managerial and Decision Economics 7, 11-18.

Service Marketing. (n.d.). Service Marketing. [On-line]. Available from URL: htt p://www.udel.edu/alex/chapt24.html, [accessed 6 September 2007]. Schlesinger, L. and Heskett, J. (1991) "Breaking the cycle of failure in service", Sloan Manage ment Review, spring, 1991, pp. 17-28. Statistics, Thailand Tourism [On-line], 20 03. URL: <http://www.student.chula.ac.th/ %7E46455064/2003.htm> Storbacka, K. St randvik, T. and Gronroos, C. (1994) "Managing customer relationships for profit" , International Journal of Service Industry Management, vol 5, no 5, 1994, pp 21 -28. Verret, C. (2000). Creating a culture of customer service. Hotel online [On -line]. Available from URL: http://www.hotelonline.com/Trends/CarolVerret/Creati ngCulture_Sept2000.html, [accessed 6 September 2007]. Wyckoff, D. D. (1984). New Tools for Achieving Service Quality. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administratio n Quarterly, 25(3), 78-91. Appendices A Questionnaire PART 1 Level of the customer satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 27 and Spa Please state your level of satisfaction with our services and products: 1= Very satisfied 2= Satisfied 3= Neutral 4= Dissatisfied 5= Very dissatisfied 1 . The quality of food and beverage 1o 2. The menu variety 2o 3o 3o 3o 4o 4o 4o 4 o 4o 4o 4o 4o 4o 4o 4o 4o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 5o 1o 2o 3. The promptness of service 1o 2o 4. The value for price paid 1o 2o 3o 5. Decor and ambience of the hotel 1o 6. Cleanliness 1o 7. Condition of room 2o 2o 3o 3o 3o 3o 3o 3o 3o 1o 2o 8. Housekeeping services 1o 2o 9. Resorts public areas 1o 2o 10. Spa and f itness facilities 1o 11. Business centre 1o 12. Check in process 2o 2o 1o 2o 3o 13. Overall satisfaction with the quality of service 1o 2o 3o 4o 14. Overall satisfaction with the quality of accommodation 1o 2o 3o 4o 5o 15. The image and message conveyed though communication (Brochure s, advertising, website etc.) 1o 2o 3o 4o 5o PART 2: General Please tick three mo st important reasons why you selected Nora Beach Resort and Spa 1. How did you f ind us?

o Advertisement ( Magazine, Newspaper) o Tradeshows o Internet( Website, Google, Yahoo ) o Travel Agency 2. Why did you choose to stay at the Nora Beach Resort? o Room rate o Location o Amenities and facilities o Special package 3. Have you previously used our services? o Yes o No PART 3 Demographics 1. Gender : Male Female o o 2. Age: Under 20 20 -35 36-60 61 and older o o o o 3. Occupation : Student Employed Self-employed Unemployed Pensioner o o o o o 4. Purpose of visit: Business o

Customers Satisfaction with service at Nora Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui 29 Leisure Convention o o Other (Specify________________)