Chapter 1 Introduction to Total Quality Management in Hospitality

What is Quality Management?

Quality management is the act of overseeing different activities and tasks within an organization to ensure that
products and services offered, as well as the means used to provide them are consistent. It helps to achieve and
maintain a desired level of quality within the organization.

Four key components of Quality Management

Quality Planning - The process of identifying the quality standards and goals relevant to the project
and deciding how to meet them.
Quality Control – Ensure that your planning meet your goals free from defects and complain.
Quality Assurance- The systematic or planned actions necessary to offer sufficient reliability so that a particular
service or product will meet the specified requirements.
Quality Improvement – reviewing findings and evaluation

Total quality management (TQM) is the continual process of detecting and reducing or eliminating errors in
manufacturing, streamlining supply chain management, improving the customer experience, and ensuring that
employees are up to speed with training.

PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF TQM

TQM can be summarized as a management system for a customer-focused organization that involves all employees
in continual improvement. It uses strategy Data, and effective communications to integrate the quality discipline into
the culture and activities of the organization.

8 principles of total quality management:

1. Customer-focused: The customer ultimately determines the level of quality. No matter what an organization
does to foster quality improvement-training employees, integrating quality into the design process, or upgrading
computers or software-the customer determines whether the efforts were worthwhile.
2. Total employee involvement: All employees participate in working toward common goals. Total employee
commitment can only be obtained after fear has been driven from the workplace, when empowerment has occurred,
and when management has provided the proper environment.
3. Process-centered: A fundamental part of TQM is a focus on process thinking. A process is a series of steps that
take inputs from suppliers (internal or external) and transforms them into outputs that are delivered to customers
(internal or external).
4. Integrated system: Although an organization may consist of many different functional specialties often organized
into vertically structured departments, it is the horizontal processes interconnecting these functions that are the
focus of TQM.
5. Strategic and systematic approach: A critical part of the management of quality is the strategic and systematic
approach to achieving an organization's vision, mission, and goals. This process, called strategic planning or
strategic management, includes the formulation of a strategic plan that integrates quality as a core component.
6. Continual improvement: A large aspect of TQM is continual process improvement. Continual improvement
drives an organization to be both analytical and creative in finding ways to become more competitive and more
effective at meeting stakeholder expectations.
7. Fact-based decision making: In order to know how well an organization is performing, data on performance
measures are necessary. TQM requires that an organization continually collect and analyse data in order to improve
decision making accuracy, achieve consensus, and allow prediction based on past history.
8. Communications: During times of organizational change, as well as part of day-to-day operation, effective
communications plays a large part in maintaining morale and in motivating employees at all levels. Communications
involve strategies, method, and timeliness.

Chapter 2 – Significance of Service Quality in Tourism Industry

What is Service Quality Management?
The process of managing the quality of services delivered to a customer according to expectations is called Service
Quality Management. It basically assesses how well a service has been given, so as to improve its quality in the
future, identify problems and corrections to increase customer satisfaction. Service quality management
encompasses the monitoring and maintenance of the varied services that are offered to customers by an
organization
The next section elaborates more in the ways can be used to measure the quality in the hospitality industries as a
critical performance indicator to increase customer satisfaction and consequently higher customer retention.

MEASURING QUALITY IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

People have been arguing that performance is difficult to measure in the service industry. This is due to the fact that
people are not aware that service is also a product, the most famous models that measure quality service in the
hospitality industry are the following:
The Five Gap Model.
Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry's Gap Model of Service Quality is a helpful instrument to define the objectives of
quality management. The Gap Model of Service Quality (also known as the Customer Service Gap Model or the
Five Gap Model) is a framework which can help us to understand customer satisfaction. The model shows the five
major satisfaction gaps that organizations must address when seeking to meet Customer expectations. It is
essentially focuses on customer (customer-oriented) and it helps to clarify the co-service process. The five gaps that
organizations should measure manage and minimize:

Gap 1 is the distance between what customers expect and what managers think they expect
Gap 2 is between management perception and the actual specification of the customer experience - Managers need
to make sure the organization is defining the level of service they believe is needed.
Gap 3 is from the experience specification to the delivery of the experience – Managers need to audit the customer
experience that their organization currently delivers in order to make sure it lives up to the spec.
Gap 4 is the gap between the delivery of the customer experience and what is . Communicated to customers - All too
often organizations exaggerate what will be provided to customers, or discuss the best case rather than the likely
case, raising customer expectations and harming customer perceptions.
Gap 5 is the gap between a customer's perception of the experience and the customer's expectation of the service -
Customers' expectations have been shaped by word of mouth, their personal needs and their own past experiences.

Each gap in the customer experience can be closed through diligent attention from management. Survey software
can be key to assisting management with this crucial task. Service quality is usually expressed as a function of
customers' expectations of through service to be provided (based upon their previous experience, the organizations
image, the price of the service for example) compared with their perceptions of the actual service experience.
Perceptions are defined as the consumer's judgment of the service organization's performance.

Chapter 3 The Concept of Service Quality

Service quality is a major issue because it is the result of a judgmental value that involves both the expectations as
well as the perceptions of the customers. Service quality is defined as the consumer's overall impression of the
relative inferiority/superiority of the organzation and its services" (Bitner & Hubbet, 1994). According to Parasuraman
et al.. 1988 defined perceived service quality as "global judgment or attitude relating to the superiority of the service
The superiority of the service is Confirmed by what the service delivers which is the outcome and is evaluated after
the performance, and how the service is delivered which is the process and is evaluated during delivery. It can be
said that quality is the ability of the

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Customer satisfaction is the internal feelings of every individual which may be satisfaction or dissatisfaction resulting
from the assessment of services provided to an individual in context to customer's anticipation by an organization
Hotels are continuously trying to improve the service just to satisfy their customer because higher customer
satisfaction will leads towards customer loyalty. The most important concept of customer satisfaction is accepted all
around the world is the expectancy disconfirmation theory. This theory was presented by Oliver, he said that
satisfaction stage is the resultant of the distinction between anticipated and supposed performance. Satisfaction will
be encouraging when the actual level of services or products is better than the anticipated (positive disconfirmation),
whereas (negative disconfirmation) when the product or services level is lower than expected.

IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE QUALITY & CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Customer Loyalty: Happy customers are loyal customers. Not only is it important for you to provide stellar service,
but awesome products as well. Make it a point to be on the fast track for keeping up with trends that your customers
may follow such as building personal assistance services for traveling customers or making special concessions for
avid repeat consumers.
Happier Environment: The physical perception imparted by your hospitality business is important in achieving
customer satisfaction. Your restaurant or hotel need not spend lots of money to create an amicable environment.
Over-the-top interior design can be perceived as either cold and off-putting, genial and inviting or somewhere in
between
Increased Security: When customers are paying to be served, they expect to be able to relax and enjoy
themselves without worrying about security. A secure environment means having plenty of friendly employees
visible to guests from the moment of arrival to departure.
Better Value: Your guests need to believe they are receiving an excellent value for their money. Value can be
inexpensively included in their visit in the form of discounts, free candy or snacks, bottled water at no charge, gift
cards and the like. Guests generally don’t expect these perks so they can build repeat business a sure sign of
customer satisfaction!
 ATTRIBUTES / DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE QUALITY
Service providers want to know what customers (internal or external) care about. Service quality is a good guess.
Price, and to a minor degree product quality, also count.There are 5 dimensions that customers use to evaluate the
service quality. These dimensions While this may seem intuitive, when expectations are met, the quality of service is
perceived as satisfactory; when expectations are not met, service quality is determined to be unacceptable. These
five dimensions are used primarily in surveys to determine how a company is perceived by its' customers and
provides insight on where the company may need to make adjustments to fulfil the expectations of customers. The
following are the main aspects of service quality in the hotel industry and five dimensions that were developed by
Parasuranam et al., (1988): are generally used to establish levels of customer satisfaction; comparing their
perception of the service they received with their expectations.

1.Tangibles - the physical facilities, equipment and employees' appearance. According to Brink and Berndt, this
dimension refers to the facilities, equipment and material which must reflect positively on the organization.
Presentation is fundamental to achievement. Everything about the hotel property will be assessed through photos
and reviews before a visitor even chooses to purchase a room. Equipment plays a vital role on service quality,
hotels should be in a position where its equipment be it in the rooms, casino or restaurant is elegant, user friendly
and in alliance with new technology. The same applies to the employees. They should look proficient and
presentable on the grounds that they are an indispensable part of the property
2. Responsiveness - the willingness to help and respond to customer need. Organisations ought to be receptive to
the moving or shifting needs of their clients and giving courses and preparing programs that are important to the
business. Responsiveness is the willingness to assist customers and to provide prompt service on a continuous
basis.
3. Reliability - the ability to perform service dependably and accurately. Some organizations tend to oversell their
services, prompting them to fabulous' guarantees that distort their genuine potential. The organizations must provide
the client with the precise service it suggests through advertising and it must convey what is guaranteed in a
particular time period set out within the specified time frame.
4. Assurance - the ability of employees to inspire confidence and trust. Judgement of high or low service quality
largely depends on how the customers perceive the actual performance based on their expectations assurance is
connected to Customer service and that terrible service offered to clients bring about disappointment or
dissatisfaction
5. Empathy - the extent to which caring individualized service is given consideration and compassion given to each
client challenge for organizations to surpass client desires and request. For example deficiencies of employees at
the hotel and the requirement for best service and Occasion facilitating have seen an expansion in sizes, extending
the stuff-customer proportion. This expanded proportion has implications on the level of individual.

Pattern of Quality of Hotel Services Assessment

Quality Detailed Criteria in Individual Quality Dimensions
Dimensions
Tangibility 1. Excellent hotel companies will have modern looking equipment
2. The physical facilities at excellent hotel will be visually appealing
3. Employees at excellent hotel will be neat in their appearance.
4. Materials associated with the service (pamphlets or statements) will be visually appealing
at an excellent hotel.
Responsiveness 5. Employees of excellent hotel will tell customers exactly when services will be performed.
6. Employees of excellent hotel will give prompt service to Customers.
7. Employees of excellent hotel will always be willing to help the Customers.
8. Employees of excellent hotel will never be too busy to responds to customers' requests.
Reliability 9. When excellent hotel promises to do something by a certain time, they do.
10. When a customer has a problem, excellent hotel will show a sincere interest in solving it.
11. Excellent hotel will perform the service right the first time.
12. Excellent hotel will provide the service at the time they promise to do so.
13. Excellent hotel will insist on error-free records.
Assurance 14. The behaviour of employees in excellent hotel will instil confidence in customers.
15. Customers of excellent hotel will feel safe.
16. Employees of excellent hotel will be consistently courteous with customers.
17. Employees of excellent hotel will have the knowledge to answer customer's questions.
Empathy 18. Excellent hotel will give customers individual attention
19. Excellent hotel will be opened to Customers 24 hours.
20, Excellent hotel will have employees Who give customers personal service.
21. Excellent hotel will have their customers' best interest at heart.
22. The employees of excellent hotel will understand the Specific needs of their customers.

OBJECTIVES IN HOSPITALITY PERFORMANCE

The hospitality industry consists of a range of service providers that includes bars, restaurants and lodging
establishments. A wide spectrum exists within these categories. The restaurant category alone runs the gamut from
fast food to fine dining, and the lodging category includes economy motels, casino hotels and resorts. Performance
objectives for hospitality providers are interrelated and, to some extent, dependent upon one another.
1. Customer Service- Excellent service is one of the hospitality industry's primary objectives. Hotel visitors rely on
hospitality staff for many of their travel needs. Hotel staff comes through in a pinch when a traveller forgets to pack
his toothbrush or seeks a recommendation for a local hotel.
2. Product Quality- Customers love good service, but the hospitality industry must also provide quality, products to
satisfy customers. Goals based on this important objective vary from restaurant to restaurant and from hotel to hotel.
Patrons of a restaurant demand fresh, delicious food to Customers also desire consistency.
3. Volume- Another primary objective of the hospitality industry is customer volume. A restaurant
Owner wants to see 100% of her tables filled during any given service period. Empty tables mean fewer orders, and
without sufficient table traffic, restaurant staff may have to throw away perishable food items at the end of a shift. In
the hotel business, 100% room occupancy is a primary objective.
4. Ratings- Publicly available ratings can reflect the success of a hospitality-based company in meeting its
performance objectives. There are well-known trade-specific rating guides in both the restaurant and hotel
industries, and managers strive for recognition in them

Chapter 4- Managing Service Staff

QUALITY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Quality customer service is an experience of feeling valued or heard. Sometimes it's an intangible component of
why a guest may prefer one tourism or hospitality provider over another. There is something about quality customer
service that you often can't put your finger on - but you know it's there. And it's a critical factor for tourism success,
both as a means of satisfying ever-increasing customer expectations, and as a way to achieve business profitability.
Top reasons why you need to prioritize guest satisfaction at your hotel .
The guest experience at your property is going to resonate far beyond the duration of their stay. Here are a
few reasons why you should make your guest satisfaction ratings a top priority:

Your guests can be your most powerful marketing tool, or your biggest detractors. If your guests have a good
experience, they are going to share that on social media, as well as recommend your property to their friends and
family members. If they have a negative experience, they are going to express their views through online reviews
and go the extra mile to make sure people know about what happened.
Guest satisfaction is a clear indication of your hotel staffs ability to provide the experience that is expected when
they book a stay at your hotel. If your guest satisfaction ratings continue to decline, it's important to figure out what is
causing the problem and how you can address it.
A positive guest experience is one of the best ways to continue to build your brand. Your brand depends on
consumer loyalty, which cannot be achieved without high guest satisfaction ratings.

How you can provide a great experience for your guests?

Recognizing the importance of guest satisfaction, it's important that you actively work to improve the guest
experience at your property. These guidelines will help you provide every single guest who stays at your hotel with
an amazing and memorable experience:

Guideline #1: The guest experience begins long before they arrive
Know that the guest experience begins long before they arrive at your front desk to check in for their stay. You
should create a mobile-friendly website that offers visual appeal and social proof of the experience that they will
enjoy at your hotel. Aim for fast site speeds and incorporate valuable content into every page of the site, while also
adding "Book Now" buttons whenever possible. When a traveller connects with your brand online, they will
immediately develop an opinion of your brand that will impact the ultimate experience that they have at your hotel.
Guideline #2: Respond to guest feedback
Actively solicit and respond to guest feedback. When you accept and promote your online reviews, you are showing
other travellers that you value the opinion of your guests and that you are willing to go the extra mile to deliver
superior customer service. When you send out automated emails with guest satisfaction surveys, you are proving to
your guests that you want more information about their stay and that you strive to exceed expectations at every turn.
Guideline #3: Connect with your guests on a personal level
Connect with your guests on a personal level, This also begins before your guest stay, and learn a little bit more
about them. Custormised booking forms also help you gain arrive at the front desk. You can use social media to
reach out to your guests prior to their insight about the people who will be staying at your hotel.
Guideline #4 : Use guest feedback to make future decisions
Use guest feedback and relevant data to guide future decisions at your property. When you monitor your guest
feedback and respond to it accordingly, it's important that you take note of what improvements you could make in
the future based on those responses. You also can use booking data and marketing data to finalise decisions for
upgrading amenities creating events, designing promotions and more. Not only will this help you make the best
decisions and use your resources wisely, but it will show your past, present and future guests that you genuinely
value their input.

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP |MPROVE HOTEL GUEST EXPERIENCE?

Some elements of guest satisfaction are timeless. Travellers want to stay in a hotel with clean rooms, nice amenities
and delicious food. They want to interact with employees who are friendly and helpful. They want to be located in a
central part of their chosen destination so that they can experience the surrounding area.
However, these factors do not solely determine the outcome of the guest experience. In fact, technology is playing
an increasingly prominent role in the experience of any guest at a hotel. It's important to have booking technology
available that allows your guests to book directly. You can invest in a property management system that includes a
booking engine as well as a channel manager, which will allow you to streamline your administrative tasks, while
actively increasing your direct bookings. It's necessary to have functional and innovative technology that makes your
guests' first experience with your hotel brand a positive one. In addition, you should utilise a website creator tool that
allows you to design an appealing, responsive website that focuses on the user experience but that also can easily
be updated and maintained. Your online presence is necessary to growing your brand and improving guest loyalty,
so you need to use the right technology to create a space for you hotel on the web. Of course, you also should use
technology throughout your hotel to enhance the experience that your guests enjoying during their stays. Wi-Fi
lounges, charging station growing accustomed to having when they stay at a hotel. You need to think beyond
traditional smart room keys and customized mobile apps are a few types of technology that guests are amenities,
and start offering amenities that effectively utilize the latest and greatest.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Defining and measuring organizational culture is important, because a strong organizational culture could potentially
yield sustainable competitive advantages to organizations. However, creating a strong organizational culture is often
challenging due to the ambiguity surrounding this concept. Wherever people live and work together, culture
develops.
Organizational culture refers to the beliefs, values and attitudes that define a company. Like cultures elsewhere,
organizational culture develops spontaneously, whether or not it's nurtured. Since hospitality staff serve people, your
Customers get a taste of what your business is really like every the two interact Managing your hospitality culture,
then is crucial if you strive to make the right impression every time.

✔Hire and Train with Care

Culture is less about policy and more about people, especially in the service-oriented hospitality business. To create
the hospitality culture you want. it's important to define your mission and values. The crucial second step is finding a
people committed to these principles and your concept of a service culture. For example, if you want to run a bed
and breakfast that sets the bar for the service culture in the hotel industry. you should quiz candidates about their
capacity for attention to detail. Once you have employees in place, nurture the positive qualities you're looking for,
being sure to lead by example.
✔Foster Commitment
When you hire people who fit well with your culture, you're more likely to secure a long- term commitment from
them. But there's more you can do to engage people with the mission of your organization. If your company believes
in continuous service improvement, for example, then inspire them by practicing continuous improvement at all
levels of the organization. Invest in developing employee skill sets by sending employees to conferences and
continuing education courses. If you expect employees to deliver a certain experience to Customers, you need to
make that experience a reality throughout the company. Staff members should literally feel the culture you talk
about.
✔ Develop a Story
All cultures have great stories, and your business should have one, too. Writing a history of where your company
came from and where it's going can make your employees feel as if they're part of something important. It can also
help your customers understand where your values come from. Think about why you started your business in the
first place. Maybe you thought that fine dining was too expensive in your city, so you aimed to start a business
offering delicious food without pretentiousness. This easy-going attitude is something your servers can embody, but
they're more likely to personify your vision if they understand the restaurant's origins.
✔Bring Your Story to Life
Managing your culture for success is more about a feeling you create than putting programs in place. Start with your
concept of a service culture. Then brainstorm how to make it real. Your plan may or may not include employee perks
such as free day care and bonuses. Decide what values are most important to you. Then make plans that let your
Employees actually live them.