African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (May 2019)
Influence of Service Quality on Brand Image and Repeat Patronage in Hospitality Industry: A Content Analysis.
Abstract
The present study explores the relationship between service quality constructs, brand image and guest repeat patronage in the hospitality industry. The current research was qualitative in nature, and therefore the method of content analysis was adopted to review the related literature and simultaneously to analyze the influence of service quality, and also the brand image on repeat patronage in the hospitality industry. It suggested that there was sufficient literature supporting the relationship between service quality dimensions of hotels, guest satisfaction, brand image and repeat patronage. The service quality dimensions and satisfaction are directly related to each other as it has been seen that good quality enhances guest satisfaction at the same time. The advent of innovation in service quality of hotels makes them more able to satisfy the guests. The literature depicts that more satisfaction/delight among guests increases their loyalty towards the particular hotel. Guests when feeling satisfied with the hotel, remain loyal patrons, and this affects their purchasing behavior. Moreover, it has been articulated that guest loyalty and service quality are significantly related to the brand image of a hotel. The loyalty among the guests increases their perception towards the hotel brand image. The guests’ satisfaction must be the primary objective of the hotels' service encounters. The hotels have to create a better image in the minds of the guests by increasing their comfort levels to increase repeat patronage. This will help the hotels to flourish by increasing their profitability and overall positive impacts on the economy as well. The study recommends that future research should empirically test the relationship between the constructs of service quality and repeat patronage.
