Assessment of the level of customer satisfaction with in-room technological facilities for branded hotels: A case of Best western Plus Addis Ababa

Abstract

Customer satisfaction is one of the most important factor in hospitality industry to keep the business surviving and gain a competitive advantage over the rivals in the industry. Branded hotels all over the world are known in providing the latest technological amenities which based on their brand standard to increase the customer satisfaction level. It is recommended that the hospitality industry owners to know the level of their customers’ satisfaction in order to fix their mistakes/gaps and to keep their strongest part and gain competitive advantage. This thesis measures the level of customer satisfaction based on available in room technological amenities. The researcher explores different related literatures and previous studies in order to gain a better understanding on the technologies and customer satisfaction. Identified technologies are the new weapons in securing customers satisfaction which has direct relation to customer loyalty. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative approach. The qualitative approach is more focused on arranged interviews with the hotel General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing on the existing technologies and future plans of the property. The quantitative approach uses arranged questionnaires for 193 hotel customers to rate the importance and satisfaction level for selected 15 technological equipment available in Best western plus Addis Ababa Hotel. The result of the study shows that wireless internet access (Wi-Fi) and Satellite TV are the two most important and satisfactory amenities available for all kinds of customers and customers with different purposes of stay at the hotel. It also had a result that the Hotel management needs to consider updating or changing the room amenities of Telephone, Digital Air-condition and Cable internet, while those equipments are important for the customers but not on satisfactory level. The result revealed that majority of the customers of the hotel are business travelers and wireless internet is the most important one from all 15 amenities for this kinds of travelers.