Managers’ application of user generated content in hospitality service experience enhancement among 3-5-star hotels in Kenya

Abstract

Hospitality service experience (HSE) is a complex phenomenon involving customers' subjectivity making it challenging for managers to manage HSE effectively, yet it is a key concept in hospitality industry, just like services, particularly in luxury hotels. It is, however, believed that the application of user-generated content (UGC) can play a key role in the effective management of the HSEs, as it has taken up the entirety of customers' expectations, perceptions, and evaluations of hospitality services. Ninety percent millennials generate content online which is trusted by fifty percent of customers. Despite this, most literature have focused on customer-centric factors with regard to UGC application negating managerial perspectives on UGC application and their influence on HSE enhancement. The main objective of this study was investigating managers’ application of UGC in HSE enhancement among 3-5-star hotels in Kenya. Specific objectives were assessing the extent of a managers’ application of UGC, assess managers’ perception of HSE, and determining influence of managerial monitoring of UGC and managerial response to UGC on HSE enhancement. Guided by the social impact, service recovery and affect theories, the study adopted a quantitative approach and survey design. The population entailed 441 general, guest relations, and marketing managers from 147 3-5-star hotels in Kenya. Multistage sampling (cluster, proportionate, simple random sampling) was used to select a sample of 252 hotel managers and data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. The first and second objectives were assessed through mean ranking and standard deviation. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyse the third and fourth objectives. The results indicate that hotel managers primarily apply UGC to a large extent by checking the number of unfavourable sentiments (M=4.523) and checking positive content generated by customers about their hotels (M=4.958). In their responses, hotel managers express happiness for a guest's satisfaction and express regrets for dissatisfaction experienced by previous customers (M=5.006). They also show appreciation in their responses, apologize for service gaps and failures, invite customers back to their hotels, and promise future corrections of experienced shortfalls. Moreover, hotel managers consider the following variables as important:feelings (M=5.606), behaviour (M=5.473), judgement (M=5.388), perception of service (M=5.236), and customers' emotions after service (M=5.152). Others include taking responsibility for customer complaints, environmental context, and cultural background of service provision as important. Finally, managerial monitoring and response to UGC significantly influence HSE enhancement by 50.9%. Managerial monitoring and response to UGC influence HSE with β values of 0.221 and 0.216, respectively. The study findings inform hotel managers of how their application of UGC in their hotels will improve the HSE. Most importantly, the study implies that managers should leverage UGC to enhance the HSE, thus boosting competitive advantage, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.