The assessment of service quality in Kaunas city hotels by SERVQUAL technique

Actuality of issue: Nowadays hotel business is one of the most important economic branches that gives high income. Currently, hotel customers are very different; from individuals with high positions in the society to those with average earnings. Their wishes and desires are also different. This induces change of hotel equipment, emergence of new hotel types. Service organization that delivers qualitative services wins customer acceptance and loyalty, increases market share, attracts investors, forms and maintains competent employee team, becomes more resistant to price competition. The needs of every customer are individual. Importance of customer binds the service providers over to closely explore all factors and to make the necessary decisions that would enable the customer to accomplish own functions. Object of the work: quality assessment of hotel services. Scientific problem: to deliver the services of appropriate quality, it is important to know the wishes of customer and his/her perceptions of provided service quality. Goal of the work – analyze the quality of services delivered in Kaunas city hotels by SERVQUAL technique. Tasks of the work: 4. Analyze the nature and management of service quality. 5. Explore the models of service quality assessment. 6. Survey the classification of hotels and their services delivered. 7. Assess the service quality in Kaunas city hotels. 8. Conclusions: the performed research showed that 3 and 4-star hotels of Kaunas city deliver qualitative services. Though the quality of services did not surpass expectations of the customer, the situation would change if the hotels strived to deliver as qualitative services as possible to customers considering their wishes. It was shown by the difference of hoped-for (expected) and delivered (experienced) service. The least difference between expected and delivered service was 0.3 point. These services were awareness, trust and competency. The maximal difference between expected and delivered service was 0.8 point; it was the criterion of hotel reliability. It is the indicator of areas that should draw the attention of service providers for they could implement the solutions to deliver services better than those expected by customers. Similarly, service quality assessment was statistically significantly varied. It was determined that the higher star-rating of the hotel the higher its service quality