Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that positive emotional experiences play in the generation of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and the influence both variables have, together with customer satisfaction and brand reputation, on customer loyalty in the context of hospitality services. Design/methodology/approach An online survey has been conducted including customers of an important hotel chain in the holiday up-market segment. The study sample is composed of 878 customers from Germany and the UK. The model has been tested using partial least squares technique. Findings Results indicate that positive emotional experiences have a positive effect on satisfaction, eWOM generation and company reputation. This study identifies the provision of emotional experiences as a powerful generator of positive eWOM in the hospitality context and it states that customer satisfaction, in itself, does not guarantee positive eWOM generation. Practical implications Designing unique, tailor-made, memorable experiences can become a key element to increase loyalty and, particularly, to foster the generation of recommendations, that is positive eWOM, in the hotel industry. Originality/value The study makes a contribution on the antecedents of customer satisfaction, eWOM engagement and loyalty in the specific context of hotel services.
Purpose This study aims to compare the relative importance of service quality (SQ), customer satisfaction (CS) and positive emotional experiences (PEE) to determine which is more influential in customers’ intention to spread positive eWOM. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire that had been translated previously into English, German and Spanish and contained scales from previous studies, as well as a new scale created for electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) (which was tested before fieldwork commenced), was sent through an online survey to all customers who had stayed in a hotel during the previous three months and were selected from the customers’ database of two international hotel chains that operate hotels worldwide, most of which are middle-upper class establishments that specialize in the holiday market. A total of 3,671 valid questionnaires were obtained, and the research model was tested using partial least squares. Findings The findings suggested that, in the context of mid-upscale hotels, SQ is of paramount importance for CS, but by itself, does not guarantee customers’ involvement in generating and spreading positive eWOM. CS, by itself, neither guarantees customer involvement in positive eWOM spreading. However, the provision of services that can generate PEE among hotel guests is a powerful determinant of positive eWOM spreading and also has a very positive effect on CS. Research limitations/implications The results are based on a sample selected from customers of mid-upper-class hotels that cater to the holiday segment, and therefore, apply only to customers who use this category of hotel services. Further research should be conducted on mid-lower-class hotels to determine whether the results obtained in this paper can be generalized throughout the hotel industry. Practical implications This study provides useful insights for hotel marketing managers by identifying a key causal element that fosters consumer creativity and consumer content creation by spreading eWOM. Managerial practices should strive to provide guest experiences that have the ability to increase emotional outcomes. The results have practical implications for product/service development, communication and customer relationship activities, as well as price and revenue management. Specifically, SME hotels could benefit from an increased volume of positive eWOM to increase their competitiveness. Originality/value The antecedents of eWOM have received less attention in research than its effects. Drawing on a large sample of hotel customers, this paper sheds light on the important issue of identifying which factors motivate customers to engage in spreading positive eWOM specifically in the hotel industry. The results also suggested that WOM and eWOM should not be considered strictly equivalent either in their features and effects or in their antecedents.
El objetivo de este trabajo es la revisión de las investigaciones existentes referente a los impactos del electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) dentro del sector de los hoteles. La revisión se centra en los artículos publicados durante los últimos años en revistas académicas especializadas en turismo y de gran relevancia internacional. Como resultado de esta revisión se identificaron los principales impactos generados por el eWOM desde la perspectiva de los consumidores y desde la perspectiva de las empresas. Para los consumidores, los comentarios poseen efectos significativos en la toma de decisiones, al facilitar el acceso y procesado de la información, y en la reducción del riesgo de compra de un producto intangible como el turismo. Para las empresas, puede generar oportunidades y amenazas para su imagen, como también influir en elvolumen de ventas y en la generación de lealtad. Este trabajo pretende clarificar e informar sobre el estado de la cuestión de cara a futuros estudios relacionados con el eWOM y los hoteles
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