Does your staff deliver the highest quality service possible?

Customers today expect a very high overall level of service in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Competition in these fields will thus be driven by strategies focusing on quality of service to add value, as opposed to product or price differentiation.

Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure highlights concepts and strategies that will improve the delivery of hospitality services, and provides clear and simple explanations of theoretical concepts as well as their practical applications! Practitioners and educators alike will find this book to be invaluable in their businesses and in preparing students for the business world.

This essential book provides you with clear, comprehensive explanations of theoretical concepts and methods that will give you the competitive edge in this fast-changing field. Topics covered include:

• services management
• marketing
• operations management
• human resources management
• service quality management

Service Quality Management in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure brings together an array of pertinent materials that will measure and enhance customer satisfaction and help you provide superior hospitality services, and groups them in easy-to-use clusters for quick reference.

About the Editors
Contributors
Preface
Chapter 1. Concepts of Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Services
Introduction
What Are Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure?
What Are Products, Goods, and Services?
What Are Tourism Products and Services?
Chapter 2. Unique Characteristics of Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Services
How Are Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Services Different from Physical Goods?
Conclusion
Chapter 3. Service Quality Concepts and Dimensions Pertinent to Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Services
Perceptions of Service Quality
Dimensions of Service Quality
Objectives of Service
Continuum of Service
Total Service Commitment
Summary
Chapter 4. The Impact of People, Process, and Physical Evidence on Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Service Quality
Introduction
People
Processes
Physical Evidence
Conclusion
Chapter 5. Understanding the Role of the Service Encounter in Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Services
Introduction
Social Interactions
Service Encounters
Encounter management
Selection
Training
Organizational Culture
Summary
Chapter 6. Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Value: An Examination of Their Relationships
Introduction
Service Quality
Satisfaction
The Service Quality--Satisfaction Relationship
The Value Construct
Conclusion
Chapter 7. Competitive Advantages of Service Quality in Hospitality, Tourism, and Leisure Services
Introduction
Competitive Advantage
Core Competencies
Service Quality As a Competitive Advantage
Matching Service Quality with Strategy
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Chapter 8. Approaches to Enhance Service Quality Orientation in the United Kingdom: The Role of the Public Sector
Introduction
The U.K. Tourism Industry: The Quality Context
Driving Quality Forward in U.K. Public Services
Conclusion: Emergent Issues in Service Quality in the United Kingdom
Chapter 9. Service Quality Monitoring and Feedback Systems
Background
Conceptualizing Service Quality
Measuring Service Quality
Relating Service Quality to Customer Satisfaction, Value, Intention to Return, and Loyalty
Rising Cost of Obtaining Customer Feedback
Toward the Future
Chapter 10. Measuring Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Introduction
Defining Quality in the Context of Service
Determinants of Service Quality
Service Quality and customer Satisfaction
Service Quality and the Hospitality Industry
Measuring Service Quality in the Hospitality Context
Measurement Techniques
Conclusion
Appendix: SERVQUAL Instrument
Chapter 11. Managing Service Failure Through Recovery
Introduction
Facet Analysis
Causes of Service Failure
Sources of Service Failure
Contextual Facets of Service Failure
Personal Factors of Service Failure
Processes
Response
Consequences
An Illustrative Model of the Service Breakdown and Recovery Process
Future Research
Conclusion
Chapter 12. Empowering Service Personnel to Deliver Quality Service
Need for Motivation and Empowerment
Motivation
Empowerment
Bringing together Motivation and Empowerment
Conclusion
Chapter 13. Service Guarantee: An Organization's Blueprint for Assisting the Delivery of Superior Service
Introduction
Service Promise
Gaining Customer Trust
Blueprint for Superior Service
Elements of an Effective Service Guarantee
Implications
Employee Participation and Empowerment
Pitfalls Associated with Service Guarantees
Service Guarantees in the Fast-Food Sector
Service Guarantees in the Hotel Sector
Service Guarantees in the Travel Sector
Conclusion
Chapter 14. managing and Marketing Internal and External Relationships
Introduction
Relationship Marketing
Relationship with Suppliers and Intermediaries
Relationship Marketing and Service Quality
Additional Guidelines for Managing and Marketing Key Relationships
Conclusion Chapter 15. Cross-Cultural Issues in Service Quality
Introduction
The Convergence and Divergence Debate
Standardization and Adaptation
Previous Research in Service Quality in the Cross-Cultural Context
Major Methodological Issues
Conclusion
Chapter 16. Technology and Its Impact on Service Quality
Introduction
Lodging and Information Technology: An Overview
Technology and Service Quality
Conclusion
Chapter 17. Delivering on Service: What Are the Questions and Challenges for Tomorrow's �Virtual University�?
Change Factors: How Can Information Needs and External Change Be Assessed?
Enablers: How Are Strategy, Structure, and Performance Related?
Impacts: How Can Learning Be Linked to Interpreting and Responding to Customer Needs?
From Impacts to Outcomes: The Virtual University--Tomorrow's Learning Organization?
The Corporate Virtual University: A Global Design for Localized, Accredited Learning
Index
Reference Notes Included