MARKETING PRACTICES AND CONSUMER SATISFACTION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

(A CASE STUDY OF ABIA HOTEL LTD. UMUAHIA)

By

UMEALUGHERE PASCALINE .C.

Presented To

Department of Marketing

ABSTRACT

If management is to maximize customer satisfaction and resulting profits. It must recognize that components of satisfaction are of varying degrees of importance to the consumer. Also it must realize that these same factors huge wide variations in cost although they provide different levels of satisfaction. Consequently, management should adopt a marketing mix policy that will provide satisfaction and at the same time make profit. To do this, management should start by defend the characteristic needs, and want of its market and market segments so it can modify its service mix and communication strategy to serve that market segmentation is important both conceptually and practically because it allows the management to analyse and improve care of discrete part of the total consumer market. This form of market research can be expensive, time consuming and misleading. Though many hotels are already trying to monitor consumer satisfaction by soliciting suggestions and complaints. Management do not often see their hotels as a product but total services do meet the definition of something that satisfies a need for.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page

Approval page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - i

Dedication - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ii

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - - - - - - iii

Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iv

Table of contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - v

CHAPTER ONE

10 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

11 Background of the study - - - - - - - - - 1

12 Statement of the problem - - - - - - - - - 2

13 Purpose of the study - - - - - - - - - - - 4

14 Significant of the study - - - - - - - - - - 4

15 Research question - - - - - - - - - - - 6

16 Operational definition of terms - - - - - - - 7

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review - - - - - - - - - - - 8

21 Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8

22 Review of Related Literature - - - - - - - - 9

23 Summary of literature review - - - - - - - - 40

CHAPTER THREE

Research Methodology - - - - - - - - - - 42

31 Design of the study - - - - - - - - - - - 42

32 Area of the study - - - - - - - - - - - 42

33 Population of the study - - - - - - - - - - 42

34 Instrument for data collection - - - - - - - - 43

35 Sample size - - - - - - - - - - - - - 43

36 Validity of the Instrument - - - - - - - - - 43

37 Distribution and retrieval of instruments - - - - 44

38 Method of data collection - - - - - - - - - 44

CHAPTER FOUR

41 Data presentation and Analysis - - - - - - - 45

CHAPTER FIVE

Summary, conclusion and Recommendation

51 Summary of findings - - - - - - - - - - 56

52 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - 59

5 3 Recommendation - - - - - - - - - - - 60

54 Limitations of the study - - - - - - - - - 61

55 Suggestions for further research - - - - - - - 61

References - - - - - - - - - - - - - 62

Appendix A - - - - - - - - - - - - - 64

Questionnaires - - - - - - - - - - - - 65

CHAPTER ONE

10 INTRODUCTION

11 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

The hotel industry is regarded as a service industry whose product cannot be separated from it, in space or time it provides intangible services as stated by George (1986) much credit is given to the article to PATHMELL, which he gave a good description of the difference between goods and services and went further to distinguish the marketing characteristics of services In recent time, there has been difficulty in hotel, motel, Guest House, inns, clubs etc due to this factor It has become difficult to distinguish between the provision of separated demand for meals and refreshments away from home for the demand of drinks in relation with overnight shelter

This study however intend to use the hotel as a concept which aim to satisfy the demand for accommodation, food, drinks, and a spot for relaxation away from home To make it more explicit, GRACE and PAIGE (2003) use the hotel management which defines it as an establishment offering food and drinks and sleeping accommodation if so required to any travel who appears to be able and willing to pay for service and facilities provided Like all industries an effective marketing system is necessary for the achievement of the primary goals of the industry which is profit marketing orientation through consumer satisfaction

12 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Marketing hotel services are those services which must attempt other profit oriented business simultaneously, the interest of several group of the public (customers, share holders, employers) so is the total industry, whatever the market environment is, the management is faced with balancing the level of marketing effort directed to achieving customer satisfaction and corporate profitability To some, "|Hotel" have came to be regarded not as autonomous institution but rather as a complex organ within the business activities It is influenced by both social and technological changes with in its environment This dynamic nature of society and technology call for the development of the right strategy to satisfy its market The hotel functions as an organization of its success which lies in the philosophy of the marketing concept

Drucker (1995) expressed it this way "that nobody pays for the products" what is paid for is satisfaction On the other hand, ditcher (1992) puts it in another form that most purchase or actions are made less because of the satisfaction promised to the consumer ego In Nigeria, there are different grades of hotels (international, medium, local, and others) they all practice one form of marketing function or the other to meet their objectives it is assumed that the size affects the level of marketing practice and level of satisfaction in the hotels This study therefore hopes to dig this out

13 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

1 This study intends to investigate marketing practices and consumer satisfaction in the hotel industry (A case study of Abia Hotel Ltd Umuahia)

2 To develop a broad vision about Hotel industry business

3 To acquire the necessary managerial stills require running the hotel industry

4 To develop and strengthen the hotel industry

14 SIGINIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

For any hotel industry, the consequences, marketing practices and consumer satisfaction attract are extremely important By discovering the attitude of workers on factors related to the consumer satisfaction, hotel industry will know that there is high or low consumer satisfaction and they find out the factors, affecting the industry An industry can then correct bad situation where necessary on the other hand, there is high satisfaction and the industry will make attempts to keep or even increases the consumer satisfaction at that level

Moreover, if the level of consumer satisfaction affects their performance, it will benefit the hotel but if they can equip available workers these factors that affects consumer satisfaction will hereby make them improve in sales volume of hotel industry In Nigeria, it hotel workers are provided, all they need is to make them satisfied There will be industrial peace, whereby there will be less strikes and industrial action These that will benefit from this study are:-

a) Politicians

b) Travelers

c) Business men

a) Politicians: They usually have their meetings and conference in the hotel, and sometimes lodge their for security reasons

b) Travelers: Many travelers lodge in the hotel because they may arrive lath in the night at the park and they need shelter, they will lodge at the hotel

c) Business men: Some of these business sometimes do their business at the hotel or meet their business partners at the hotel for security reasons

15 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1 How effective is the organization achieving the great influence in the environment?

2 Is marketing hotels services simple like any other profit oriented business?

3 Is there any difference in satisfaction between young and old people as four as hotel services are concerned?

16 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Hotel industry: The hotel is regarded as a services industry whose product cannot be separated from it in space or time marketing: This is regarded as a social process by which individuals and group obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of values with other (Kolter, Philip, 2008) Consumer satisfaction: consumer satisfaction refers to the meeting of the needs physiological, cultural, economic of the consumer