Influence of customer experience on loyalty and word-of-mouth in hospitality operations

Customer experience is emerging as a relatively new concept and is regarded as an important determinant for the success of hospitality organizations. However, factors affecting customer experiences and the influence of experiences on consumer behaviour are still unclear. Through a quantitative field research, this paper attempts to determine and exhibit the impacts of customer experiences on customer loyalty and recommendation behaviours in hospitality organizations. To reach this objective, a sample of 350 adult respondents staying in five-star hotels in Istanbul were requested to rate the items related to physical environment and social interactions that are found to be relevant to hotel stay experiences. The results indicate that there is a strong relationship between desired customer behaviours and perceived dimensions of customer experiences.