CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY OF

1 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY OF. FRONT OFFICE STAFF AT THE HOTEL. A MASTER S PROJECT. BY. ALIN SRIYAM. Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2010. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY OF. FRONT OFFICE STAFF AT THE HOTEL. A MASTER S PROJECT. BY. ALIN SRIYAM. Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2010. Copyright 2010 by Srinakharinwirot University CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY OF.

2 FRONT OFFICE STAFF AT THE HOTEL. A MASTER S PROJECT. BY. ALIN SRIYAM. Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Business English for International Communication at Srinakharinwirot University May 2010. Alin Sriyam. (2010). Customers SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY of Front Office Staff at the hotel. Master s Project, (Business English for International Communication). Bangkok: Graduate School, Srinakharinwirot University. Project Advisor: Dr. U-maporn Kardkarnklai. Due to the increasing competition of SERVICE business and the high demand of the customers, SERVICE QUALITY is the fundamental factor to measure customers SATISFACTION at the Mercure Hotel Pattaya.

3 The objectives of the study are (1) to assess customers expectation and perception level TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY of front office staff at the hotel, and (2) to analyze the discrepancy between customers expectation and perception level TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY of front office staff at the hotel. Based on the SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1991), the SERVICE QUALITY was consisted of five dimensions: tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. The questionnaire of this study was designed by Parasuraman et al. Sixty respondents, who stayed at the hotel from 1st A 15th September 2009, were randomly selected. The findings of this study showed the highest level of customers expectation was Bassurance (x = ); meanwhile, the highest level of customers perception was Btangibility (x = ).

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7 The master s project advisor, chair of Business English for International Communication and oral defense committee have approved this master s project, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY of front office staff at the hotel, by Ms. Alin Sriyam as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Business English for International Communication of Srinakharinwirot University. Project Advisor . (Dr. U-maporn Kardkarnklai). Chair of Business English for International Communication Program . (Assistant Professor Sirinna Boonyasaquan). Oral Defense Committee Chair (Dr. U-maporn Kardkarnklai). Committee (Dr. Saiwaroon Chumpawan). Committee (Dr. Aurapan Weerawong).

8 This master s project has been approved as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in Business English for International Communication of Srinakharinwirot University. Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (Associate Professor Akkara Buntip). May .., 2010. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. U-maporn Kardkarnklai, my master project advisor for her constructive comments for this study. I am also deeply thankful to Dr. Saiwaroon and Dr. Aurapan, my oral defense committee, for their valuable comments and suggestions. Without all of them, this study would have never succeeded. Finally, I am grateful to my boss and my colleagues for their assistance of useful information.

9 I also thank and my friends for their encouragement. I deeply wish to pay highest tribute to my parents and my sisters for their love, support, encouragement and advice. To them I dedicate this study. Alin Sriyam TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter Page 1 INTRODUCTION. Background .. 1. Objectives of the Study .. 4. Research Questions 4. Significance of the Study .. 4. Scope of the Study . 5. Definition of Terms .. 5. 2 LITERATURE REVIEW. The hotel 6. General information of Mercure Hotel Pattaya . 6. Hotel services .. 6. The roles and qualifications of front office staff .. 7. SERVICE QUALITY .. 10. SERVQUAL approach .. 11. SERVQUAL s dimensions .. 11. Tangibility .. 12. Reliability 12.

10 Responsiveness .. 13. Assurance .. 13. Empathy .. 14. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued). Chapter Page 2 (continued). Customers SATISFACTION . 15. Definitions of Customers SATISFACTION 15. Customers Expectation . 16. Definitions of Customers Expectation 16. Disconfirmation Theory .. 17. Previous Studies 19. 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Subjects 22. Research Instruments . 22. Procedures .. 23. Data Analysis 24. 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Personal Data of the Respondents .. 27. Level of Customers Expectation and Perception TOWARDS SERVICE QUALITY .. 30. Comparing Differences between Customers Expectations and Perception Level . 37. TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued). Chapter Page (continued).