Elevating Customer Experience using Interaction Management Approach in the Indian Hospitality Industry

Abstract

Customer experience has been a central component in hospitality management literature since it is pivotal to the success of the service industry. Customer experience facilitates service providers with an effective tool for competitive advantage, differentiation, and generating valuable customer relationships. Based on the customer experience concept and its demonstrated relevance, the study investigates the customer experience dimensions: physical interaction, human interaction, and digital interaction. The moderating role that hotel image has in the relationship between customer experience and brand loyalty is also explored in this study, along with the impact of customer experience and its aspects on brand loyalty. 360 customers/guests were surveyed via both online and offline questionnaires as part of this study using a purposive sampling technique. Using structural equation modelling, the proposed relationships were tested, which suggests that the dimensions of customer experience influence brand loyalty. The main dimension impacting brand loyalty is the human interaction dimension, followed by physical and digital interaction. These results contribute handsomely to experiential marketing literature by adding new insights into the existing body of knowledge and also building a further understanding of the customer experience management concept that assists in managerial decision-making. By emphasising their customers’ experiences, this study adds to the knowledge already known about the interaction management approach in the hospitality sector. It makes suggestions for how to consider it when increasing brand loyalty. This study will be immensely useful for marketing practitioners and provide avenues for further research.

Keywords: Customer Experience, Physical Interaction, Human Interaction, Digital Interaction, Hotel Image, Brand Loyalty, Luxury Hotels

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