THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, CUSTOMER’S TRUST AND BRAND LOYALTY AMONG CUSTOMERS OF SMART HOTEL CHAINS IN CHINA’S FIRST -TIER CITIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/ytrp7750Keywords:
Customer experience, Trust, Brand loyalty, Smart hotels, China, Hospitality management.Abstract
Amongst first-tier city dwellers in China, this research looked at smart hotel chain consumers to see how confidence, commitment to a brand, and customer experience relate to one another. Researchers set out to answer the question, " To what extent does longevity in the hotel industry depend on advances in technology, professional excellence, and customers impressions" in the context of a cutthroat industry. The evidence was gathered using a mixed-method technique, with 1,200 participants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen receiving organised surveys. The poll asked participants to rate several aspects of the experience they received on a five-point Likert scale and collected demographics data. Consumers placed significant importance on the ease, customisation, and effectiveness provided by sophisticated innovations such as machine learning, smart phones, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, according to the results. Results showed that trust ratings became much higher after favourable consumer experiences, which subsequently effect made customers more loyal to the company. Because consumers generally inclined to stick with hotel companies, they believed to be trustworthy, secure, and open about how companies used technology, trust has been identified as a key intermediary in this relationship. While smart technology did increase organisational in operations and client fulfilment, the research also showed that individual engagement and excellent excellence were still very important in creating lasting impressions. Based on those conclusions, it seems that advancements in technology lack the primary factors influencing loyalty among consumers in smart hotels; attachments and culturally sensitivities also play a role. Hotel proprietors in China's smart hotel business must strike a balance between technological innovations and personalised hotel initiatives if they want to remain relevant in the long run, according to the analysis's conceptual and pragmatic conclusions.
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