Employee factors and perceived service quality in the Hotel industry in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Customer satisfaction in services involves a customer‘s comparison of expected service quality and perceived service quality. Perceived service quality by the customer is not necessarily the same as the quality of service actually delivered. The growth in importance of service quality has been influenced greatly by the changing nature of the world economies and the customers changing needs, tastes and preferences. The study was guided by two research objectives including: establishing the employee related factors in perceived service quality and determining the effect of the employee related factors on perceived service quality. The study used descriptive research design. The study was carried out in Nairobi because it‘s an academic study and due to limitations of time and other resources. The sample comprised 70 hotels and 140 customers. The study collected primary data using questionnaires. Two sets of questionnaires were used. The collected data was analyzed using measures of central tendency including mean, standard deviation and frequencies. The study conducted a Chi-square test to establish the effect of employee related factors on perceived service quality in Hotels. The data was presented using tables. This study concludes that employee related factors affected perceived service quality in Hotels. The study further concludes that employees‘ motivation aspects like salaries and allowances, personal development initiatives and fringe benefits greatly affect perceived service quality while promotions/demotions only affect perceived service quality to a limited extent. The study recommends that hotels take employee related factors like motivation seriously if they are to deliver high quality services to their customers.