The Impact of Intangible Components of Service Quality on Guest Satisfaction

Abstract

Background: The intangible components of service quality (reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) play a crucial role in shaping guest's satisfaction in the hotel industry. Although these components, unlike tangible ones, are more difficult to measure, they often determine the overall guest experience and their level of satisfaction. In the context of the Serbian hotel industry, research focusing specially on intangible service quality components remains limited, indicating the need for a deeper understanding of their impact on guest satisfaction.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine and analyze the influence of intangible service quality components, such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy, at the level of guest's satisfaction in hotels in Serbia. The research aims to determine which component has the greatest impact on guest satisfaction.

Study design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed via social media and directly to hotel guests, applying a convenience sampling method. A total of 333 respondents participated in the study. Hypothesis testing was performed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method, using SmartPLS 4 software.

Findings/conclusions: The results indicate that intangible components of service quality play a significant role in shaping guest satisfaction in the hospitality industry. Reliability, responsiveness, and assurance were identified as statistically significant dimensions with a positive effect on guest satisfaction. Although empathy exhibited a positive relationship with guest satisfaction, its effect was not statistically significant, suggesting that guests may be less likely to explicitly recognize the emotional aspects of the service relationship as decisive for their satisfaction.

Limitations/future research: The use of a convenience sampling method limits the generalizability of the findings, as respondents were not randomly selected. Future research should employ probabilistic sampling methods to enhance representativeness and generalizability. Additionally, extending the research to an international context could provide valuable insights into the role of cultural differences in shaping the relationship between intangible service quality components and guest satisfaction.