Retailers’ Perspective on Electronic Reservation Services in Malaysia

Abstract

The study of electronic reservation for hotel services has been carried out with objectives that need to be achieved. The objectives are to identify hotel retailers’ perception towards the electronic reservation service quality provided by them and to provide recommendations and suggestions for retailers that can be used in improving their electronic reservation service. The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires to five hotel retailers, where each hotel is given ten questionnaires. The study is based on 11 dimensions of electronic service quality and 42 electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) features. Both groups of factors are used in assessing retailers’ perception. The study shows that few hotel retailers are ignoring some important dimensions in fulfilling customers’ needs such as support dimension. Hotel retailers also abandoned some minor factors able to attract customers such as incentive which are important for customers. The study also indicates that hotel retailers should take serious consideration on giving incentives to customers as rewards, hence creating loyal customers. Based on suggestions and recommendations given by respondents, hotel retailers should improve the electronic reservation service from all 11 dimensions, and serious action should be taken into consideration on the most popular topic discussed by respondents, which are support dimension and incentive dimension.