Vincent P. Magnini

Modern consumers are being bombarded with in-formation from every angle. They can’t handle it and, consequently, tune out large portions of the information. Consumers, therefore, often enter service transactions with predetermined men-tal scripts regarding how they predict the trans-actions will transpire and are not paying close attention. In order to gain their full attention, firms must find ways to surprise consumers dur-ing transactions; that is, firms must spawn mental script deviations for them. Research indicates that these script deviations can cement consumer loyalty. This book details how to create a surprise culture in a service firm. Because a consumer can only be “surprised” by a given tactic one time and surprise ideas can be copied by competitors, a firm with a culture that generates and implements a constant stream of surprise tactics is one that has the higher edge in achieving success in the modern envi-ronment of information overload.

The Secret to Customer Loyalty in the Service Sector

Surprise!

Maya Ivanova

Stanislav Ivanov

Understanding the global hotel business is not possible without paying specific attention to hotel chain management and dynamics. Chains are big business, approximately 80 percent of hotels currently being constructed around the world are chain affiliated and, in 2014, the five largest brands held over a one million rooms. The high economic importance of the hotel chains and their global presence justifies the academic research in the field however, despite this, there is no uniform coverage in the current body of literature. This Handbook aids in filling the gap by exploring and critically evaluates the debates, issues and controversies of all aspects of hotel chains from their nature, fundamentals of existence and operation, expansion, strategic and operational aspects of their activities and geographical presence. It brings together leading specialists from range of disciplinary backgrounds and regions to provide state-of-the-art theoretical reflection and empirical research on current issues and future debates. Each of the five inter-related section explores and evaluates issues that are of extreme importance to hotel chain management, focusing on theoretical issues, the expansion of hotel chains, strategic and operational issues, the view point of the individual affiliated hotel and finally the current and future debates in the theory and practice of hotel chain management arising from globalisation, demographic trends, sustainability, and new technology development. It provides an invaluable resource for all those with an interest in hotel management, hospitality, tourism and business encouraging dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and areas of study. This is essential reading for students, researchers and academics of Hospitality as well as those of Tourism, Marketing, Business and Events Management.

The Routledge Handbook of Hotel Chain Management

Muzaffer Uysal

Kemal Kantarci

This book will be a major resource for all academic researchers and practitioners interested in issues dealing with the development of tourism, its potential and challenges, and policy and regulatory issues in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. These countries are gaining more attention as emerging destinations. There is limited research that focuses on these countries with respect to their potential and characteristics as tourism destinations. This book aims to be an invaluable source for both practitioners and academicians who are in international marketing and tourism. The central Asia region (also termed the Silk Road region) as an emerging destination is ripe for future tourism development. The region is rich with historical, cultural, and natural beauty that could provide significant utility to many potential visitors. This book brings together key writings on this topic in a single resource.

Vincent P. Magnini

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