Exploring aspects of service in the Maltese hospitality industry : focusing on the personal interaction between frontline staff and customers

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the quality and level of delivery of service in the hospitality industry of our country. Its aims to explore a number of related aspects such as the employees‘ knowledge on service delivery and emotional labour, taking into consideration any misconceptions and perceptions, the quality of customer / employee interaction and relationship, the type of training employees are subjected to, the service organisation and the type of service culture it promotes amongst its dependents, and the customers perception of service and the service providers. Methods: The study applies quantitative research methods to obtain a wider perception of participants. It was carried out among the employees of 14 different types of hotels and up market restaurants. The targeted employees were selected from different departments to incorporate both frontline staff and other staff that support them. A detailed questionnaire was designed and distributed amongst the employees. Some of the hotels granted permission to the researcher to be on the premises to be able to assist participant should the necessity arises. All questions where assessed through the SPSS software. Results: In general the study revealed that the majority of respondents fully comprehend a number of essential issues related to service and what it entails. In fact, the results suggest that most of the respondents are aware of the fact that work in this industry involves emotional labour. Results also indicate most of the respondents‘ ability to employ the proper behaviour with the right attitudes and skills to ensure that quality service is attained. The results also confirm a prevalent opinion shared by many employees in this sector who are not keen on some of their working conditions, namely working shifts and long hours. Furthermore, a limitation was noted in relation to two particular questions associated with the respondents‘ knowledge of the quality of service delivered locally and the type of training given. The researcher does not rule out the possibility that some of the respondents may have opted to forward a socially desired preference. Conclusion: Holistically, the generated results of this study prove to be encouraging, in part confirming some of the industry‘s perceptions and in part revealing other unexpected indications. It would be fair to state that this research confirms the reality of a number of aspects pertaining to the local hospitality servicescape, and the employees‘ experience. Therefore, it seems to validates a number of perceptions which are prevalent within the industry.