Exploring Customers decision to stay at The Park Hotel in Bradford with a focus on the 4 P's of Marketing Assignment Help UK Sample

Exploring Customers decision to stay at The Park Hotel in Bradford with a focus on the 4 P’s of Marketing Assignment Sample

Introduction - Exploring Customer’s decision to stay at The Park Hotel in Bradford with a focus on the 4 P’s of Marketing

Want the Best Assignment Help in the UK? Look to Native Assignment Help for unparalleled expertise and support. Our dedicated team of professionals goes above and beyond to ensure you receive top-quality assignments that exceed your expectations.

Background

With the increasing competition it has become vital for the industries to focus on offering superior products to the customer. Companies need to pay attention on satisfying the consumers with the goods and services offered by the firm (Blankson et. al. 2018). In this existing research study the researcher would be conducting a study to explore how the customer's decision is being affected by the four P's of marketing. Also the researcher would focus on considering the case of The Park Hotel in Bradford.

• The Park Hotel in Bradford is one of the high quality service offering hotel of UK. The hotel is offering a high-quality, comfortable and budget-friendly environment to their customers. The company is having an effective market image in Bradford and due to this reason majority of the visitors in Bradford prefer to book a stay at The Park Hotel in Bradford. The hotel offers better services and focuses on satisfying the customers.
• The Park Hotel is an outstanding choice for travellers visiting Bradford, alongside many helpful amenities designed to improve your stay.
• The Park Hotel Bradford offers free of charge wireless internet. 
• The Hotel features up to 50 rooms, which are having variety of services to ensure a happy stay.
• Every room at Park Hotel is having the TV, an en-suite bathroom with bath and shower and free toiletries.
• An delicious breakfast is being served by the hotel to all the customers which attracts the customers the most.
• Bradford Forster Square Railway Station and Frizinghall Railway Station are within walking distance of The Park Hotel Bradford. It is also within walking distance of Valley Parade.
• Nearby landmarks such as the Centenary Square (1.2miles) and the Bradford Cathedral (1.3miles) make the Park Hotel a great place to stay when visiting Bradford.
• If you are looking for a diner, consider a visit to La Crepe House, Romeos Diner, or Heavenly Desserts Bradford, which are all conveniently located a short distance from The Park Hotel.
• The medieval Skipton Castle is 30 minutes drive away and Cartwright Hall Museum is a 10 minutes walk from The Park Hotel Bradford. Leeds city centre is on 10 miles away and The Leeds Bradford Airport is only 7 miles away.
• Operating in a customer drive industry is not an easy task. The company needs to focus on offering best high quality service to their customers for satisfying them with the services and hospitality (Lee, 2020).

In this research the researchers would be conducting a research for explaining that what factors are affecting the customer's decision towards the stay in the hotel. This report will help the researcher in analysing the effectiveness of the 4 P's of marketing of the chosen company.

Problem Statement

This research study is based on the concept of customer decision-making and customer behaviour towards the hotel brand. This research would focus on identifying and analysing that what are the different factors which are been considered by the customers of The Park Hotel. The research study will help the company in understanding what are the different factors affecting the demand for their products and services (Rangaswamy et. al. 2020). The research will focus on exploring the sustainable factors which are helping the company in maintaining their position in the industry and gaining a competitive advantage over others. The different attributes which are helping the company to be more productive and offer better customer experience are important to identify as this would help them in retaining and attracting customers in an effective manner (Hummel, 2020).

Research Justification

Understanding the customers is very important for the businesses along with this the different factors affecting customer decision making are crucial for the firm so the company needs to identify them (Stankevich, 2017). For the hospitality firms it is significant to understand the level of satisfaction of their customers with the services offered by the firm. Also, they need to understand the impact of their marketing strategy of the organisation. It can be said that it is important for the researcher to conduct this study to identify the effective strategies and practices of The Park hotel which is helping them in the continuous development and continuous success of the firm. In this study the researcher would be collecting mutually primary and secondary data to support this research. The primary data would make the research more authentic and will help in getting more relevant information related to the company (Dewi and Darma, 2019). For this survey would be conducted with the customers of The Park Hotel. So it can be said that this research study is important for exploring one of the important research topic for hospitality business.

Structure of the Report

In this research study the researchers would be using a systematic structure for creating a high quality research study. The research would have different sections and sub-section. The major sections of the research report would be introduction, review of literature, research methodology, results, data analysis and discussion and the last chapter would be of conclusion and recommendation.

Aim and Objectives of the Research

Aim- The research aims at analysing and recognising what influences the Park Hotel customers to choose the Park Hotel with a focus on the 4 Ps of marketing.

Objectives-

• To analyse the effectiveness of 4P’s of marketing of Park Hotel
• To evaluate the factors affecting customer decisions regarding the stay
• To understand that how the different factors of marketing affects the sales of the company and customer decision-making
• To analyse the marketing strategies of The Park Hotel in terms of providing high-quality service to their customers.
• To assess the quality of food and services presented by The Park Hotel to their customers to maintain their reputation and business performance.

Research Questions

• Exploring customer’s decision to stay at The Park Hotel in Bradford with a focus on the 4 P’s of Marketing.

Literature Review

This section of the report explains the detailed knowledge related to the research study with the help of different literature sources. The researcher had explained the different important topics and sub sections related to the research topic.

Importance of customer satisfaction and customer preferences

The satisfaction level of the customers regarding the different products and services offered to them is having a major impression on the performance of the organisation. Patel (2018) had conducted a research study to explain the importance and benefits of consumer satisfaction. In this research the researcher had explained that if the customers are satisfied then they make a repeat purchase and this is having a helpful effect on the sales or revenue of the firm. Along with this effective customer satisfaction has the potential to add value to the positive publicity of the company. Also the research had explained that better customer satisfaction is helps the firms in creating brand loyalty, brand trust and helps the firm in creating great customer base (De Luca et. al. 2020). The study had suggested that companies should focus on measuring the satisfaction level of their customers for meeting the customer needs and offering better products and services to them.

Rather and Sharma (2017) had conducted a research study for explaining that why customer satisfaction and commitment is important for the hotel sector. In this study researchers had conducted the primary data for collecting high quality data. The study had discussed that hotel industry is a customer driven industry. Due to this reason, the firms operating in hotel industry need to focus on attracting and retaining the customers by offering them satisfying hospitality services. The results of the research had declared that customer satisfaction is having a direct impact on their commitment towards the hotel brand. The research study suggested that the hospitality firms should focus on creating effective relations with their customers by offering those high quality and satisfying services (Oztemel and Gursev, 2020). Also the research had mentioned that hoteliers should pay attention on employing helpful strategies that can help them in managing the firm properly and offering high quality services to their customers. So, it can be said that if the customers would be satisfied then only they will visit again and hence customer satisfaction is significant for the firms.

The customers are having different preferences while making a purchase decision. But the preferences depend on the needs and demands of the customers. Masiero et. al. (2019) had discussed in their study concerning the preferences of the customers regarding the selection of hotels. The study had identified that there are different factors such as nearest point of interest, online rating, reviews, pricing, location and quality of the service offered by the firm are having a customer preference towards the hotel brand (Sao et. al. 2017). Among all these factors pricing and quality of the services offered by the firm are crucial factors. So from this it can be said that the corporation needs to focus on all the aspects which are affecting the customer preferences and customer decision regarding the hotel selection (Golovkova et. al. 2019). Moreover it can be said that the hotel firms should focus on having effective strategies for attracting the customers and allowing them to choose their company over other hotel brands.

4 P’s of marketing & Impact of marketing on consumer behaviour

Marketing is considered as one of the most important factor of the firm which is having an major impression on sales and profitability of the organisation. Ungerman et. al. (2018) had stated in their study about the impact of marketing on the enterprise. The researcher had explained that in the modern and technological advanced business world marketing is been considered as a success factor for the businesses. The company operating in diverse industries needs to pay attention on developing effective marketing strategies. That can help them in drawing and retaining customers. For gaining the competitive advantage over others the businesses needs to focus on marketing innovation that can help them in doing business effectively (Cao et. al. 2018). Also the companies should focus on understanding the customer needs and should offer the products accordingly for targeting the different sections of society in an appropriate manner. Thus, it can be said that marketing strategies are having an major part to play in the performance of the company and their sales as well.

When the companies are focusing on marketing then there are different marketing models which are been used by them. Marketing mix or the 4 P's of marketing is an effective model that is used by the firms for doing effective marketing. This model focuses on four different factors which are important to be considered while doing marketing. The four factors are price, place, promotion and place. The company needs to focus on all these factors in an efficient manner for attracting the customers.

Toma and Gr?dinaru (2018) had conducted a research study for explaining marketing mix in the hotel chain. The researchers had mentioned that hospitality industry being one of the most dynamic industries needs to have effective marketing strategies that can help the firms in influencing the customers. The study suggested that the firms operating in this industry needs to focus on having an effective marketing strategy and should focus on all the four factors of the marketing mix in an appropriate manner (Epuran et. al. 2015). It can be said that the companies needs to use different marketing strategies according to the different factors of the particular place and then should make changes in their marketing mix accordingly.

Chou et. al. (2020) had done a research study in which the researchers had mentioned that marketing is having an impact on customer behaviour. The different marketing strategies and the way the customer reaches to the company is having an effect on the purchasing behaviour of the buyer. In this study researcher had explained that green marketing strategies of the company is creating a positive image among the customers. Also the study suggested that the marketing mix strategies are also affecting the buying behaviour of the customer.

Zoubi and Al-Harazneh (2021) had stated in their research study that the marketing strategies of the firm are having an impact on customer loyalty and behaviour towards the hotels. The study had found that the satisfaction level of the customer and the effectiveness of the social media marketing are the significant factors that are having an impact on purchaser loyalty in case of the five star hotels in Jordan. Both the customers and the managers of hotel had said that the social media marketing is having greater potential to attract the customers and maintain brand loyalty among them (Hill et. al. 2017).

Influence of customer expectations and demand on customer decision making

Customers are highly influenced by the way they receive the services from the companies. The companies needs to pay attention on offering better goods and services which can please the needs and expectations of the clients (Zolkiewski et. al. 2017). If the customer expectations are being fulfilled then it increases the changes of repeat shopping and affects the purchase decisions of the customers. Rahimian et. al. (2020) had stated in their study that the customer experience is having an major role to play in the sales of the company. If the organization is offering best experience to their customers then it helps them in satisfying the customers and increasing the brand loyalty as well. The study had concluded that customer experience is an important factor on which the company needs to pa y attention (Bilgin, 2018).

In support to this Wijayanti et. al. (2019) had also conducted an research study for explaining that how the customer experience affects the sales and brand loyalty. The study had mentioned that the customer experience while getting the services at the stay need to be effective. If the customers get best experiences then it increases the chances of affecting the customer decision making in an positive manner. Rahimi and Kozak, (2017) had stated in their study that the customer expectations are changing rapidly in the changing business world for the hospitality industry. According to the changing customer expectation the hotels need to pay attention on using different services that can satisfy or meet the expectations of the customers. If the companies focus on satisfying the customer expectations then it helps them in meeting the satisfaction level of the customer (Jang et. al. 2018). This affects the customer decision making and encourages repeat visits.

The hotel industry is a customer driven industry due to which for this industry the customer satisfaction is significant. Kandampully et. al. (2018) had mentioned in their study that for operating effectively in the hotel industry the companies needs to pay attention on customer services and experience. When the customers are having great experience then they share it with their family and friends. This helps the hotel firms in doing effective marketing and attracting the new customers. It can be said that for the hotel industry firms it is significant to have great customer experience for their customers which can led them towards success and development (Bueno et. al. 2019).

In a research study Gursoy (2019) had evaluated that what are the dissimilar factors which are having an influence on the shopper decision making. The study found that the satisfaction level of the customer is affected due to some of their personal factors. Along with this different factors of the hotel and the services offered by the firm affect the customer expectation and then affect the decision making of the customer. From this it can be concluded that it is essential for the firms to pay attention on meeting the customer expectations (Gupta, 2019). It is the tendency of the customers that if their needs and expectations are being fulfilled then it leads to repeat purchase and affect the decision making of the customer related to the purchase.

Impact of quality and customer service on hotel industry customers

When the customer makes the decision regarding to the selection of the hotel then there are different reasons which are been taken by the customers while selection of the hotel. The service quality offered by the hotels is an crucial factor that affects the customers of the hotel industry. Mohd-Ramly and Omar, (2017) had stated that for managing the hotel business successfully it is crucial for the hotels to pay attention on the quality of the service offered by them. The services received by the customers from booking a hotel to enjoying the services in the hotel are highly affected by the quality of the services.

Priyo et. al. (2019) had mentioned that quality is one of the most important factor of the hotel customers. the researcher had mentioned that the businesses operating at the hospitality industry need to pay attention on offering high quality services to their customers which can help them in managing the managing the company performance and brand image in the market. In support to this Nobar and Rostamzadeh, (2018) had mentioned that the businesses need to pay attention on the quality of the services offered by them to the customers. This would help them in gaining competitive advantage over others and taking the corporation towards success and development (Sin et. al. 2021). Along with this it is vital for the hospitality service providers to focus on service quality management that can help them in increasing the customer satisfaction which would have positive impression on the brand image and sales of the company Gursoy, (2018). The researcher had concluded that the company needs to have effective quality management and need to plan regular audits to their different departments for ensuring proper quality control. This can help them in managing the performance of the company and offering high quality services to their customers (Paul and Ponnam, 2018).

Issues in managing customer brand loyalty in hotel industry

In the present competitive business environment it is essential for the firms to pay attention on handling the competitive advantages and resources in an effective manner. Aldaihani and Ali, (2018) had mentioned in their study that the satisfaction level of the customers after using a service is having an influence on the brand loyalty. If the customers are having great customer experience then it helps the companies in repeat shopping and this also increases the brand loyalty. The service quality is an important element that is having an effect on the brand loyalty (Ahmad et. al. 2021). From this it can be said that the hotel firms need to pay attention on managing the quality, customer satisfaction and customer experience in an effective manner for managing the brand loyalty in an efficient way (Moro et. al. 2018).

Ebrahim (2020) had stated that the marketing strategies of the company are also having an major role to play in the brand loyalty. The study had mentioned that the marketing strategies help the companies in understanding the customers and their needs. This would help them in developing effective strategies for promotion and motivating the customers to make a visit. This also helps the companies in satisfying the customer with their products and services. This finally affects the brand loyalty of the customer (Rather et. al. 2018). From this it can be said that the marketing efforts made by the company are also help the company in gaining competitive advantage over others and increasing customer loyalty. In support to this Kovaltchuk et. al. (2017) had mentioned that the increasing competitive in the hospitality industry is creating great issues and challenges for the companies in managing brand loyalty in an effective manner. From this it can be recommended that it is crucial for the companies to focus on ensuring that they offer best experience to their customers. This would help them in gaining competitive advantage over others and offering great services to their customers which is essential for leading the firm towards success and increasing brand loyalty.

Research Methodology

Selecting the appropriate methodology for the research is an important task for the researcher. Methodology is referred as the different method and technique which are being utilised by the researchers for guiding the research study in an operative and systematic manner. In the current study the researcher is focusing on identifying the effectiveness of the marketing efforts made by the case company. When the organization is operating in the tourism industry then it is essential for them to identify the market trends and the factors which are affecting the customers’ preferences and decisions while selecting a hotel. The methodology section includes different sub sections that provides detailed information related to the methodological choices made by the for the study.

Research Method

During the study the researcher needs focus on the methods in an effective manner. The research method is the overall plan used in the research from developing the objective to obtaining the results. Different methods are required to be used by the researchers while leading the research. Two different methods of conducting the research which are qualitative and quantitative. In qualitative research the qualitative or the textual data is being collected for the research study (Snyder, 2019). In contract to this in the quantitative research the researcher collects the facts and figures based on the numeric data. Both the research methods are having different pros and cons. In the present study the researcher is focusing on using quantitative data (Mohajan, 2018).

This quantitative research method is being selected as this method aligns well with the research objectives. This quantitative research method is easy to use which would help the researcher in easier data analysis and getting better results for the research. The quantitative research methods are being further more classified into different types. For this study the researcher would be using experimental research method. In this method impact of different variables is being studies. For this study the researcher is concentrating on recognising that what are the different variables disturbing the customer satisfaction and the marketing efforts of the case company and its effectiveness for the hotel brand. The researcher is doing a questionnaire survey with the customers of the hotel and the hotel will collect the data. This would help the researcher in understanding that what the customer think of the hotel and the services offered by the firm.

Research Philosophy

All the individuals are having a different mind-set and views regarding the things. Similarly the researchers are also having different perspectives regarding the research topic. Research philosophy is the way in which the investigator opts to conduct the research on the basis of their mind-set. The research philosophies are categorized as interpretivism, positivism, pragmatism and realism (Cazeaux, 2017). In the present study the researcher will be using positivism research which would help them in collecting better data based on the facts and figures. This would help them in making the research study for authentic and company specific.

Research Approach

The research approach is referred as the plan and procedures which are utilised in the study for collecting, analysing and interpreting the information related to the research. It is essential that the research approach should align well with the other research methodological choices then only it would help the researcher in leading an high quality study. The choice of research approach depends on the mind-set of the research. The research approaches are of three diverse forms which are inductive, deductive and abductive. In deductive research approach the premises are unknown and for this hypothesis are being developed. On the other hand the research study is proceeded on the basis of the objectives when inductive research approach is being used (Woiceshyn and Daellenbach, (2018). In the current study the inductive research approach would be used as the different variables are known but the impact of it on the company is unknown. Along with this following the objectives helps the researchers in conducting the research study in an systematic manner.

Research Design

The research design is the framework which is being selected by the researcher for combining all the different research parts. There are diverse kinds of the research designs which can be used by the researcher for this research. Diverse types of research designs are experimental, survey, correlation, semi-experimental, descriptive, case study research design. Choice made for research design depends on the research topic and other methodological choices made by the researchers. In this study the researcher would be using an experimental research design (Amirkiaee and Evangelopoulos, 2018). In this research design the researcher focuses on establishing the connection among the causes and effect of a particular situation. In this study the researcher is paying attention on classifying the factors affecting the marketing efforts of the firm and its effect on the performance of the corporation. From this it can be said that it is a better option to opt by the researcher to conduct the research in a systematic way.

Data Collection Method

Data collection method is discussed as the processes or the methods that are being used in the research study for gathering the information related to the research study. The data collection methods are categorized as the primary or the secondary data collection methods. In primary data collection method the information is being collected by the research itself by doing the field research (Sylvia, 2018). In contrast to this in the secondary research the researcher uses the second hand data from different academic and the literature sources which are already being published. In this study primary (quantitative) data collection methods are being used for collecting the data. The major reason behind using quantitative data collection methods for the research is that it would help the researcher in doing a high quality research study. For the primary information the researcher would be collecting information by conducting a questionnaire survey with the customers of the case company (Johhson and Sylvia, 2018). This would help them in getting company specific data for the research study in an effective manner.

Sampling Method

Sampling is the method of picking the research participants for the research study from the entire population. There are diverse types of sampling approaches which are being used for selecting the research participants. In the current study the researcher would be using probability sampling method. In this method all the individuals are having equal chance to get selected for the research (Gao et. al. 2020). There are diverse categories of probability sampling method which can be used by the researcher. In the present study the researcher had used random sampling method. This is an easy method to use. Among all the customers visited the hotel the researcher had randomly selected 50 customers and had sent them the questionnaire which is required to be filed by them for the research (Taherdoost, 2017). Due to covid-19 precautions the questionnaire are being shared to the customers of the hotel by the hotel staff so that the ideology and the views of the customers for the hotel can be collected.

Design of a Questionnaire

For the questionnaire survey it is important to design the questionnaire in an appropriate manner that should contain all the important topic and questions related to the research study. Connected to the objectives and aim of the research the researcher had developed 18 questions which are required to be answered by the participants. The questions starts with getting the general information related to the age of customers and the frequency at which they are visiting Bradford. Also the researcher had paid attention towards the ethical issues and had framed the questions according to that only.

Data Analysis Method

Analysing the collected data is the most significant part of the research study. There are dissimilar forms of methods for analysing the data that can be used by the researcher on the basis of the types of data collected. In the current study the researcher had conducted qualitative data and for this thematic analysis would be used. Common themes would be identified on the basis of the frequency of the responses acknowledged from the research participants. Along with this for better analysis of the data MS Excel and graphs would be used so that the graphical interpretation can help in better presentation of the results. The researcher can also use the probability based model as the participants are having the opportunity to select any one option from all the available options.

Ethical considerations

While conducting the research study it is essential to pay attention on the different ethical issues. The researcher need’s to pay attention on the following the different rules related to the ethics which are required for conducting an high quality research. In this study the researcher would be using both the primary and secondary data so different ethics are required to be taken in concern (Rachmawaty, 2017). The researcher would ensure that the respect and dignity of all the research participants would be taken in concern properly. Along with this the researcher would be taking written consent from all the research members before connecting them in the research study. Also they are being provided with all the basic and required details related to the research study.

The researcher would be focusing on the data protection act for keeping all the sensitive data safe and secure on the University OneDrive. The personal details and information related to the different research stakeholders would be kept safe. Along with this the university guidelines related to data collection would also be taken in concern. While collecting the secondary data the researcher would ensure that the information should be taken from the authentic sources. The researcher would make sure that proper attention should be given to avoid the plagiarism (Foltýnek et. al. 2019). The researcher will not copy the work of any other although if any of the information is being taken then proper acknowledgement would be given to the author with the help of referencing. Also proper referencing and citations would be done in the study for giving acknowledgment to other researchers. Moreover the safety of the research participants would be the responsibility of the researcher. So it can be said that the researcher would be following all the different ethics so that the chances of ethical issues can be reduced and a high quality research can be conducted. The researcher has also taken the permission from the University and the hotel. After getting the ethical approval only the research study is being conducted so it is more ethical.

Results

Q1.What is your age group?

A: (a) 18-28 years

(b) 29-40 years

(c) 40-60 years

(d) >60 years

Description: Company needs to have better knowledge related to the age of the customer. This would help them in understanding their target segment in an effective manner. For the hotel industry firms it is essential to segment the customers based on the age of the customer. In the survey it has been found that bulk of the clients visiting The Park Hotel belong to the age of 40-60 years. Along with this all of them belong to the working class of the society and they are having an better budget to stay in elite hotels due to which reason they are making an stay in The Park Hotel.

Q2. How often do you stay in hotels in Bradford?

A: (a) >5 times in a year

(b) 3-4 times in a year

(c) 1-2 times in an year

(d) not often

Description: Based on the outcomes of the questionnaire review it is clear that majority of the customer are visiting Bradford 3-4times in a year. This is because of the majority of the people in UK are belonging to working population. So this represents that according to this The Park Hotel can have better flow of the customer across the entire year.

Q3. What is the primary purpose of your trip?

A: (a) Business work

(b) Social Work

(c) Educational purpose

(d) Celebrating occasions

(e) Other, please specify

Description: There can be different reasons for which the individuals is making a trip to Bradford. As per the results it is clear that majority of the customer are visiting Bradford due to their business purpose. Apart from this the customers are also visiting due to the social work and celebrating the different occasions. This shows that Bradford is having a good number of tourists every year.

Q.4 How would you rate the hotel in terms of value for price paid for services?

A: (a) Excellent

(b) Good

(c) Average

(d) Poor

Description: Price is an effective factor which affects the customers decision making. In the survey the customers had mentioned that in terms of the price paid for the services offered by the hotel the service is excellent. This shows that majority of the customers have giving full rating to the services offered by the company which means that the customer are satisfied with the different services offered to them by the Park hotel.

Q.5 How would you rate the hotels in terms of promptness of services?

A: (a) Excellent

(b) Good

(c) Average

(d) Poor

Description: In context of the promptness of the services offered by the company also the customers have given better reviews. In the survey major section of the customer had said excellent and good which means that the promptness of the services at the Park Hotel is good enough.

Q.6  How would you rate the menu/food restaurants selection of the Park Hotel?

A: (a) Excellent

(b) Good

(c) Average

(d) Poor

Description: Food is an significant factor on which the hotel firm needs to pay attention. The rating related to the menu/ food is also good for The Park hotel. Majority of the customer had mentioned that the menu is excellent and some of the customer said that it is good and average. from this it can be interpreted that the Park Hotel is having an attractive menu/food restaurant selection.

Q.7 How do you get to know about the services and offers of The Park Hotel?

A: (a) Through Friends/ Relatives

(b) Social media handle of the hotel

(c) Banner/TV ads/ Newspaper

(d) Other websites and online travel agencies

(e) Other, Please Specify

Description: The way in which the customers had reached to the hotel is also important. In this context majority of the customer had get to know regarding the hotel from the social media handle of the hotel. Apart from this the customers had also heard about the hotel from their family/ friends, online websites and TV advertisement. This shows that the company is making good marketing efforts but further improvement is required.

Q.8 Would you recommend The Park Hotel to your friend?

A: (a) Yes

(b) No

(c) May be

Description: When the customers are being asked regarding their recommendations to other they they said yes. Majority of the customer had said that they would be recommending Th Park Hotel to their friend and family members. This reflects their satisfaction level from the visit made to the Park Hotel.

Q.9 Was the Location of the Park Hotel a factor when you booked the room?

A: (a) Yes

(b) No

Description: Location is an major factors which affects the decisions of the customer while booking a stay. When the customers are being asked regarding this then majority of the customer had said that yes location of the Park Hotel was an important factor which has being considered by them while booking a hotel.

Q.10 Was the Price of the Park Hotel a factor when you booked the room?

A: (a) Yes

(b) No

Description: From the results it can be said that the price charged by Park Hotel is an important factor which is being considered by the customers while booking the stay at Park Hotel. This shows that Price is always a great factor which affect the customers decision making.

Q.11 Why you chose the Park Hotel?

A: (a) Cleanliness

(b) Well-equipped room

(c) Customer service/ fast response to customer requests

(d) Availability of public areas and amenities

(e) Other, please specify

Description: While choosing a hotel different factors are being taken in concern by the individuals. In the case of Park hotel the customers had mentioned that cleanliness, well equipped rooms and the customer service offered by the company are the major factors for choosing the Park hotel over others.

Q.12 What attracted you to stay at the Park Hotel in terms of their room?

A: (a) Size of rooms 28

(b) Comfortable beds 4

(c) Heating/ air conditioning 8

(d) Shower/ Toilet facilities 13

(e) Internet connectivity 25

(f) TV facilities 16

(g) Other, Please specify

Description: There are different factors which can attract the customers to stay at the Park hotel. Regarding this majority of the customers had said that size of the rooms and several other services have attracted them to stay at the Park Hotel.

Q.13 What attracted you to stay at the Park Hotel in terms of their other services?

A: (a) Stay package 27

(b) Gym 2

(c) Restaurant/ Food 3

(d) Event facilities 1

(e) Gift vouchers

(f) Other, Please Specify 1

Description: In terms of the other services the customers said that stay package is also an very important factor which is attracting the customers to stay at the Park Hotel. Apart from this several other additional services offered by the company is also attracting the customers to stay.

Q.14 What kind of social media marketing tool do you use when booking to stay at the Park Hotel Bradford?

A: (a) Hotel Website 29

(b) Facebook

(c) Internet Advert

(d) Facebook/ Twitter 5

(e) By Phone 15

Description: There can be different social media marketing tool which are used by the customers for booking the hotel. The results showed that hotel website, facebook /twitter and phone are used for booking a stay at the Park Hotel Bradford.

Q.15 How do you see the Park Hotel Marketing Strategy?

A: (a) Customer driven 27

(b) Sales and profit driven

(c) Low cost marketing promotion/offer 35

(d) In Line with competition

Description: The customers had given different views related to the marketing strategy. The customers had represented that the marketing strategies of Park hotel is customer driven and is low cost marketing promotions. This shows that company need to invest more in the marketing strategies.

Q.16 What attracted you to choose the Park Hotel?

A: (a) Location

(b) Price

(c) Promotion

(d) Product

(e) Other, Please specify

Responses/Description: The customers had ranked these factors on the basis of important, most important and not important. As per the results it is interpreted that location and price are the major factors which had helped the case company in attracting the customers.

Q:17 How would you rank the following in order of priority when choosing a hotel?

A: (a) Location

(b) Price

(c) Place

(d) Promotion

(e) Other, Please specify

Responses/Description: In the order of ranking the priority of the customers while selecting the hotel there are different factors which are required to be taken in concern. The customers said that price is the most important factor which is taken in concern while booking a stay. Other than this location and place are also the important factors.

Q.18 What can the Park Hotel Bradford do even better in your opinion?

Responses/Description: From the different views presented by the customers related to the recommendations for making improvements in the marketing strategies of the firm. Different customers had given different types of recommendations related to making changing in promotion strategies, pricing, and other strategies which can help them in becoming more competitive.

Data Analysis And Discussion

Based on the results it can be said that there are different issues which are having an impression on the customer decision related to the stay in the Park hotel in Bradford. The questionnaire survey had provided detailed information related to the different reasons which can create issues for the firms in managing the customers and their decision making. Some of the common factors which are affecting customer decision making are being explained below. Along with this as per the analysis it can be said that the firms need to focus on 4P's of marketing are also discussed below such as:

Factors affecting customer decision making and 4P’s of marketing for The Park Hotel based on the analysis

Marketing is having an major part to play in the success of the company. All the companies operating in the hospitality industry invests high amount of capital in the marketing which can help them in drawing the customers in an effective mode. The Park Hotel is having an effective market image in Bradford which helps them in getting the attraction of all the customers and increasing the sales (Kim et. al. 2021). As per the results collected from the research it is clear that the corporation needs to pay more attention on the different elements which are having an influence on the company performance and decision making of the customers.

While doing marketing it is essential that the company should focus on all the four important factors which are having an important part to play in marketing of the organisation. The customers are having better perception towards the quality of the food and services offered by the case company (Shah et. al. 2018). The products offered by the hotel are having an main part to show in the success of the company. The organisation needs to focus on the quality of their food and other services offered by the firm. The company had received better views related to the quality of the food and other services. Along with this the customers are happy regarding the services and offers which are being offered by the company. The Park Hotel need to pay attention on the product range and the different services which are being offered by the hotel brand to the customers as this would help them in enlightening the performance of the firm.

For the hotel industry the location is also an major reason which is having an effect on the sales of the organisation. From this it can be said that it is vital for the case corporation to focus on place. There are different primary reasons for which the customers ate visiting Bradford as per the questionnaire survey. From this it can be said that the case corporation need to focus on offering the offers and services based on the purpose of the visit (Pappas, 2018). This would help the hotel in attracting the customers and influencing their decision making towards the booking of the stay in Bradford.

Now if we look forward then pricing is always an crucial factor which affects the purchase decisions of the customer. The customers visiting The Park Hotel had explained that pricing is also an important factor which is being kept by them in mind while booking the hotel. From this it is clear that the company is having effective pricing strategy which is helping them in attracting the customers (Hyun and Perdue, 2017). Along with this the hotel should offer different types of discounts and offers to the customers during the season in which the number of visitors in Bradford are more. This would help them in attracting the customers which would be affecting the sales of company. This would benefit them in leading the firm towards success and doing effective marketing as well.

Attracting the customers is very essential for the businesses which is having an effect on the success of the company. In the hotel industry it is important for the company to use multiple strategies for promoting their products in an effective manner. Along with this the hotel brands need to make all the information to their customers related to the pay and the offers which are being offered by them to the customers. In the recent decades the use of social media and digital platforms had increased to a greater extent (Jacobson et. al. 2020). For this the company need to pay attention on doing effective social media market for reaching out to the customers. Also the case company can also use influencer marketing and other types of marketing platforms for reaching out to the customers. For influencing the decision making of the customers it is vital for the company to pay attention on their marketing efforts which can make it easier for the firm to react out to the customer (Alnawas and Hemsley-Brown, 2019).

As per the analysis it can be said that the company is doing well in their social media marketing but is not effective in attracting the customers through offline marketing practices. Both online and offline promotions are equally important for attracting the customers belonging to the different sections and age group of the population. Different offline promotional activities should also be used by the firms which can help them in attracting all the potential customers in an competent manner (Jin et. al. 2019). From this it can be said that the case company need to pay attention on all the four P's of marketing in an effective manner for leading the firm towards success and development.

Conclusion And Recommendations

Based on the above mentioned dissertation it can be said that for the hotel industry there are different significant factors which are having an impact on the decision making of the clients. The Park Hotel would have to focus on all those factors which are affecting the decision making process of their customers while booking a hotel for stay in Bradford. The service quality is the crucial factor which is found to be having an major role to play for the hospitality service providing firms. Apart from this the pricing strategy and the price of the accommodation which is being charged by the firms are having an central role to play in the success of the firm. The price and the service are the primary factors which are being considered by the customers while making a decision of booking a hotel. From the analysis of the questionnaire it had been found that the case company is paying attention on both the factors for managing the customers and meeting their expectations in an effective manner.

Both customer satisfaction and the level at which the company is meeting the demand and expectations of their customers is also a crucial factor which is having an major role to play in decision making. As per the results of the questionnaire survey it can be said that the businesses are managing the customers in an effective manner. But The Park Need to pay attention on their quality of food and services and continuous improvement in it can help them in becoming more competitive in the industry. Along with this the case company should also pay attention on satisfying the customers whenever they connect with the organisation. For this it can be suggested that the case company should focus on offering better training to their employees. Along with this enterprise should capitalize better capital in the training and development of their employees this can help them in keeping the employees motivated to deliver high quality work to the firm. Also the company should pay attention on the analysis of the company performance (Romero and Tejada, 2020). Regular feedbacks are required to be collected through the customers while visiting the hotel. This can help The Park hotel in managing the businesses in an active manner. Along with this the company should focus on bringing continuous improvement in their business operations and working processes which can help them in offering better service to their customers.

Marketing is very crucial of the success of the company in the hotel industry. The company is doing well but then also they are having less effective marketing strategies. Based on the survey it can be concluded that The Park Hotel need to focus on doing effective marketing (Parvez et. al. 2018). The marketing mix need to help the company in attracting the potential customers in an effective manner. From this it can be suggested that the firm should focus on both online and offline marketing strategies. The major section of the customer belonging to the hotel is the young customers and for attracting them digital marketing and social media marketing would be effective.

For this the company should focus on attracting the customers with better presence on the online platforms. This would help them in reaching out to the customers easily. There are different modern approaches which can be used by the firm for attracting the customers (Bazazo et. al. 2017). Influencer marketing is also an effective strategy which is recommended to the case company. The Park Hotel should focus on tying up with the local influencers which can help them in communicating all the information detail related to the offers offered by the case company. Along with this it would also help them in attracting all the potential customers belonging through different places across the nation.

The Park Hotel should pay attention on all the four P's of marketing mix. This would help them in influencing the decision making of their customers in the context of hotel booking. Along with this it would also help them in managing the customer satisfaction and meeting the customer expectations by offering better services to them. So it can be recommended that the company should focus on the results of the research study for development better strategies related to the improvement of the 4P's of marketing. Changed strategies related to product, place, price and promotion would be effective in attracting the customers (Samatovich, 2021). Also this would help them in changing the customers’ perspective towards the case company. This will help them in having higher number of customers and leading the firm towards success in an effective manner. Moreover the major changes in the marketing strategies would be the game changer for the company. This will assist them in gaining competitive advantage and leading the industry in an efficient manner.

References

1. Ahmad, N., Mahmood, A., Ariza-Montes, A., Han, H., Hernández-Perlines, F., Araya-Castillo, L. and Scholz, M., 2021. Sustainable businesses speak to the heart of consumers: Looking at sustainability with a marketing lens to reap banking consumers’ loyalty. Sustainability, 13(7), p.3828.
2. Aldaihani, F.M.F. and Ali, N.A., 2018. Factors affecting customer loyalty in the restaurant service industry in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Journal of International Business and Management, 1(2), pp.1-14.
3. Alnawas, I. and Hemsley-Brown, J., 2019. Market orientation and hotel performance: investigating the role of high-order marketing capabilities. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
4. Amirkiaee, S.Y. and Evangelopoulos, N., 2018. Why do people rideshare? An experimental study. Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour, 55, pp.9-24.
5. Bazazo, I., Alansari, I., Alquraan, H., Alzgaybh, Y. and Masa’deh, R.E., 2017. The influence of total quality management, market orientation and e-marketing on hotel performance. International Journal of Business Administration, 8(4), p.79.
6. Bilgin, Y., 2018. The effect of social media marketing activities on brand awareness, brand image and brand loyalty. Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 6(1), pp.128-148.
7. Blankson, C., Cowan, K. and Darley, W.K., 2018. Marketing practices of rural micro and small businesses in Ghana: The role of public policy. Journal of Macromarketing, 38(1), pp.29-56.
8. Bueno, E.V., Weber, T.B.B., Bomfim, E.L. and Kato, H.T., 2019. Measuring customer experience in service: A systematic review. The Service Industries Journal, 39(11-12), pp.779-798.
9. Cao, Y., Ajjan, H. and Hong, P., 2018. Post-purchase shipping and customer service experiences in online shopping and their impact on customer satisfaction: an empirical study with comparison. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
10. Cazeaux, C., 2017. Art, research, philosophy(p. 202). Taylor & Francis.
11. Chou, S.F., Horng, J.S., Liu, C.H.S. and Lin, J.Y., 2020. Identifying the critical factors of customer behavior: An integration perspective of marketing strategy and components of attitudes. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 55, p.102113.
12. De Luca, L.M., Herhausen, D., Troilo, G. and Rossi, A., 2020. How and when do big data investments pay off? The role of marketing affordances and service innovation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, pp.1-21.
13. Dewi, M.V.K. and Darma, G.S., 2019. The Role of Marketing & Competitive Intelligence In Industrial Revolution 4.0. Jurnal Manajemen Bisnis, 16(1), pp.1-12.
14. Ebrahim, R.S., 2020. The role of trust in understanding the impact of social media marketing on brand equity and brand loyalty. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 19(4), pp.287-308.
15. Epuran, G., Ivasciuc, I.S. and Micu, A., 2015. From 4P's to 4 E's–how to avoid the risk of unbalancing the marketing mix in today hotel businesses. Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, 21, pp.77-85.
16. Foltýnek, T., Meuschke, N. and Gipp, B., 2019. Academic plagiarism detection: a systematic literature review. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 52(6), pp.1-42.
17. Gao, B., Yang, Q., Peng, Z., Xie, W., Jin, H. and Meng, S., 2020. A direct random sampling method for the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test of nonuniformly distributed uncertainty inputs and its application in C/C nozzles. Aerospace Science and Technology, 100, p.105830.
18. Golovkova, A., Eklof, J., Malova, A. and Podkorytova, O., 2019. Customer satisfaction index and financial performance: a European cross country study. International Journal of Bank Marketing.
19. Gupta, V., 2019. The influencing role of social media in the consumer’s hotel decision-making process. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
20. Gursoy, D., 2018. Future of hospitality marketing and management research. Tourism Management Perspectives, 25, pp.185-188.
21. Gursoy, D., 2019. A critical review of determinants of information search behavior and utilization of online reviews in decision making process (invited paper for ‘luminaries’ special issue of International Journal of Hospitality Management). International Journal of Hospitality Management, 76, pp.53-60.
22. Hill, N., Brierley, J. and MacDougall, R., 2017. How to measure customer satisfaction. Routledge.
23. Hummel, F., 2020. Negotiations in the Service Industry. In Successful International Negotiations(pp. 215-227). Springer, Cham.
24. Hyun, S.S. and Perdue, R.R., 2017. Understanding the dimensions of customer relationships in the hotel and restaurant industries. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 64, pp.73-84.
25. Jacobson, J., Gruzd, A. and Hernández-García, Á., 2020. Social media marketing: Who is watching the watchers?. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, p.101774.
26. Jang, S., Liu, T., Kang, J.H. and Yang, H., 2018. Understanding important hotel attributes from the consumer perspective over time. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 26(1), pp.23-30.
27. Jin, S.V., Muqaddam, A. and Ryu, E., 2019. Instafamous and social media influencer marketing. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
28. Johhson, E. and Sylvia, M.L., 2018. Secondary data collection. Critical Analytics and Data Management for the DNP, p.61.
29. Kandampully, J., Zhang, T.C. and Jaakkola, E., 2018. Customer experience management in hospitality: A literature synthesis, new understanding and research agenda. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
30. Kim, J., Kim, S.I. and Lee, M., 2021. What to Sell and How to Sell Matters: Focusing on Luxury Hotel Properties’ Business Performance and Efficiency. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, p.19389655211020254.
31. Kovaltchuk, A.P., Blinova, E.A. and Miloradov, K.A., 2017. Increasing the competitiveness of the Russian hotel enterprises under modern conditions. Journal of Environmental Management & Tourism, 8(2 (18)), p.407.
32. Lee, K.H., 2020. Marketing approach to the tourist experience. In The Routledge Handbook of Tourism Experience Management and Marketing(pp. 260-270). Routledge.
33. Masiero, L., Yang, Y. and Qiu, R.T., 2019. Understanding hotel location preference of customers: Comparing random utility and random regret decision rules. Tourism Management, 73, pp.83-93.
34. Mohajan, H.K., 2018. Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), pp.23-48.
35. Mohd-Ramly, S. and Omar, N.A., 2017. Exploring the influence of store attributes on customer experience and customer engagement. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.
36. Moro, S., Rita, P. and Oliveira, C., 2018. Factors influencing hotels’ online prices. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 27(4), pp.443-464.
37. Nobar, H.B.K. and Rostamzadeh, R., 2018. The impact of customer satisfaction, customer experience and customer loyalty on brand power: empirical evidence from hotel industry. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 19(2), pp.417-430.
38. Oztemel, E. and Gursev, S., 2020. Literature review of Industry 4.0 and related technologies. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 31(1), pp.127-182.
39. Pappas, N., 2018. Hotel decision-making during multiple crises: A chaordic perspective. Tourism Management, 68, pp.450-464.
40. Parvez, S.J., Moyeenudin, H.M., Arun, S., Anandan, R. and Janahan, S.K., 2018. Digital marketing in hotel industry. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(2.21), pp.288-290.
41. Patel, N., 2018. The benefits and importance of customer satisfaction.  com.
42. Paul, R. and Ponnam, A., 2018. Teaching customer experience quality and its significance in retail management: a role playing game using Chinese Puzzle ‘Tangram’. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 16(2), pp.126-139.
43. Priyo, J.S., Mohamad, B. and Adetunji, R.R., 2019. An examination of the effects of service quality and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty in the hotel industry. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 8(1), pp.653-663.
44. Rachmawaty, R., 2017. Ethical issues in action-oriented research in Indonesia. Nursing ethics, 24(6), pp.686-693.
45. Rahimi, R. and Kozak, M., 2017. Impact of customer relationship management on customer satisfaction: The case of a budget hotel chain. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(1), pp.40-51.
46. Rahimian, S., ShamiZanjani, M., Manian, A. and Esfiddani, M.R., 2020. Developing a Customer Experience Management Framework in Hoteling Industry: A Systematic Review of Theoretical Foundations. Journal of Business Management, 12(3), pp.523-547.
47. Rangaswamy, A., Moch, N., Felten, C., van Bruggen, G., Wieringa, J.E. and Wirtz, J., 2020. The role of marketing in digital business platforms. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51, pp.72-90.
48. Rather, R.A. and Sharma, J., 2017. The effects of customer satisfaction and commitment on customer loyalty: Evidence from the hotel industry. JOHAR, 12(2), p.41.
49. Rather, R.A., Tehseen, S. and Parrey, S.H., 2018. Promoting customer brand engagement and brand loyalty through customer brand identification and value congruity. ish Journal of Marketing-ESIC.
50. Romero, I. and Tejada, P., 2020. Tourism intermediaries and innovation in the hotel industry. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(5), pp.641-653.
51. Samatovich, R.S., 2021. Importance of Marketing in Tourism and Hotel Industry. International Journal of Business, Technology and Organizational Behavior (IJBTOB), 1(2), pp.79-84.
52. Sao, A., Singh, S., Dixit, S., Pandey, A.K. and Singh, S., 2017. Quality, productivity and customer satisfaction in service operations: An empirical study. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 8(10), pp.579-596.
53. Shah, S.N.U., Jan, S. and Baloch, Q.B., 2018. Role of service quality and customer satisfaction in firm's performance: Evidence from Pakistan hotel industry. Pakistan Journal of Commerce and Social Sciences (PJCSS), 12(1), pp.167-182.
54. Sin, K.Y., MOHAMAD, A.A. and LO, M.C., 2021. A Mixed-Method Study on the Perceptions of Quality Management and Sustainability in Malaysian Hotel Industry. Estudios de economía aplicada, 39(1), p.5.
55. Snyder, H., 2019. Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 104, pp.333-339.
56. Stankevich, A., 2017. Explaining the consumer decision-making process: Critical literature review. Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, 2(6).
57. SYLVIA, M.L., 2018. Primary Data Collection. Clinical Analytics and Data Management for the DNP, p.87.
58. Taherdoost, H., 2017. Determining sample size; how to calculate survey sample size. International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, 2.
59. Toma, S.G. and Gr?dinaru, C., 2018. The marketing mix in a luxury hotel chain. The Journal Contemporary Economy, 3(2).
60. Ungerman, O., Dedkova, J. and Gurinova, K., 2018. The impact of marketing innovation on the competitiveness of enterprises in the context of industry 4.0. Journal of Competitiveness, 10(2), p.132.
61. Wijayanti, T.C., Setini, M. and Darma, D.C., 2019. How to Increase Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 4(10), pp.104-111.
62. Woiceshyn, J. and Daellenbach, U., 2018. Evaluating inductive vs deductive research in management studies: Implications for authors, editors, and reviewers. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal.
63. Zolkiewski, J., Story, V., Burton, J., Chan, P., Gomes, A., Hunter-Jones, P., O’Malley, L., Peters, L.D., Raddats, C. and Robinson, W., 2017. Strategic B2B customer experience management: the importance of outcomes-based measures. Journal of Services Marketing.
64. Zoubi, F.H. and Al-Harazneh, D.M., 2021. The impact of social media on customers’ loyalty toward hotels in Jordan. International Journal of Business and Management, 14(5), pp.123-123.