This was a conference paper presented at Experience EuroCHRIE 2015 Conference during 15-17 October 2015 at Lowry Hotel, Manchester UK ประสบการณ์บริการในการให้บริการแบบเอเซียน กรณีศึกษาประเทศไทยและฮ่องกง

1. Experience EuroCHRIE 2015 Conference
15-17 October 2015
Manchester, UK
The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
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2. Service Experience Dimensions in
Asian Hospitality: A Case Study of
Hotels in Thailand and Hong Kong
Manisa Piuchan
Loretta Pang
School of Hotel and Tourism Management
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong SAR
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3. Today’s Agenda
1.Introduction
2.The study
3.Results
4.Conclusion
3

4. Introduction
• Asian hospitality operators have been recognised
globally due to their service quality with local
value-added into service offering and physical
appearance (Hobson, 1994, Roll, 2010, Wattanacharoensil et al., 2014)
• The Peninsula and Mandarin Oriental – the
award of the world’s best hotel (Travel and Leisure Magazine,
2013)
• Japan and Thailand being ranked in the world’s
best service (The New York Times, 2011)
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5. Aim of this study
• To identify the characteristics of Asian
hospitality
• Eight service experience dimensions to provide a
framework for identifying service experience in Asia
• Adopted Winsted’ study (1997)
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6. 6
Service Experience Dimensions
in Asian Hospitality
Authenticity Caring
Control Courtesy
Formality Friendliness
Personalisation Promptness
(Adopted from Winsted, 1997)

7. Asian Hospitality
• is derived from Asian culture in service
offering and people involvement (Ueltschy et al.,
2009)
• Traditional cultures in Asia impact hotel
operation in this region (Hobson, 1994)
• The concept is difficult to demonstrate
because of vast diversity of culture and belief
(Hobson, 1994)
• Implementing ‘Culture’ to represent the
brands and service orientation
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8. Asian Culture
• Asian culture is related to social behavior
• Concept of face-saving
• Beliefs/religions
• Power distance
• Behavior of conflict avoidance
• Low level of risk taking
• Importance of relationship building
• Etc.
• Those foundations of Asian beliefs are the major
control of thoughts and behavior
8

9. The Study
• Observations
– to identify the indicators of service experience in
Asian Hospitality by observing the interaction
between guest and service providers
• Unstructured interviews
– to gain more in-depth opinions from service
providers
• Conducted onsite during seven-day workshops
in Hong Kong and Bangkok
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10. 10

11. Observations
• To observe the behavioral indicators of service
experience based on those 8 dimensions
• ‘Real life’ environment can reflect ‘real life’
behavior
11

12. Interviews
• 8 interviews
– 5 staff from managerial level
(Tourism Authority of Thailand, Dusit International,
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Hotel ICON)
- 3 frontline employees from different departments
• Interviews involved employees’ service attitudes
and characteristics of Asian hospitality from
their points of views and their experiences.
12

13. Secondary Data
• To explore other additional data from
customers’ viewpoints
• Customers’ comments on Tripadvisor.com
13

14. Results
14

15. Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
1 Authenticity Being agreeable
Clichés
Fake smile
Honesty
Facial expressions
Language signals
Being nervous
Offering opinions
Being phony/fake
Personal experience
Body language
Touching
Sincere facial
expression
Smile
Caring
Courtesy
Touching
moment/ surprise
Tone of voice
Greeting to
demonstrate local
culture
Ancient physical
decoration
Gentleness
Feeling classy (as a
royalty)
Special gesture
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16. 16
Guest- MO
“…what really made the stay for us was that
we were treated as if we were royalty…”

17. 17
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
2 Caring Asking if satisfied
Being indifferent
Interruptions
Problem
resolution
Problem
resolution
Attention to
details
Advising if help
is needed
Providing choices
and varieties
Treating like
family members
As home away
from home
Warm welcome

18. 18
Guest- Hotel ICON
“…it is the attention to details to the customer
that sets this hotel apart. For example, I had a
couple of bottles of my favorite Chinese ice tea
in the fridge in the room. They noticed and put
two more in. This was extra special because
they aren’t available everywhere…”

19. 19
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
3 Customer
Control
Asking for
permission
Being competent
Conversation lead
Being insecure
Interruption
Being
knowledgeable
Being obedient
Order customer
Asking for
permission
Keeping
privacy
Customising the
individuals’ needs
Providing
assistance in
every demand

20. 20
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
4 Courtesy Asking name
Complaints
Glare
Bringing
comfortable
feelings
Patronising
Using
“Please/Thank
you”
Quick greetings
Asking name
Bringing
comfortable
feelings
Using
“Please/Thank
you”
Smile with Wai
(Greeting)

21. 21
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
5 Formality Casual dress
Neat grooming
Formality
Foul language
Addressing last name
No humour
Straight posture
Proper language
Slang language
Being sloppy
Being stiff
Uniform
Modern national
costume as uniform
Respect
Professionalism

22. 22
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
6 Friendliness Clear language
Enthusiasm
Being intelligent
Being personable
Being pleasant
Smile
Tone of voice
Proper use of
the language

23. 23
A Front Officer- DT
“…smile is the traditional way when Thais
start making friends with a stranger…”

24. 24
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional Indicators in
Asian Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong Kong)
7 Personalisation Knowing previous
history
Remembering
customers
Treating as number
Remembering
customers
(by calling their
names/surnames)
Recognising the
guests (previous
visits or personal
stories)
Customising the
individuals’ needs

25. Personalisation
25
Pisit – Director of Sales of MO
“if guests would like to find the
restaurants, we do not just give
them a list. we will look at the
guest’s profile what type of
restaurant they have a meal
previously, and find another
different one”

26. 26
Service Experience
Dimensions
(a)
Winsted’s Study
(U.S. & Japan)
(b)
Found in Both
Studies
(c)
Additional
Indicators in Asian
Hospitality
(Thailand & Hong
Kong)
8 Promptness Anticipating
customers’ needs
Incomplete service
Delayed information
Slow movement
Quick movement
Quick attention
Serving other first
Standing around
Anticipating
customers’
needs
Quick
attention
Standing
around to help

27. 27
Observation:
During the hotel tour, the spa
rooms were being occupied, the
service staff immediately showed
us the details with photos and
explanations.
Pisit – Director of Sales of MO
“There is not only one answer, we
always provide more choices and
options”
Promptness

28. Conclusion:
Asian hospitality nowadays
• People
• Express more sense of “touch” and “feeling”
• Not only physical products but also care about how
they experience which can generate more revenues
• Offering unique features become the well-known
symbol of Asian hospitality
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29. • Asian hospitality can be perceived in particular
elements
• The culture each service provider belong to
always affects the service performance and
the way to treat other customers
• Because of Asian human essence, notion of
life , traditions, the establishment of Asian
hospitality is formed as every single moment
has been shaped by the cultural reason
behind those practices.
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30. References
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of the 24th EMAC Conference (pp. 1393-1402). Cergy Pontoise: European Marketing
Academy.
Kasper, H., Van Helsdingen, P., & De Vries, W. (1999). Services marketing management: an
international perspective. Chichester.
Patterson, P. G., & Smith, T. (2001). Relationship benefits in service industries: a replication
in a Southeast Asian context. Journal of Services Marketing, 15(6), 425-443.
Price, L. L., & Arnould, E. J. (1999). Commercial friendships: service provider-client
relationships in context. The Journal of Marketing, 38-56.
Price, L. L., Arnould, E. J., & Tierney, P. (1995). Going to extremes: managing service
encounters and assessing provider performance. The Journal of Marketing, 83-97.
Runglertkrengkrai, S., & Engkaninan, S. (1987). The pattern of managerial behaviour in
Thai culture. Asia Pacific journal of management, 5(1), 8-15.
Winsted, K. F. (1997). The service experience in two cultures: a behavioral perspective.
Journal of Retailing, 73(3), 337-360.
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31. Thank You
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