Introduction.

The basic requirement for operating a business is to build, retain and satisfy
consumers. The organisational customer as a purchaser of hospitality products forms a
group of people with a common purpose. Their customers needs are somewhat
different from the needs of individual customers. Understanding the perceptions, beliefs,
attitudes, subjective norms, control and personal constructs of customers as well as
customer behaviour is the key success factor in marketplace, either nationally or
internationally. In the present changing and hyper-competitive world, it is significant that
a hotel spots the available opportunity. Hotels show particular flexibility to change as
customers lifestyle, purchasing power and preferences change. Most hotels prefer to
customize their service products to satisfy the needs of the customers.
Consumer buying behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of final consumers,
both individuals and households, who buy goods and services for personal
consumption. The buying behaviour is the decisive process of people involved in buying
and using products. Consumer buying is a complex process as many internal and
external factors have an impact on the buying decision. Lack of understanding
consumer behavior will lead to difficulty in retaining.

Objective
To observe, map, infer and conceptualize consumer buying behaviour in Hotel
Industry.
Data Collection
The methodology used was probability sampling and sample survey data was
collected from three respondents over telephone.

Observation
Based on inputs from respondents, following observations have been made.
Category of Consumers
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
etc.

Consumer visiting for business venture.

Consumer visiting for leisure (tourism/ holiday).
Consumer visiting for business cum leisure.
Consumer casual availing hotel facilities like restaurant, health club, spa

Key Decision in Selecting Hotels

Common requirement of these customers can be classified as under:(a)

Primary/ Basic Requirements.

(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)

(b)

Cleanliness and hygiene

Cost effective/ value for money
Food quality and cost
Housekeeping services e.g. laundry, room service et c
Courteous Staff

Secondary Requirements.
(i)
Allied facilities like health club, swimming pool, spa, conference hall,
internet etc.
(ii)
Location/ connectivity- near to place of visit/ business, centrally located
and scenic beauty.
(iii)

Car hiring, chauffer facility, airport pick and drop

(iv)

Incentives/ loyalty rewards

Steps Involved in Selecting Hotel by Customer.

Step
1

Process
Need Recognition

Information Search

Description
Type
of
need
requirement for Hotel
Information Search
Hotel

Measures
/ Business /Leisure/ Casual

on Personal
acquaintances,
Advertisement/
media,
Brochure, Organisational tieup etc
Evaluation
of Evaluation of alternative Comparision on cost and
Alternatives
Hotel
services
provided,
past
experiences etc
Purchase Decision
Select a Hotel
By filtering communication
based
on
learning,
perceptions
and
experiences.
Post
Purchase Post Service Experience/ Customer
satisfaction/
Behaviour
Output
dissatisfaction
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The time required for the above steps will be variable and dependent upon post
purchase behaviour and searched information.
Key Decision Making Units
(a)

Initiators. Need/ requirement controlled the flow of information

(b)
Influencer.
specifications.

Past experience, advertisement, colleagues etc help determine

(c)

Decider. Self, agent/ organisation authorized to select and approve a hotel.

(d)

Buyer. Self, agent/ organisation made the purchase.

(e)

User. Self and family

Factors/ Key Drivers determining Satisfaction/ Dissatisfaction.

When expectation of the consumer vis--vis benefits received from the service
are met.
Strategic Marketing Implications.
A strategic control is essential for ensuring, that the hotel companys marketing
objectives, strategies and systems are optimally adapted to the current and forecasted
marketing environment. A differential marketing strategy enhances the appeal of the
hotels product to several target groups.

Inference
Every successful business is customer driven. Therefore, marketing is the
method to build long term relationship with customers. This is the key intention of the
organisation towards the customer is to maximize profit to run a business, whilst
customer is the key source of profit, thus with the purpose of achieve competitive
advantage in market place, the organisation should position customer in priority place,
which to great extent based on understanding customers and their behaviour. Customer
behaviour is particularly complicated in hotel industry because of some natures of
hospitality. Vitally, customers understanding are given by both intangible services and
tangible products. The example of intangible services is spa treatment or atmosphere
while tangible products are food and beverage or accommodation. The feelings,
4

emotion and purchase intention of customers could affect the quality of consumers
experience whereby can be variable also different from one to another.

Conceptualisation
Consumers are constantly faced with the need to make decisions about products
and services. Some of these decisions are very important and entail great effort,
whereas we make others on a virtually automatic basis, some are hedonistic others just
irrational. The decision-making task is further complicated because of the sheer number
of decisions we need to make in a marketplace environment. As such it is assumed that
the decision process involves a series of key stages namely:1. Identification of needs
2. Information gathering
3. Evaluation of alternatives
4. Process of choice
5. Post purchase processing
In all our decisions, we make, every day, we run through this process. A problem
occurs whenever the consumer sees a significant difference between his or her current
state of affairs and some desired or ideal state a need is identified. If a need is
aroused, the consumer wishes to satisfy it.