Introduction

The hospitality industry is inherently driven by the quality of service it provides to its patrons The Bayleaf Hotel, nestled in the heart of Cavite,
represents not just a luxurious accommodation option but a testament to the region's commitment to delivering unparalleled service to its guests.
Good morning, to our respected panel members, Doctor Banzel,Doctor Kristy Reamillo, Miss Kimberly Alcaraz and our fellow scholars. Today, we
are honored to share insights gathered from a comprehensive study with a sense of pride and commitment, as we present Chapters 1 to 3 of our study
focused to "Heighten the experience: Analyzing Service Quality Practices at The Bayleaf Hotel - Cavite."

Statement of the Problem

While The Bayleaf Hotel is widely recognized for delivering outstanding guest experiences, there is a scarcity of empirical research that
systematically investigates the service quality practices responsible for attaining and maintaining this esteemed reputation.

This study aims to tackle four key aspects: identifying the demographics of the employees and guests, identifying the current measures employed to
assess guest satisfaction and service quality, the contributions of The Bayleaf Hotel's current service quality practices that influence guest
satisfactions, and the correlation between the guest-employee perception of service quality.and the quality service action plan can be proposed based
on the findings of the study

Customers as brand-advocates

Satisfied customers are likely to become brand advocates, sharing their positive experiences with others. Customers who consistently
receive a high level of service are more likely to develop a preference for a specific brand and may actively seek it out when making purchasing
decisions. Word-of-mouth recommendations are a powerful driver of customer acquisition and retention, as people trust the opinions of their peers.

SERVQUAL

Measuring and improving service quality can increase the organization's profits and reputation. Regardless of the industry, service quality
can have a direct impact on a company's ability to satisfy customer needs while remaining competitive.

Delivering Quality Service

Valerie Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman and Leonard Berry. Even though service quality research has progressed since 1990 when first published, this
book is still the fountainhead of service quality research.

Why SERVQUAL Model as theory?

Parasuraman et al. (1985, p. 17) devised a gap model of service quality , and based on this research, they have defined perceived service
quality 'as the degree and direction of the discrepancy between consumers' perceptions and expectations'. The gap model predicted that perceived
service quality could be determined by the measurement of the difference between consumers' ratings of the perceptions of service quality (P) and
their expectations of service quality (E) calculated as Service Quality = P E.

This gap score was evaluated in accordance with a disconfirmation paradigm: if P is greater than E, this is considered to be a 'positive
disconfirmation'; and if P is less than E, this is a 'negative disconfirmation'

Disconfirmation paradigm
According to the Disconfirmation Paradigm of Oliver (1980) , perceptions of a service encounter are characterized by either confirmation or
disconfirmation of expectancies. Confirmation is when a service is performed as expected. When there is a difference between performance and
expectations, disconfirmation results.

Criticism of ServQual

In response to the criticisms of SERVQUAL by Carman (1990), Parasuraman et al. (1991) included a requirement for respondents to indicate levels
of importance for each of the dimensions by allocating a number of points to each dimension (up to a total of 100). Correspondingly weighted gap
scores were then used in the analysis.

According to Smith (1995) this method is problematic for three reasons. First, because points are allocated to dimensions, differences in the
respondents' ratings for individual items on each dimension are lost. Second, it introduces additional complexities to an already complex task (Smith
1993). Finally, it presupposes that the factors in the dimensions are valid, and this may not necessarily be the case.

Carman (1990) recommended the recording of the level of importance for each individual item to permit differences between each component of
service quality to be identified.

Interpretation of the mid-point

Carman (1990) and Smith (1995) pointed out it is evident that some respondents may not possess the necessary knowledge to respond to some of the
SERVQUAL items, and therefore record a rating of 'four' (the mid-point) on the perceptions scale. The final gap score may therefore indicate
something other than it is actually meant to.

Babakus and Mangold (1992) reported that despite the absence of a don't know (DK) option on SERVQUAL, non-responses on the perceptions
battery are quite common.

Moreover, Krosnick (1991) has pointed out that when mid-points are perceived as representing neutral responses, respondents may be induced to
select them to enable quick completion of the task. The indicated response may therefore not truly reflect the respondents' actual expectations or

WHAT IS SERVICE QUALITY?

Service quality refers to consumers’ evaluation of the excellence and superiority of the service encountered (Zeithaml and Bitner, 2003). Customers
who experience positive feelings and attitudes toward the services during the service consumption process are more likely to perceive favorably
toward the service provider, which subsequently leads to customer satisfaction (Ishaq, 2012)

There is no single, unequivocally accepted definition of service quality. The concept has been perceived from several perspectives. Reeves and
Bednor identified 4 dimensions of quality which includes – Excellence, Value, Conformance to Specification, and meeting/exceeding expectations.
George E. Kroon suggests two other dimensions – market perception “how well you are doing compared to your competitors” and strategic quality
“combination of price and the quality your company wants to offer”

Service quality is crucial

Providing superior service quality is crucial in achieving long-term success in the service industry (Shahin and Dabestani, 2010)

A very important aspect of business in tourism and hotel industry is the achievement of quality service of all material and immaterial elements
(Ahmad et al., 2018).

When customers experience excellent service, they are more likely tp be satisfied and develop a sense of loyalty to a business. When
customers feel valued, understood, and appreciated, they are more likely to form an emotional bond that goes beyond transactional interactions.

Customer satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is a measure of how products and the services provided meet or surpass customer expectations (Kotler and Armstrong, 2018).
It refers to the final state of a process in which the customers evaluate the perceived benefits obtained from using service (Oliver, 2010). If a
company wants customers to perceive their products or services as valuable, customer satisfaction must be fulfilled (Zameer et al., 2015). Satisfied
customers tend to stay loyal with products that can satisfy their needs and wants (Mohd Suki, 2017)

A study conducted by Agnihotri et al. (2019) reported that customer satisfaction with the sales personnel has a significant positive influence on
customers’ willingness to pay more. This shows that when customers’ needs are met efficiently, the satisfaction will drive them to spend more money
and make more repeated purchase.

On the other hand, Reynolds and Beatty (1999) found out that high level of satisfaction with the company results in spreading positive word of mouth
about the company. Ardnt (1967, p. 1) described word of mouth as informal conversation which is “probably the oldest mechanism by which
opinions on products and brands are developed, expressed, and spread.”

Theoretical Framework:

Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Berry found five dimensions customers use when evaluating service quality. They named their survey instrument
SERVQUAL.

The five SERVQUAL dimensions are:

 TANGIBLES-Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials

 RELIABILITY-Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately

 RESPONSIVENESS-Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service

  ASSURANCE-Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence

 EMPATHY-Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers

Total quality includes all aspects of the service provided to hotel visitors (Ho et al., 2013). If the dimension of service quality is not in
accordance with the expectations of the guests, then a high degree of dissatisfaction of the visitors is definitely expected.

Translate service quality to customer satisfaction

How to use Pearson Coeficient?

The Pearson correlation coefficient ranges from -1 to 1.

 A coefficient of 1 indicates a perfect positive correlation (as one variable increases, the other also increases).
 A coefficient of -1 indicates a perfect negative correlation (as one variable increases, the other decreases).
 A coefficient of 0 indicates no correlation.

Research Instrument:

In service positions where the employee turnover rate is high, providing excellent quality customer service experience is perhaps one of the most
challenging aspects of the job. As new employees join and old ones leave, the quality of your customer service poses the constant risk of
deteriorating. That's why looking at the right metrics is crucial to keep the pulse of your customer service performance.

Upon completion of the survey, the collected questionnaires will undergo a thorough analysis to determine the validity and reliability of the
instrument. This meticulous examination is essential for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of the gathered data, contributing to the overall
precision of the research findings.

Part 1 - Demographics:

This section of the survey will gather information about the respondents' demographic characteristics. Demographic data typically includes details
such as age, gender, education level, occupation, and any other relevant personal information. Understanding the demographics of the survey
participants can help the researchers analyze if there are any patterns or variations in responses based on these factors.

Part 2 - Five Dimensions of Service Quality:

The second part of the survey is designed to assess the five dimensions of service quality, which are commonly associated with the SERVQUAL
model. This part of the questionnaire will likely include questions related to reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy, and responsiveness — the key
dimensions used to evaluate the quality of a service. Respondents will provide their opinions and perceptions on these dimensions, allowing the
researchers to gauge how well The Bayleaf Hotel is meeting customer expectations in these areas.

Data Gathering Procedure

In our research journey, we follow a simple roadmap for gathering data.

Survey Questionnaires:

The SERVQUAL model, developed by A. Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml, and Leonard Berry, is a widely used framework for assessing service
quality. It consists of five dimensions that are used to evaluate the quality of a service.

1. Reliability: This dimension focuses on the ability of the service provider to deliver accurate, consistent, and dependable services. It
involves fulfilling promises and delivering the service as promised.

2. Assurance: Assurance pertains to the knowledge, courtesy, and ability of employees to convey trust and confidence to customers. It
involves factors such as the competence of service providers, their ability to instill confidence, and their courtesy in handling customer interactions.
3. Tangibles: Tangibles refer to the physical appearance of facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials. This dimension
assesses the visual cues associated with the service, such as cleanliness, the appearance of staff, and the physical environment in which the service is
delivered.

4. Empathy: Empathy is the dimension that measures the service provider's ability to understand and care about the individual needs of
customers. It involves demonstrating a willingness to help customers and providing personalized attention.

5. Responsiveness: Responsiveness evaluates the willingness of the service provider to help customers promptly and address their needs. It
focuses on the timeliness of service and the readiness of employees to provide assistance.

Why is high service quality important?

The main reasons why high service quality is important to an organization are:

 It boosts sales. Customers that perceive a company's services as being high quality are more likely to do business with that company. Also,
customers who buy from companies with high service quality are more likely to continue buying from those companies regularly.

 It saves marketing money. Retaining existing customers by offering them high-quality services is typically less expensive than attracting
new ones.

 It can attract quality employees. Highly performing professionals generally prefer to work for companies with high service quality.

 It can lead to repeat business. Customers who see their issues and complaints swiftly and efficiently resolved by a company's customer
service department may be more likely to buy from that company again in the future.

 It strengthens the company's brand. The reputation of a company with above-average service quality can boost sales by attracting new
customers or retaining existing ones.

 It eliminates certain barriers to buying. High service quality can convince a hesitant customer to make a purchase, as they know that if the
service is not right for them, they can rely on strong customer service to remedy the situation.
Zeithaml V. (1981) has stated that Customers of hospitality often blame themselves when dissatisfied for their bad choice. Employees must be aware
that dissatisfied customers may not complain and therefore the employees should seek out sources of dissatisfaction and resolve them.