Development of a loyalty program based on the results of content analysis and questionnaire survey

The development of a loyalty program is a complex process in which two stages can be distinguished the first is content analysis and questionnaire survey to identify consumer loyalty and the second is to use the results of content analysis to justify specific measures to increase the level of loyalty.

To research guest satisfaction, the method of content analysis was used, which is one of the subtypes of desk research and surveys. This marketing research tool (content analysis) is a structured method of collecting data from secondary sources and qualitative and quantitative analysis of their content. The advantages of the method include the possibility of statistical processing of the results and a high level of objectivity of the analysis.

The purpose of the content analysis is to study the secondary information contained in the reviews of consumers of the services of the Sultan Plaza hotel on the website to identify the main factors of guest satisfaction.

During the research, such satisfaction models as: K. Grönroos' model, SERVQUAL model, gap model, Kano's model were examined and analyzed. Based on theoretical observation the above listed models, it has been found that it is best to combine multiple customer satis-faction models to achieve the greatest effect. The manager will then receive a detailed structured analysis for his company and for resolving service quality issues. The loyalty program affects the efficiency of the hotel [1-13].

In accordance with these models, the following were chosen as the basis for the content analysis blocks to determine the level of satisfaction: physical condition, responsiveness, value for money, location, reliability, empathy, quality of service from the staff, food, cleanliness, etc. and comfort.

With the help of common methods of marketing research, such as the analysis of customer feedback in the booking system and the method of questioning, the level and factors of increasing customer loyalty were revealed.

In total, for the period from 01.01.2019 to 26.03.2021, 150 reviews were analyzed.

Results and discussion

To determine the degree of satisfaction with the factor described in the visitor's review, emotional color and phrases from the visitor's review were divided into five groups:

• • guests are completely satisfied (5 points);

• • the guests were satisfied, but there are comments (4 points);

• • guests described general information, but did not indicate personal impressions (3 points);

• • guests are dissatisfied (2 points);

• • guests are outraged and experience extremely negative emotions (1 point);

• • guests did not mention a factor in their review (0 points).

Thus, all the criteria that were formed using the method of content analysis formed the final assessment of the satisfaction of the visitors of the Sultan Plaza hotel.

According to the results of content analysis, the most striking and frequently encountered criterion in reviews is the factor "Location of the hotel". Almost every guest indicates the location of the hotel, describes it in detail in his review and gives a rating. 112 people are completely satisfied with the location of the hotel. Guests like the fact that the hotel is located in the city center, namely near the central square of Kyzylorda. There are very few customers who are dissatisfied with the location of the hotel compared to the most satisfied. [12;13]

The most discussed factor influencing the level of customer satisfaction, as shown by the results of the content analysis, is “Nutrition”. Most often, guests in their reviews describe breakfasts that are included in the price of accommodation or are purchased for an additional fee. In most reviews, guests would like to expand the hotel's breakfast menu. Guests feel they need to be given a much wider choice. 110 out of 150 guests were satisfied with the food at the hotel. The third and no less important factor that guests pay attention to is the level of service. In 90% of 150 reviews, guests noted high and quality service. 10% of guests noted that the hotel staff is poorly trained, that the staff allows themselves to communicate rudely with guests. The fourth factor is the convenience of booking rooms at the Sultan Plaza Hotel. Guests write in reviews that it is difficult to get through to the hotel and book a room, since the line is busy (25%), the official website does not work all the time (10%). The remaining 65% of the reviews were positive. [12;13] All reviews are positive about the decoration, convenience, and design of the hotel, which gives it a huge advantage. An equally important note is that the hotel is slowly addressing technical issues. The guests also noted that one of the negative aspects of the hotel is the lack of a loyalty program for guests and would like the hotel management to consider this issue.

Customer satisfaction measures measure how successful an organization is in bringing products and services to market. Among the many benefits of measuring customer satisfaction, we highlight the fact that a customer satisfaction metric allows management to understand the difference between current service delivery performance and customer expectations. This leads to the initiation of actions to improve the customer experience.

Currently, the quality of hotel services is a burning topic that arises before every person who decides to visit the hotel. The aim of the study is to define a questionnaire as a tool for measuring guest satisfaction. The objectives of the research were formulated as follows: development of a questionnaire (selection of a topic, determination of the content and order of questions, registration of a questionnaire); selection of potential survey participants; conducting a survey; data processing; compilation of a report; summarizing the information received. The survey method was chosen as the research method.

Using method of questioning, 200 guests were interviewed who stayed at the hotel from 05/02/2021 to 26/03/2021.

On the question of affordability of the Sultan Plaza hotel, the largest percentage of people noted five points (59%), the next position in the rating was taken by guests' answers with four points (37%), and only one person rated the availability of prices for services at three points.

When asked about the service level assessment, the analysis of the answers showed that most respondents gave five points (56%) and four points (44%) to the quality of service at the Sultan Plaza hotel.

Analysis of the eighth question showed that among all guests of the Sultan Plaza Hotel, 58% were satisfied with their stay at the hotel, 35% were indifferent, 7% were dissatisfied.

The ninth question showed that only 2% of dissatisfied guests will return or make recommendations, while the overwhelming majority of guests said they would recommend the Sultan Plaza hotel.

After analyzing the received answers to all the questions, we found that the Sultan Plaza hotel is at a fairly high level, but there are some aspects that need to be improved. We succeeded to achieve this result using a survey method that has proven to be an affordable, easy, and mobile way to get information for research in the hospitality industry.

First, in order to increase the level of guest satisfaction, the Sultan Plata Hotel should pay great attention to increasing the loyalty of its guests. Retaining old customers is more economical and easier than looking for new ones all the time. That is why more and more modern hotels are paying maximum attention to the issue of retaining and increasing the loyalty of regular customers. One of the most effective solutions is to implement an attractive hotel loyalty program.

Increasing customer loyalty presupposes the development of a program, or its improvement, if available, based, inter alia, on the results of the survey.

Loyalty program - a set of marketing activities for the development of repeat sales to existing customers in the future, selling them additional goods and services, promoting corporate ideas and values, and other types of potentially profitable behavior. It is carried out mainly at the stage of maturity of the product life cycle.

Typically, a standard loyalty program consists of three components:

• •    Intangible benefits for clients. They are aimed at creating positive emotions in the client, developing special offers for clients, creating forms of interaction with clients.

• •    Material benefits. These are all kinds of gifts, discounts and bonuses, service organization, etc.

• •    Technical capabilities that provide the formation of a customer database and optimization of interaction with them. It can be a special information system, a system for working with discount cards.

The goal of developing a loyalty program is to increase the number of customers. Thus, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to set the following tasks:

• •    Analyze the target audience;

• •    Determine what resources are needed to increase client commitment;

• •    Determine the stages of work;

• •    Bringing tasks into action;

• •    Analysis of the results.

To develop a loyalty program, a preliminary analysis was carried out - the target audience was determined, its main needs and preferences were identified in the previous section of the final qualifying work.

Identification of resources for the implementation of the loyalty program requires the following:

• •    Intelligent;

• •    Temporary;

• •    Human;

• •    Financial.

Stages of work:

• •    analyze the values of the target audience;

• •    think over ways to increase the loyalty program;

• •    prepare materials for the introduction of positions from the loyalty program;

• •    notify existing and potential customers about the upcoming changes.

And the last, also important stage of the program is the analysis of the results, and work on the elimination of errors and shortcomings.

An ill-conceived loyalty program leads to the fact that the discount is used by those people who in any case would have purchased the product, which in some cases can cause losses.

There is no way to create a valid and profitable loyalty program for any service. The service must meet certain requirements. One of the key points is that the hotel's services must meet the established standards in the hotel industry. If the provided service has significant shortcomings, it is necessary to direct efforts, first of all, to eliminate them. In case of imperfection of the services provided, the development of a loyalty program will be an unreasonable waste of resources, including financial ones.

So, below is a list of necessary measures to improve the customer loyalty program of the Sultan Plaza Hotel.

• 1.    The program of notification and customer support through modern information tools (smartphones, e-mail, etc.). Since the guests are active young people using modern gadgets, the program has collected a database of regular guests and their contacts. We need notifications, messages about new promotions, price changes, congratulations on the holidays, including the guest's birthday. The emails show that guests are meaningful to the hotel. Such, at first glance, little things play a big role in shaping the attitude of customers to the hotel. In addition, this is a periodic reminder of the hotel itself. The psychology of people is such that from several options they will choose what is more familiar. For example, phone messages or e-mails are a highly effective way to increase loyalty.

• 2.    Bonus system that encourages repeat visits to the hotel. You can offer a system of bonuses or points for "check-ins". And so that the guest does not abuse them, you can give such bonuses only once per arrival. In addition, during the period of a seasonal decrease in demand for hotel services, you can add 2 times

• 3.    Bonus days. Upon arrival at the Sultan Plaza Hotel for a certain number of days, the guest receives an additional day of free accommodation. Thus, visiting the hotel several times, the guest will receive an increasing number of free days, which will encourage him to visit again.

• 4.    Return of interest to the card. To do this, it is necessary to issue a card to the client. It may not be a plastic card, as it will be expensive. You can order something like a business card for the guests of the hotel, which will display a sign in which you can mark the number of days spent in the hotel and the number of bonuses received. This scheme has great motivation for the guest, as he will know that the longer, he stays with you, the more discount he gets on the next placements. If the hotel develops such a promotion, it will increase customer loyalty. A guest who has accumulated bonuses on the card, if necessary, should contact the Sultan Plaza Hotel.

• 5.    One of the ways to increase loyalty can also be the purchase of board games by the hotel, which will be interesting for visiting companies, as well as for neighbors who are unfamiliar with each other. In this case, board games will help guests find a company and provide interesting leisure time.

• 6.    Interior and design in a hotel is always especially important to guests. One of the walls can be converted into a wish book. Guests can leave reviews directly on it. In the lobby, you can also place a magnetic board in a beautiful frame, for those magnets that guests bring from their cities. Such things are always interesting to consider, and it is even more pleasant to replenish them. In addition, the plaque is an indicator that guests trust the Sultan Plaza Hotel.

• 7.    Be careful to improve the system of discounts, to determine the reasons more carefully for granting discounts. Many believe that the most effective way to increase customer loyalty is through discount promotions. Of course, discounts play a big role in attracting customers, while for guests who have already visited the hotel, this method of increasing loyalty is not entirely suitable, due to the fact that the client understands that the discount is included in the hotel's profit. In addition, if you declare discount promotions limited in time, then not all regular customers will be interested,

• 8.    Special events and gifts. It often happens that guests live on their birthday or any other holiday (wedding anniversary). The hotel can compliment. Compliments can include a bottle of champagne, a basket of fruit, or a birthday cake.

• 9.    Encouraging positive feedback. Also, a good item in the loyalty program can be a guest posting on his page on a social network and giving him a bonus for this. So, in the Sultan Plaza hotel there is already a special offer -when writing a review in the hotel group, the guest gets a 5% discount. In our opinion, it is more efficient to post a review not in the hotel group, but on the guest's personal page.

• 10.    Improvement of the hotel's control system for order and silence, as well as the introduction of a code of ethics for personnel. When analyzing the reviews, it was concluded that the interior, cleanliness, service, and staff qualifications are far from the highest level. If these points leave much to be desired, no loyalty program will make people come back to the hotel again. Guests should feel great in a hotel environment. In addition, you need to remember that service is not only a special type of human activity that is aimed at meeting the needs of the client by providing services that are in demand by individuals or organizations, but also anticipating the needs of the client.

more points to the bonus accounts of arrived guests.

since for the period of the promotion, a trip to the city of Tomsk will not be relevant.

Conclusion

To summarize, the goal of developing a loyalty program was to increase the number of customers. In our opinion, such a loyalty program will increase the number of not only new customers, but also existing customers will be interested in staying at the Sultan Plaza Hotel every time.

Thanks to the implementation of the loyalty program, the Sultan Plaza hotel can count on customer loyalty, on the fact that new customers will appear who have arrived on the recommendation of their acquaintances who have already stayed in this hotel. However, it is necessary to understand that each point of the proposed program needs detailed elaboration and calculation of economic efficiency, which implies a greater economic effect (in the form of additional income or savings) compared to the investments made for the implementation of this event.

Thus, when deciding on the start of the proposed activities, the hotel management should focus on economic and communication efficiency. On the one hand, the effect of the event should be greater than the resources invested in it, and on the other hand, this event should ensure the achievement of the set goal -an increase in the level of consumer loyalty, and consequently, an increase in the volume of sales of services due to initial and repeated purchases.