Measuring service quality: perceptions of employees in the hotel industry during the Covid19 pandemic in Hungary

Abstract

The focus of this research was to use the SERVQUAL methodology to examine the service quality of Hungarian hotels as perceived by their employees during the Covid19 pandemic. The paper concentrates on employees as internal customers and the crucial role they play in providing quality service. The SERVQUAL 5 dimensions were used to forecast hotel employees’ expectation, perception, and satisfaction. Data were gathered via online survey throughout Hungary, using a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire. The online questionnaires comprised a total of 55 questions which were divided into 3 main parts (Demography, SERVQUAL Expectation and Perception, Employee satisfaction. The responses are all recorded using the 5-point Likert scale. The study investigated both expectation and perception levels of the employees in Hungarian hotel during the pandemic. The results regarding the first hypothesis indicated that there is a gap between employee expectation and perception using the mean analysis in Microsoft Excel. Pearson’s correlation was used to investigate the relationship between employee perception and overall satisfaction. The results related to the second hypothesis also indicated that there is a strong relationship between the employee perception of service quality and the overall satisfaction. This research will provide an extensive understanding of service quality and employee satisfaction within the business process of an outsourced firm during the pandemic, with a primary focus on the Hungarian hotel sector.