Enhancing Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality Operations: A Systematic Review and Strategic Framework for Service Excellence

Abstract

Purpose: Customer satisfaction remains a central determinant of competitiveness and sustainability in hospitality operations. Despite extensive scholarly attention, fragmented findings across service quality, technology adoption, employee engagement, and experience management have limited the development of a comprehensive operational framework. This paper systematically reviews contemporary literature to identify key drivers of customer satisfaction in hospitality operations and proposes an integrated strategic framework to enhance service performance.
Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review methodology was adopted. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Emerald Insight, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. A total of 162 articles were screened, and 84 high-quality empirical and conceptual studies were analyzed using thematic synthesis. The review integrates dominant theoretical perspectives including SERVQUAL, Expectation–Confirmation Theory (ECT), the Kano Model, Relationship Marketing Theory, and Service-Dominant Logic.
Findings: Findings indicate that customer satisfaction in hospitality operations is influenced by five interconnected domains: (1) service quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy); (2) employee engagement and service climate; (3) technology-enabled personalization; (4) service recovery effectiveness; and (5) experiential and emotional value co-creation. Digital transformation and sustainability initiatives increasingly shape satisfaction perceptions. The study proposes a Customer Satisfaction Enhancement Framework (CSEF) integrating operational, relational, and experiential dimensions.
Practical implications: Hospitality managers should adopt an integrated approach that aligns employee training, digital innovation, service recovery systems, and experience design strategies. Continuous measurement systems, supported by data analytics and CRM technologies, are critical.
Originality/value: This study synthesizes dispersed literature into a unified operational framework and extends customer satisfaction research by integrating digital transformation and sustainability perspectives within hospitality operations.