J.D. Power Report Issued by Cornell Demonstrates the Financial Benefits of Hotel Guest Satisfaction
30 July 2010
Hospitality research says: deliver on key performance indicators
An industry white paper issued by Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) demonstrates the clear connection between guest satisfaction and hotels’ financial results. Conducted by researchers from J.D. Power and Associates, the study, “Making Customer Satisfaction Pay: Connecting Survey Data to Financial Outcomes in the Hotel Industry,” is available at no charge from the CHR’s website at www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/perspective/. The hospitality research was written by Gina Pingitore, Dan Seldin, and Arianne Walker, all of J.D. Power and Associates. In a survey of over 4,000 guests at an upscale hotel chain, they found that fulfilling certain key performance indicators is essential to hotel guest satisfaction.
“When we focused on the connection between measurements of customer satisfaction and hotel financial outcomes, we discovered the importance of four key performance indicators,” said Pingitore. “Guests who were satisfied on all four of these indicators rated the hotel as delivering outstanding service. In turn, those highly satisfied guests reported far greater ancillary spending than those who were merely pleased with their stay.” Pingitore is the chief research officer for J.D. Power; Seldin is a director in the firm’s corporate research and marketing sciences department; and Walker is director of U.S. automotive research.
The key performance indicators that emerged from the study are fundamental to hotel operation. They are: the reservation was accurate, check-in was completed within five minutes, no problems were experienced during the stay, and no billing errors occurred. Guests who experienced all four of these performance indicators were most likely to grant the hotel a top guest satisfaction rating.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contact: John Tews; Troy, Mich.; (248) 312-4119; media.relations@jdpa.com.
About The Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the CHR’s 78 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. To learn more about the center and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.
Center Senior Partners: McDonald’s USA, Philips Hospitality, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., STR, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and TIG Global
Center Partners: AIG Global Real Estate Investment, Davis & Gilbert LLP, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, Denihan Hospitality Group, eCornell & Executive Education, Expedia, Inc., Forbes Travel Guide, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fox Rothschild LLP, French Quarter Holdings, Inc., FX Real Estate and Entertainment, Inc., HVS, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jumeirah Group, LRP Publications, Maritz, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh’s Hospitality Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer, SAS, Schneider Electric, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, Thayer Lodging Group, Thompson Hotels, Travelport, and WATG
Center Friends: 4Hoteliers.com • American Tescor, LLC • Argyle Executive Forum • Berkshire Healthcare • Cody Kramer Imports • Cruise Industry News • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • EyeforTravel • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) • hospitalityInside.com • hospitalitynet.org • Hospitality Technology Magazine • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • HotelExecutive.com • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • HotelWorld Network • International CHRIE • International Hotel Conference • International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) • iPerceptions • JDA Software Group, Inc. • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • Milestone internet marketing resource center • MindFolio • Mindshare Technologies • Parasol • PhoCusWright • PKF Hospitality Research • The Resort Trades • RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit • Resort and Recreation Magazine • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • Synovate • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • WageWatch, Inc. • WIWIH.COM
RELATED NEWS![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
hotel guest satisfaction, upscale hotel chain, key performance indicators, marketing information services, chief research officer, hospitality research, information services company, web intelligence, business sectors, financial outcomes, hotel operation, seldin, j d
Glenn Withiam
Phone: 607.255.3025
Email: grw4@cornell.edu
The Center For Hospitality Research (CHR) at The Cornell School Of Hotel Administration
www.chr.cornell.edu/
537 Statler Hall
USA – Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607-255-9780
Fax: 607-254-2922
Follow us on:
f-newspaper/”>PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.





























