Abstract

This study evaluated the impact ofself-service technology in hotel and customer loyalty in Abia State, Nigeria. The study conducted used registered hotels in Umuahia, Abia State. The objectives of the study 'were, to define self-service technology, to determine the influence ofself-service technology on customer loyalty, evaluate the types ofself-services technology available in hotels in Umuahia North local Government Area ofAbia State and ascertain the impact ofself-service technology on the growth ofhotels in Umuahia North local Government Area ofAbia State. The population for the study used was infinite. The sample size was 196. The research method used was survey design. Data were collected through the use ofstructured questionnaire which was organized in section to reflect specific objectives. A self-administered survey was used in data collections. The study defined self-service technology, as a type ofservice that the customer is‘ directly involved in the process, self-Service is aform ofservice that delivers by the customers to themselves through an interaction with technological systems or devices, self-service technology (SST) is a term used to describe technological interfaces that allows consumers to produce a service which is independent ofdirect service employee involvement, while self-service encounter is where the customer directly interacts with the service organization. The influence ofself-service on customer loyalty,., was found to be re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, attitudinal commitment and behavioural re-purchase intention, increases customersatisfaction in service encounters andthefeeling ofcontrol overthe interaction improves customers' perception ofservice quality, which consequently raises their intention to reuse the technology in thefuture, influences customer loyalty on self-service encounter. The types ofself-service available on the growth ofhotels in Umuahia North local GovernmentArea ofAbia State, are interfaces include telephone-based technologies and interactive voice response systems, internet based interfaces, interactive kiosks and Video technologies are the types ofself-service available on the growth ofhotels in Umuahia North local Government Area ofAbia State, hence the result ofthe analysisshowed that in objective one total mean score was (X = 3.47), in objective two total mean score (X = 3.50), objective three the total mean score was (X = 3.55) and objective' four the total mean score was (X = 3.41). In conclusion, consumerspreferself-service technology in hotel because it providesfast and quick service. Customersjudge quality ofservice as ‘low' if performance does not meet their expectations and quality as high' when performance exceeds expectations. Managers also predicted that with the introduction ofself-service kiosks, the roles offront-office staffwould evolve. Service employees would nowfocus on more value-adding tasks to satisfy the guests. Staff could be free to perform customer-satisfaction related duties such as building hotel-customer relationships or handling customer complaints. This work recommend, the hotel has to continuously monitor the use ofthe SSTs, the hotel needs to engage customers to determine the willingness ofthe guests to use the SSTs, ifthe adoption ratefor the SST is low, the hotel has to consider the factors hindering the use ofthe technology, and implement changes to the technology and thefeedbackfrom the use ofthe SST is good, the hotel willstill need to continue monitoring the use ofthe SST, and render assistance to customers who are unfamiliar with the technology