GUIDELINES FOR CREATING CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE FOR HOTEL BUSINESS: A CASE IN NAHON-CHAI-BU-RIN PROVINCIAL CLUSTER, THAILAND

Abstract

Customer experience extends beyond the scope of basic service standards and is increasingly recognized as a strategic asset that influences both operational efficiency and long-term profitability, while also playing a critical role in establishing competitive advantage. This study aims to examine the components of customer experience, experience-centric service, service quality, customer satisfaction, and revisit intention, to investigate the direct and indirect impacts of customer experience, experience-centric service, service quality, customer satisfaction, and revisit intention, and to propose a new model for creating the customer service experience for the hotel in the context of Nakhon-Chai-Bu-Rin Provincial Cluster, Thailand. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for path analysis. Data were collected via an online survey administered through Google Forms, targeting a purposive sample of 400 Thai and international guests who had utilized hotel services at least once in the last 3 years (2023-2025) within the Nakhon-Chai-Bu-Rin Provincial Cluster in Thailand. The 67 items of observable variables were used to analyse the model. The fit index values in model testing consist of: X2/Df = 2.249, GFI = 1.000, CFI = 0.936, NFI = 0.892, TLI = 0.923, RFI = 0.869, RMSEA = 0.056, and RMR = 0.014, all are considered to pass the criteria. The findings led to the development of a new model for enhancing customer service experience in this context, comprising five key components: customer experience, experience-centric service, service quality, customer satisfaction, and revisit intention. The new model also demonstrates statistical consistency with the empirical data, confirming that five key factors have a statistically significant direct impact on customer experience. It can increase satisfaction that leads to revisit intention and hotel sustainable revenue. Nonetheless, individual hotels must assess their specific capacities and contextual factors when implementing this model.