Measuring Overall Customer Experience in a Hospitality Collaborative Consumption Context

Abstract

Measuring and managing customer experience is increasingly becoming a priority in the experience-laden hospitality context. With the growing desire of consumers for living more authentic experiences, the collaborative consumption (CC) model has gained significant popularity in this industry. However, to date, the underlying structure of customer experience in a hospitality CC context has not been uncovered and a generalizable quantitative measure is yet to be developed. To fill this gap, this research aims to develop and validate a scale for measuring customer experience in a hospitality CC context. Based on a sample collected from Airbnb customers, results yield a 17-item five-dimensional scale (Platform brand experience, Accommodation sensory experience, Social experience with the host, Platform responsive capacity, and Quality of interaction with the host). This work demonstrates that providing an excellent customer experience in a CC context stems from a customer-centred approach from all the involved parties. Theoretical and managerial implications are also presented, along with relevant research avenues.