Purpose Loyalty has become the most important strategic aim in the hotel industry. The purpose of this paper is to obtain an empirical understanding of loyalty in the Kuala Lumpur hotel sector. Design/methodology/approach The dimensions of service quality as perceived by hotel customers were identified through the literature review. Hypotheses were formulated and tested to: examine the effects of process quality and outcome quality on perceived value, tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty; and to determine if perceived value and tourist satisfaction play a mediating role in the effect of process quality and outcome quality on tourist loyalty. In this study, the sample was 417 respondents from the international tourists who stay at least one night in four- or five stars hotels in Kuala Lumpur. Collected data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Findings The statistical findings supported a relationship between process quality and outcome quality with perceived value and tourist satisfaction, and tourist loyalty with perceived value and tourist satisfaction. The results also indicated that process quality and outcome quality did not have a direct effect on tourist loyalty. Perceived value and tourist satisfaction mediated the relationship between process quality and outcome quality with tourist loyalty. Originality/value The finding of this study proposed that the hoteliers targeting international tourists with service quality including process and outcome quality should focus more on these factors to build loyalty. For instance, the tangible, responsiveness, reliability, empathy, assurance, and convenience as the dimensions of process quality and valence, waiting time, and sociability as the dimensions of outcome quality should meet the needs of the international tourists, therefore increasing tourist loyalty through perceived value and tourist satisfaction.

Purpose Mobile banking or m-banking enables consumers to carry out their banking affairs with the help of mobile devices. Mobile-user banking interactions in the context of technology services create opportunities for positive experiences that can nurture trust, foster brand equity and eventually lead to long-term relationship building. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concepts of m-banking customer flow experiences and their role in affecting customer intention in the continued use of m-banking. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this main objective, a research model was developed by taking theoretical backgrounds and specific characteristics of m-banking into consideration for testing. The study to test this model was carried out in Iran, a developing country in the Middle East. Findings Results of the PLS-SEM analysis of 927 bank customers showed that the flow experience is positively influenced by both hedonic and utilitarian features. While, flow experiences influence trust and brand equity, individual mobility has a stronger effect on the intention to continue the use of m-banking compared with trust, flow experience and brand equity. Originality/value The current research provides various useful insights into customer engagement for conducting banking tasks via mobile technologies. Managers and decision makers can take into account the following insights to enhance positive flow experiences and loyalty intention of customers toward m-banking.

This study investigates the customers' expectation and perceptions of service quality delivered by restaurants in Shiraz and its effect on customers' satisfaction and loyalty. By clustering sampling method, 450 customers of the restaurants located in all nine districts of Shiraz were selected and the data was collected from the respondents by means of a questionnaire. From the results it was found that customers' expectation yielded a significant effect on the customer's perceived quality and loyalty. Although, the effect of customers' expectation on the customers' satisfaction was not statistically supported. Moreover, it was discerned that the customers' perceived quality toward the service had a significant effect on the customers' satisfaction and customers' loyalty. Finally, the result demonstrated the existence of a significant influence imposed by the customers' satisfaction on the customers' loyalty.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to follow a comparative framework to investigate the effects of outcome quality on loyalty through the mediating role of perceived value in four-star hotels and five-star hotels. Design/methodology/approach Following a review of the literature, some hypotheses were formulated to examine the effects of outcome quality on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intention through the mediating role of perceived value. The data guiding the comparative analysis were collected from two groups of visitors staying either in four-start or five-star hotels. The sample included 356 international tourists who stayed overnight in four- or five-star hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings Analyzing the data obtained helped to construct three models. In the first model, the effects of outcome quality on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intention through the mediating role of perceived value in both group of customers was analyzed. In the second model, the effects of outcome quality on behavioral intention through the mediating role of perceived value were compared across the two groups. In the third model, all dimensions of attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intention were combined into one single variable called composite loyalty. Originality/value In the first model, the (in)direct effect of outcome quality on both of the dimensions of loyalty (attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intention) was confirmed through perceived value as the mediating variable. The results of processing the second model showed that the impact of outcome quality on behavioral intention was greater in the four-star hotels clients, whereas the effect of perceived value on behavioral intention was greater in the five-star hotels visitors. The third model revealed that the (in)direct effect of outcome quality on composite loyalty through perceived value was greater in the four-star hotels clients than that in the five-star hotels clients.