Directing the Continuous Quality Improvement Effort

The continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts at the Lodge and Conference Center at Grand National, Opelika, Alabama, involve a range of strategies, policies, and practices enacted by the current management team to lift the service game and enhance the overall quality and value for money appeal of the guest experience. The authors report findings of a recently conducted study on this issue. This article is available in Hospitality Review: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol22/iss2/8 Directing the continuous quality improvement effort by Martin A. O'Neill and Susan Hubbard The continuous qualrly ;mprovement (CQll operator andor destination and its e m at the Lodge and Conference Center ability to satisfy at Grand National, Opelika, Alabama, involve a range of strategies, policies, and ~ ~ . 3 t 0 m e ~ ~ . Of central practices enactedby the current managehere is the quality of service ment team to liff the service game and provided to visitors, which more enhance the overall quality and value for money appeal of the guest experience. The Often than not be a deterauthors rewrt the findinas of a recentlv factor when it comes to repeat visiw n d u ~ study on this issue. A s the international tourism industry a t last begins to show signs of recovery1 the issues of service quality and visitor satisfaction are again beginning to assert themselves as key boardroom issues for today's tourism andlor hospitality professional. While much has changed on thc tourism landscape over recent years, there continues to be one constant; service quality remains a complex construct to conceptualize, operationalize, and measure. This is particularly true of the tourism sector, where long-term success is dependent upon the hospitality record of a particular tation and recommendation intention? Today's hospitality consumer has become a rather sophisticated and somewhat more discerning individual in terms of both quality and value for money expectation. To complicate matters further, evidence now suggests that even when exemplary service has been delivered, today's consumer remains a very fickle and somewhat disloyal individual.' With its wide range of benefits, including income generation, foreign exchange earnings, the creation of both fulland part-time jobs, and the generation of secondary economic activity, support for and investment in the state tourism sector is now regarded as an essential regional ---O'Neill and Hubhard 87