The effect of front desk employees' characteriestics on the first impression of customers and customers' satisfaction

Abstract

Front desk employees are the face as well as one of the most important departments of a hotel, and their performance is central to customers' first impressions of the hotel. Moreover, customers' first impressions will influence their satisfaction with the check-in experience and, furthermore, with the entire stay at the hotel. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the service providers' characteristics that affect customers' first impressions. Further, this study examines how front desk employees' first impressions influence customer satisfaction with the check-in experience. This study used a survey that included general demographic characteristics, after which factor analysis and linear regression were conducted for the analysis. The results of this study show that competence has a significant effect on negative first impression, that friendliness and service attitude has a significant effect on positive first impression, and that both positive and negative first impression have a significant effect on customer satisfaction with the check-in experience. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to the development of management training for new hotel employees in the future.