Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition 
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For example, just having a variety of amenities for turn-down services will help build a sense of anticipation on part 
of hotel guests. The little guess “what am I getting for tonight?” will add some elements of indeterminacy to the 
service delivery and consequently make the hotel stay more pleasurable and memorable due to the inherent hedonic 
value associated with indeterminacy of the service experience.
The results of this study also provide some insight into some common practices in the hospitality business.
For example, many foodservice establishments find it difficult to justify seasonal food promotions in financial terms, 
in particular if such promotions fail to generate immediate traffic to their F&B outlets. Our results suggest that, 
although it is important to maintain consistency of menu items, a vibrant “Today’s Special” program or seasonal 
food promotions can add some elements of indeterminacy to an otherwise “no-surprise” experience. In so doing, 
such promotional activities incorporate hedonic value to the consumption experience and hence such activities may 
pay off in a long run by reducing “product fatigue” often experienced by repeat guests.
Our results also suggest that, although impulse buying is a spontaneous act, consumers do go through a 
cognitive evaluation process, subconsciously at minimum, to make normative judgments of their own impulsive 
behaviors. More importantly, the outcome of such an appraisal determines the tone of an overall affective 
ambivalence associated with impulse buying. These findings have important implications for hospitality marketers.
As ambivalence is an uneasy state of mind, marketers can tactfully offer cues in the service environment to facilitate 
consumers’ conflict-laden cognitive processes. This is not to say that impulse buying should be encouraged, but 
marketers can help guide consumers to make sense of their own behavior. Take a commonly occurring episode in a 
restaurant for example, a customer may be attempted to try a new menu item but afraid of feeling regret later. A 
waitperson can simply reassure the customer by saying “It is a popular choice lately” (If it is true). Such a comment 
provides a heuristic cue of “consensus implies correctness” (Chaiken, Liberman & Eagly, 1989) and may gear the 
customer’s cognitive evaluation toward a favorable rather than unfavorable outcome. With this little adventure in 
choice, the customer may have an elevated service experience and walk way with an affective state of guilty 
pleasure rather than pleasant guilt ---- After all, the success of any hospitality firm lies in its ability to offer 
customers pleasurable service experiences. Managing customers’ affective experiences is definitely an important 
step in achieving such a goal.