Guest Voice Behavior for Hotels: The Role of Experience, Emotional Attachment, and Perceived Value

Abstract

Hotel firms can learn valuable insights from guests who voice their thoughts about the services. This study distinguishes voice behavior from complaint behavior, elevating it to a more supportive and constructive level, based on approaches to employee promotive and prohibitive voice behaviors. Guests can take an extra role in their communicative behaviors with hotels and voice innovative ideas and potential shortcomings related to the services they receive. Based on the theory of social exchange, we aim to explain the impact of guest experience, emotional attachment, and perceived value on voice behavior for hotels. The model was tested on the data collected from 628 adults about their last hotel stays. The findings show that emotional attachment mediates the relationship between customer experience and voice behavior and is positively influenced by experience. Perceived value strengthens the impact of experience on emotional attachment, moderating their relationship. Theoretical and managerial practices are discussed.