The Use of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) Features through Hotel’ Website to Enhance Customer Loyalty and Brand Image

Abstract

(JAAUTH) Vol. 21, No. 1, (2021), PP.103-125. Despite the tremendous importance of electronic customer relationship management (eCRM), customer loyalty, and brand image in the hospitality industry, literature has revealed limited research into this aspect in hotels. The study objectives are to explore the influence of using eCRM practices (ease of use / navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, price attractiveness, and multimedia features,) to enhance customer loyalty and brand image in hotels. A conceptual framework for the study was constructed based on the pertinent literature and pilot study. The study relied on questionnaires as a tool for data collection. The survey was compiled based on previous studies, and it was distributed to hotel guests in twenty different five-star hotels in Great Cairo. The researchers distributed 400 questionnaires to a random sample of hotel’ guests in 20 hotels, 277 were valid, with an acceptable response rate of 69.25%. The valid data was analyzed through (SPSS V.25) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using (AMOS V.20). The findings revealed that ease of use / navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, and price attractiveness significantly impact customer loyalty in hotels. Also, customer loyalty significantly affects the brand s image. Additionally, electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) through customer loyalty significantly impacts the brand s image.