Guest Satisfaction at Commercial Hospitality Training Facilities in South Africa

Hospitality training facilities are the laboratories in which students are exposed to experiential learning in real environments. These establishments aim to produce employable graduates and generate revenue to ensure financial sustainability. Despite the importance of service excellence in hospitality training facilities, this has not been effectively measured by existing studies. The study sought to determine guest profiles and satisfaction levels at these establishments. The methodology implemented was quantitative, surveying 300 guests at commercial establishments at two hospitality training facilities in South Africa. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The findings revealed that training facilities are frequently patronised by a youthful market who are educated, either work or study at the facility and visit mainly for meetings or business events. Significantly, the study found that most guests did not experience high levels of satisfaction, revealing gaps in the products and services delivered to them. The most important factors that influenced this were responsiveness, reliability, tangibility, empathy and assurance. These low levels of satisfaction should be addressed through improvements in service delivery and product quality. The results of the study provide valuable insights in ensuring the future success of hospitality training facilities and the effective training of future employees.