Using Quality Function Deployment for Environmentally Sustainable Hotels: A Combined Analysis of Customer and Manager Point of View

Abstract

This paper aims to integrate customers' and managers' environmental priorities into service delivery design processes. The main research question in this study is to determine the most significant environmental priorities of customers and managers at hotels. To achieve this aim, Quality Function Deployment is implemented as a tool, combining customer expectations and environmental strategies in service design activities. Customers and managers collectively focus to increase environmental sustainability in hotels in several areas such as the presence of the hotel not causing any harm to the environment, the compliance of hotel with surrounding nature, the presence of automatic electricity control, and the effective use of energy and water lavatories containing automatic water saving systems. The primary design characteristics that meet customer expectations and improve environmental sustainability at hotels are the economic use of electricity, water saving systems, use of natural materials, and adequacy of systems not harming environment and human. (C) 2017 Varna University of Management. All rights reserved