Service Quality System for Slovenian Small Independent Hotels

Quality is today, in conditions of strong competition and increasing demands of guests became the foundation for survival in the tourist market and profitability. The quality of service in small independent hotels is important for successful business. If quality is what the guests want, demanding and expecting, then this is what a small hotel can offer faster and easier than big ones.Generally speaking, in the hotel industry, products are produced and consumed simultaneously, while in other industries production and consumption are separated in time and space. For this reason, a high quality standard is hard to achieve. Using a quality system, hotel managers try to eliminate errors and improve the guest’s perception of quality issues. In the international business arena, as well as in Slovenia, one can witness how established quality systems, such as ISO, are ineffective in tourism companies.This paper seeks to analyze common service system problems in small, independent hotels. Also, this paper presents why and how the hotel quality system for small hotels was developed. The final version of the system is drawn from the results of 30 workshops with Slovenian hotel managers. The results should provide valuable guidance for small hotels striving to improve service quality.