Consumer Satisfaction with Psychiatric Services

Question: Discuss about the Consumer Satisfaction with Psychiatric Services. Answer: Introduction: The problem statement which can be identified in case of this research proposal refers to the deterioration of revenues of Hilton Hotel UK due to the reduction in quality of services. The issue impinges major impact on the customer satisfaction levels which can be detrimental to the future growth and sustainability of the enterprise (Bansal Taylor, 2015). The hotel has faced considerable difficulties in sustaining its service consistency which account for limitations in the return visits of customers. The contemporary business environment is characterized by the prominent demand for estimating the needs of customers in unison with their satisfaction levels. Despite the years of operations in the hospitality industry and a formidable brand reputation, the Hilton Hotel UK is accountable for decreasing revenues in event of decline in customer satisfaction levels (Hilton, 2017). The resolution of the issue is vested in the prospects which could be derived from the distinct traits of customers that can influence their perception of services provided by the hotel (Coussement, Benoit Antioco, 2015). Hence the research must assume the priority of estimating the levels of customer satisfaction in the context of the services facilitated by Hilton Hotel UK. The nature of the hospitality industry is service based and hence it cannot undermine the significance of customer satisfaction. The profound information needs which are observed for the research proposal include the quantitative and qualitative statistics pertaining to the performance of Hilton Hotel and customer influx, secondary data obtained from online sources and journals pertaining to research in the domain of customer satisfaction in service based industries. The essential requirements of information also refer to the comprehensive illustration of the responses from customers of Hilton Hotel UK to the distinct questions referring to the different factors considered by customers for determining the efficiency of the services provided by the hotel (Dai et al., 2015). Specific description of the factors influencing the decisions of customers and their loyalty can be identified in terms of gender, age, value of services, purchase experience, usage experience, and frequency of service usage, product satisfaction and comparison of services with those of peers. Research design: The research design followed the descriptive approach in contrast to the casual approach considering the complicacy of the problem identified for the research activity. The outcomes of the research have to be conclusive and therefore descriptive approach implements quantitative data analysis to project the statistical inferences drawn from the target audience. Outcomes of a descriptive research approach can be beneficial if the research objectives are illustrated precisely prior to the design of survey questions (Frankenberger et al., 2015). The research objectives which can be identified in this case refer to the catering of customer requirements and accomplish higher customer satisfaction, develop higher revenues and apprehending the expectations and actual perception of customers in the context of the service quality offered by Hilton Hotel UK. Descriptive research is executed through surveys and observations with the prominent goals of describing the type of the concerned subject which results in the acquisition of comprehensive information (Gao Mattila, 2014). Data is collected in the context of individual, situation or group descriptions through instruments such as interviews, observation studies, and questionnaires. The information can also be utilized for perceiving the practical implications of models and theories in specific scenarios. Descriptive statistics are favorable for analysis of a single variable at a particular time, thereby indicating univariate analysis. The application of advanced data analysis techniques such as segmentation, correlations and benchmarking could also be realized through apprehending the information at face value alongside estimating the changing trends over time (James, Babin Borges, 2015). However, descriptive research is also associated with prominent setbacks such as lack of opportunities to explore the research problem and consideration of variables in a natural setting result in ambiguities related to the definition of cause. Furthermore, the research design has to evaluate the scales of measurement which should be used for grading and arrangement of the responses (Johnson Grier, 2013). Quantitative measurement scales which are used generally in research activities refer to a nominal scale, ordinal scale and interval scale. The nominal scale is used for documentation of variables which refer to distinct categories such as male/female or country A/country B. Nominal scales are used due to the qualitative categories of a variable which cannot be listed or expressed in terms of magnitude and degree in a comprehensible format (Levenson, Prescott Jumper, 2014). An ordinal scale is preferred for the variables which can be classified into distinct categories with appropriate meaning in terms of degree and magnitude. Ordinal scales of measurement rely on the ranking of variables and can be considered as prolific inclusions in the research proposal for identifying the significance of individual factors perceived as major contributors to the satisfaction of customer needs and ensuring alignment with the expectations of customers (Kim, Magnusen Kim, 2014). The use of Likert scale in the research can be considered as an appropriate implementation of interval measurement scales to identify the responses of research participants in the questionnaire survey. The Likert scale can be aptly defined as a response scale used in questionnaire surveys for accessing the responses of the participant or the degree of agreement in the context of a particular statement or set of statements (Pousette et al., 2014). The Likert scale can be considered as an apt example of the interval/ratio scale which assigns numerical values to quantitative categories of a variable. Some critical references also indicate that Likert scale is ordinal in nature as it allows the measurement of variables on a scale of 1 to 5. These measurement scales have been used in the design of the questionnaire comprising of 20 questions related to the research problem (Kwong Candinegara, 2014). The research activity utilizes the above-mentioned scales of measurement for quantification of the data obtained from the questionnaire. Sampling design and rationale: The sampling design is considered as a mandatory inclusion in the research activity since it reflects on the population which would be included as the participants in the research activity. Sampling is executed on a specific population indicating the total number of individuals related to the inferences made for the research study (Klingaman et al., 2015). A sample is considered as the representation of the population referred to in the inferences of the sampling study. The validation of the selected sampling method can be ensured through the explanation of a rationale associated with the same. Sampling has been associated with cognizable outcomes in a research activity such as time effectiveness, control on unlimited data, cost reduction, assistance in the acquisition of intensive and comprehensive data, the impetus for the research activity and the implications of accuracy derived from individual studies (Prakash, 2015). However, it is essential to understand the distinct forms of sampling designs which are used commonly in research activities (Susanty Kenny, 2015). The two profound categories in the sampling design refer to non-probability and probability sampling. Probability sampling refers to the condition of precise estimation of the probability of including each person in the sampling whereas non-probability sampling does not necessarily emphasize the inclusion of particular members of the population in the research sample (Kemny et al., 2015). Since all the customers of Hilton Hotel UK cannot be included in the sample, the non-probability sampling method is applied in the case of this research proposal. The distinct classifications of non-probability sampling such as convenience sampling, quota sampling, snowball sampling and purposive sampling indicate the flexibility for the researcher to opt for reasonable sampling designs on the basis of their requirements (Sohn, Barrett Talbert, 2014). Snowball sampling can be evaluated as the most prolific option in case of this research activity and the rationale for supporting the selection is based on the characteristic nature of acquiring participants in the sample on the basis of their compliance with research criteria. Therefore the researcher can implement snowball sampling to find participants satisfying the criteria of being customers of Hilton Hotel UK (Li et al., 2015). Furthermore, the use of snowball sampling in the research allows access to other customers of the hotel through the identified participants contacts, especially on social media and in online communities. The data collection method utilized for the research is a questionnaire survey which can be distributed through a paper-based medium or online based medium. Paper based data collection is executed in surveys through mail or cold calling and online based mediums refer to the use of web-based platforms for surveys. The primary concerns while collecting the data for a research activity through questionnaires can be verified in the context of the attention required for the validity of content and construct, credible scoring approach, controlled behavior of the researcher, concrete behaviors which can be apprehended flexibly by the nave subjects. In this case, the selection of the paper-based distribution of the questionnaire has been followed with the implementation of mail as a medium of communication between researcher and participants. The advantages of the paper based medium of communicating the questionnaire to research participants include the capabilities to counter the higher number of questions in the survey. Online based surveys would not be suitable for acquiring responses for a larger number of questions as highlighted above. Mail also enables the acquisition of higher return rate of responses especially in the context of the existing research activity. However, the paper-based data collection method of mailing can be characterized with disadvantages such as the inability to acquire real-time responses, the ambiguity of return rates and credibility of responses. The use of mail does not enable the researcher to engage in a real-time interaction with respondents which limits the competencies of the researcher to apprehend underlying concerns of respondents related to the research problem. The returns rates in case of mailing cannot be estimated precisely since the response of the participants, as well as the time at which they choose to respond to the questionnaire, are uncertain. Participants may choose to delay the questionnaire reply which in turn reflects on delays in the completion of research activity. Furthermore, it has been observed that many participants do not respond to the questionnaire at all which can be a detrimental aspect for the research outcomes. It is imperative to note that the minimum requirement for the survey responses to be adequate is the 50% return rate on the mails delivered to the participants. Thereafter, a prominent setback is observed in the paper-based data collection method in the form of the credibility of responses. The authenticity of the responses and assurance for completion of the questionnaire survey by the participants themselves cannot be ascertained precisely which creates a substantial pitfall for the selected data collection method. Recommended data analysis strategy: The data analysis strategy followed for the research activity is a univariate analysis which is considered on the basis of a robust rationale. The rationale can be derived from the capability of the data analysis strategy to cater the analysis of research information with respect to single variable individually. The different questions illustrated in the survey are profoundly reflective of the aspects associated with customer satisfaction at the Hilton Hotel UK and hence assessment of individual variables can contribute to the flexibility of research outcomes in catering the research issue effectively. Univariate analysis of data involves the distinct steps of data input, data summary, and observation of data patterns. The descriptive approach followed in the research accounts for superior performance of univariate analysis in determining research outcomes through bar charts, frequency distribution tables, pie charts, and histograms. Univariate analysis also provides a viable opportunity to acquire a detailed impression of the descriptive statistics related to the research issue such as standard deviation, central tendencies including mean, median and mode alongside dispersion. The proposed techniques which can be implemented in case of this researchs data analysis include the frequency distribution tables and histograms representing the individual responses. The use of Likert scale for interpretation of participant responses allows convenient presentation of collected data in the form of quantitative metrics. Conclusion: The research proposal highlighted the problem statement pertaining to deceasing revenues of Hilton Hotel UK due to inferior customer satisfaction levels. The report also presented an illustration of the research design, sampling methods, and data analysis strategies. The data collection instrument i.e. questionnaire survey has also been presented in the proposal. Critical analysis of the selected research design, sampling methods and data analysis strategies depicted in the report also help in prediction of underlying pitfalls which could deter the credibility of research outcomes. References Bansal, H. S., Taylor, S. (2015). 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