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ARTICLE IN PRESS

Hospitality Management 24 (2005) 391–413 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijhosman

Integrating customer relationship management in hotel operations: managerial and operational implications
Marianna SigalaÃ
Department of Business Administration, University of the Aegean, 82100 Chios, Greece

Abstract As travelers are becoming more price sensitive, less brand loyal and more sophisticated, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) becomes a strategic necessity for attracting and increasing guests’ patronage. Although CRM in hospitality has overstated the importance of ICT, it is now widely recognised that successful CRM implementation should effectively combine and align ICT functionality with business operations. Given the lack of a widely accepted framework for CRM implementation, this paper proposed a model for managing and integrating ICT capabilities into CRM strategies and business processes. The model argues that successful CRM implementation requires the management and alignment of three managerial processes: ICT, relationship (internal and external) and knowledge management. The model is tested by gathering data from Greek hotels, while findings provide useful practical implications and suggestions for future research. r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Customer relationship management; Model; Implementation; Hotel industry

1. Introduction Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) crucially impact on travellers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The increased online price/product
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E-mail address: m.sigala@aegean.gr (M. Sigala). 0278-4319/$ - see front matter r 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2004.08.008

ARTICLE IN PRESS
392 M. Sigala / Hospitality Management 24 (2005) 391–413

transparency and the new e-business models (e.g. online auctions) enhance tourists’ purchasing power, who are becoming more price sensitive, less brand loyal,...