An Approach to Define Service Strategies: The Case of an Ecotourism Hotel in Mexico

Purpose: This article harmonizes the causal diagram with the objective tree to evaluate service quality and to identify action strategies that improve the quality of service in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach: In stage I, we obtained the quality perception records of 127 historical costumers, and 384 questionnaires. Subsequently, a causal diagram was generated in stage II. And finally, the above-mentioned strategies were created. The Causal Diagram clarifies the relationship between customer complaints and company weaknesses. Findings: The goal tree makes it possible to categorize these strategies according to target levels. Research limitations/implications: Costumers' opinions could generate biases in their responses. Future studies must consider other methods, such as Fuzzy Logic to reduce this bias. Practical and social implications: This study approach can be replicated in other industrial sectors and is particularly useful for defining improvement plans related to service quality. Originality/value: The integration of these tools will allow managers to better understand the influence the quality of service and the variables under the tangible elements of the service.