Can I Trust You? An Exploration of the Role of Trust in Hospitality Service Settings

Abstract

This paper focuses on the concept of trust as it applies to service encounters in hospitality settings. The view of hospitality employees as dull and low-skilled bears on their performance as a participant in the service transaction. Perceived through this lens, employees are subject to an atmosphere of direct control and a management focused on financial metrics. This impacts on the way the employee is treated by management and by guests, and the way the employee feels about themselves in their employment, yet, they perform extraordinary feats of kindness and generosity for guests. This paper proposes that trust underpins the employee relationship with guests and is the humanising factor in the transaction. The paper explores the meanings, definitions and uses of trust and demonstrates how these differing meanings are applied within hospitality organisations.