Authors:
Aunkrisa Sangchumnong, Manop Saengjamnong
Addresses:
The School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Suan Dusit University, Dusit, Bangkok, Thailand. Department of Organisation Development, Liberal Art, Rajapark Institute, Wang Thonglang, Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract:
This study examines how Thai luxury hotel guests who regularly use Butler Service build and sustain loyalty over time. Rather than measuring what guests rate, it explores what they feel, remember, and narrate—psychological territory that survey instruments cannot adequately reach. Twelve purposively selected high-end tourists in Thailand participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews averaging 75 minutes each, followed by a three-hour Focus Group Discussion. All participants used Butler Service at 5-star-and-above properties at least five times per year. Data were analysed using Six-phase Thematic Analysis with constant comparative coding and member checking. Six themes emerged from the data. Trust accumulation forms the relational base without which deeper loyalty cannot develop. Social identity construction ties the Butler experience to how guests see and present themselves. A progressive ratchet effect—here termed Adaptive Standards—continuously elevates guests' minimum acceptable service level. Time value and a zero-friction ideal characterise how senior professionals experience Butler's worth. Emotionally charged, unsolicited Butler gestures crystallise as peak memories that carry disproportionate loyalty weight. Butler turnover, reactive rather than anticipatory service, and digital friction quietly erode commitment that took years to build. No prior study has theorised Butler Service loyalty from the Thai guests’ perspective through qualitative inquiry. This paper introduces the Adaptive Standards (Ratchet Effect) construct—a dynamic invisible to cross-sectional surveys—and proposes the Trust-Emotion-Standards (TES) model of VVIP loyalty.
Keywords: Butler Service; Thematic Analysis; Lived Experience; Adaptive Standards; Acceptable Service Level; Emotional Attachment; Luxury Hospitality; Trust-Emotion-Standards (TES).
Received on: 02/11/2024, Revised on: 27/12/2024, Accepted on: 16/04/2025, Published on: 03/03/2026
DOI: 10.64091/ATIML.2026.000313
AVE Trends in Intelligent Management Letters, 2026 Vol. 2 No. 1 , Pages: 19-29