This article presents a content analysis of 2,471 customer comments regarding three hundred London restaurants on an online restaurant guide. Favorable comments far outnumbered negative reviews. The study’s chief purpose was to identify the factors that are most salient in a guest’s evaluation of a restaurant. Although food is established as the king of the meal experience, as found in other studies, the starter is cited as a highly memorable item in many consumers’ comments. A preference structure model emerges suggesting that customers consider food, service, ambience, price, menu, and decor (in that order) when reflecting on their experiences. Contrary to expectations, the model remains relatively constant when tested in times of economic plenty and economic crisis. Depending on how management monitors and responds to them, comments on electronic guides and in social media can destroy a restaurant or help secure the business’s longevity. Restaurant managers who respond successfully to comments in electronic forums can turn an unsatisfied customer to a loyal one. The study provides a comparison of comments made during times of favorable economic conditions and times of economic recession.

No abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the interplay between self-efficacy and career inheritance and its influence on career commitment in the hospitality sector. High labour turnover, unclear career paths and the transient nature of the work available in hospitality render it a suitable industry context that allows us to explore career commitment patterns. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on life history methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with hospitality professionals holding a relevant degree but no longer employed in the hospitality industry. Findings The findings revealed the interplay between self-efficacy, career inheritance and career commitment, as well as the speed of decline of career commitment, visualised as patterns of the leaving process. Although an infinite number of variations are possible, data unveiled the three main patterns. Research limitations/implications The schematic illustrations of the patterns of the leaving process are not representative. The purposive sample comprises only ex-hospitality professionals, and generalisations can be considered in future studies. Practical implications This newly conceptualised understanding of career commitment enables researchers to reconsider the fundamental reasons why individuals leave the hospitality industry, whilst also offering hospitality managers deeper insights into how the three identified patterns could inform recruitment and selection. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature through its meaningful theoretical extension in the context of career development studies. The unique concept of the leaving process addresses the prevalent issue of turnover and generates important implications.

This article provides new insights on what makes hospitality professionals by proposing a new framework: the personology of a hospitality professional. This framework is based on an in-depth analysis of the literature on self-efficacy, career inheritance and career commitment. Understanding the key characteristics of people who choose hospitality as their profession is of great importance to an industry that provides one in ten jobs worldwide, and in the United Kingdom alone employs 4.49 million people. The need for quality employees who consider hospitality a long-term career is of paramount importance. Stakeholders often perceive the hospitality industry as a hardworking and low-paying one. If employers wish to retain existing talent and also attract new talent, they need to have a better understanding of their employees’ key characteristics. The proposed personology will enable hospitality stakeholders to identify key indicators that aid in a deeper understanding of what constitutes a hospitality professional. This can facilitate the interview process and yield better recruitment and selection outcomes whilst contributing to the scarcity of knowledge on what being a hospitality professional entails.

No abstract