Consumer research in the restaurant environment. Part 2: Research design and analytical methods

Abstract

In Part 1, a model of dining satisfaction and return patronage was developed and described. Based on extensive review of the relevant consumer behaviour literature the model was developed and underpinned by the disconfirmation and expectancy theory. As noted in the article, disconfirmation theory is widely accepted as an account of the process by which customers develop feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, that is, when customers compare new dining experiences with some basis that they have developed from prior experiences. On the other hand, the assumption that a customer will weigh various restaurant attributes is based on expectancy theory. In the majority of studies using disconfirmation theory, expectations are formed according to customers’ pre‐experience beliefs and standards that they use to measure their purchase experience. These theories bring together the social, psychological and cultural concepts into four distinct groups of variables: input variables both internal and external, process variables and output variables (Lowenberg et al., 1979; Finkelstein, 1989). This paper is a continuation and explains: how the model of dining satisfaction and return patronage was operationalised, that is, how the research instrument was developed; how the sample size and survey procedures were developed and conducted; and how the selection of analytical procedures was conceived.

Plate versus bulk trolley food service in a hospital: comparison of patients’ satisfaction

“…Unfortunately hospital food service has an image problem, before even tasting any food patients generally expect poor quality (32); this has been described as 'institutionalised stereotyping' (11). Food quality attributes have been demonstrated in this study to have a critical effect on patient satisfaction.…”

The relationship between internal and external service quality

“…For instance, if a restaurant manages to increase its percentage of loyal customers from 76 to 81 per cent, its net profits are expected to double (Mattila, 2001). It has been shown that the more satisfied a customer is by services offered by a restaurant, the more likely he or she is to revisit it in the future or recommend it to friends and acquaintances (Kivela et al, 1999;Pettijohn et al, 1997). Social influence seems to play an important role to this end: 44 per cent of customers that visit a restaurant for the first time, appear to do so at someone's recommendation while 10 per cent are in fact accompanied by a former customer (Smith, 1996;Stevens et al, 1995).…”

Management kakovosti v prehrambenem turizmu: Zagotavljanje kakovosti ponudbe in lojalnosti gostov

“…281) razširijo nabor dejavnikov in kot najpomembnejše izpostavijo: varno prehrano, sprejemljivost (okus, izgled, temperatura, velikost porcij) in prehransko vrednost. So pa tudi druge ugotovitve, ki poudarjajo pomen izbora -obsega ponudbe pri ocenjevanju kakovosti (Kivela, Reece in Inbakaran, 1999) ter izgled gastronomske ponudbe (jedilnega lista) (Raajpot, 2002, v Ha in Jang, 2010. Čeprav je potrebno upoštevati mnenje gostov, ima lahko tak pristop številne omejitve, saj je ocenjevanje v celoti podvrženo subjektivnim ocenam gostov.…”