Employee Service Quality at Uzbekistani Halal Restaurants Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In this study, we examined the employee service dimensions which are associated with satisfaction and customers’ intention to revisit among Uzbekistani customers who visit halal restaurants in Korea. We also investigated the situational factor of the pandemic outbreak and the moderating role of the restaurant locations. A total of 264 respondents participated. The results revealed that behavior quality and appearance were important employee service quality dimensions for halal restaurants. However, interaction quality and expertise quality were not associated with satisfaction. The results may indicate that consumers did not prefer human interactions at the restaurants because of the risk of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The results affirmed that customers who positively evaluated their restaurant experience showed a higher intention to visit again. Finally, the findings showed a moderating effect of the location (the capital city vs. others). The customers visiting restaurants in the capital city were likely to be satisfied with employees wearing masks and wearing clean uniforms. These findings could enrich the literature on the multidimensional aspects of service encounters at Uzbekistani halal restaurants considering the tangible and intangible service qualities of employees during COVID-19.

Untitled

“…H1: Job engagement has a direct and positive effect on organization engagement Service Performance Service performance is an employee's deeds in serving customers (Liao & Chuang, 2004;Shokhsanam & Ahn, 2021). There are three components of service performance, i.e.…”

Conceptual assessment on service quality, food safety and sanitation practices of Casual Dining Restaurants (CDR): A proposal of an enhanced customer-based brand equity framework

“…Otherwise, it might affect brand loyalty and derail brand equity. In the study of Shokhsanam & Ahn (2021), the researchers mentioned that in outcome quality, the most important dimension is food quality. They argued that management must continuously improve the quality of food, understand the expectations of guests, and consistently monitor the guests' feedback in terms of taste.…”

Do SARS-CoV-2 safety measures affect visitors experience of traditional gastronomy, destination image and loyalty to a World Heritage City?

“…In the same vein, Brewer and Sebby (2021) showed that to safely respond to consumers' desire for food during the pandemic, restaurants opted for online service with visually attractive menus, the main objective of which was to increase consumer satisfaction. However, other research concluded that the COVID prevention measures implemented by restaurants have their own ethical and symbolic value translated through the safety of customers ( Shokhsanam and Ahn, 2021 ). These measures, however few there may be, are aimed at strengthening safety in the gastronomic environment, thus generating customer satisfaction.…”