Measuring the customer service of local restaurants

Abstract

This study focuses on customer service in the restaurant industry. In the highly competitive environment of the Bult area in Potchefstroom, restaurants need a competitive advantage to survive or outperform their closest competitors. Here customer service can be a crucial advantage. This study measures customer service offered at restaurants and has the primary objective to determine the current levels of service quality of restaurants located in the specified area. Furthermore, the study determined where improvements can be made or where current success levels can be maintained. The SERVQUAL model is used after its questions have been adapted for the restaurant industry. Data were collected from customers through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire posted on Google Forms. The questionnaire was distributed electronically among customers of restaurants visiting the designated area. The feedback from customers indicated interesting target areas for restaurants to focus on to increase customer satisfaction. The data showed high Cronbach alpha coefficients which indicated satisfactory reliability and internal stability while the response rate was statistically calculated with the Kaiser, Meyer and Olkin test and confirmed to be satisfactory. Some 74 respondents completed the questionnaire. The results show overall high levels of satisfaction with the customer service across all five of the SERVQUAL antecedents while positive correlations exist between the customer service antecedents and the variable “Product offering”. The study is of value to restaurant management who needs to focus on the areas of good service delivery and also to improve the less satisfactory areas. This study also provides a blueprint for those managers who aim to measure the service quality of their restaurants.