Big social data and customer decision making in vegetarian restaurants: A combined machine learning method

Customers increasingly use various social media to share their opinion about restaurants service quality. Big data collected from social media provides a data platform to improve the service quality of restaurants through customers' online reviews, where online reviews are a trustworthy and reliable source that helps consumers to evaluate food quality. Developing methods for effective evaluation of customer-generated reviews of restaurant services is important. This study develops a new method through effective learning techniques for customer segmentation and their preferences prediction in vegetarian friendly restaurants. The method is developed through text mining (Latent Dirichlet Allocation), cluster analysis (Self Organizing Map) and predictive learning technique (Classification and Regression Trees) to reveal the customer’ satisfaction levels from the service quality in vegetarian friendly restaurants. Based on the obtained results of our experiments on the data vegetarian friendly restaurants in Bangkok, the models constructed by Classification and Regression Trees were able to give an accurate prediction of customers' preferences on the basis of restaurants' quality factors. The results showed that customers’ online reviews analysis can be an effective way for customers segmentation to predict their preferences and help the restaurant managers to set priority instructions for service quality improvements.     

Predictors of relationship quality for luxury restaurants

Relationship quality is increasingly emerging as a strategy for organizations that strive to retain loyal and satisfied customers in today's highly competitive environment. However, a limited number of studies have investigated relationship quality within the hospitality industry. This study examines and applies a measurement model originally tested with Korean customers to American customers to confirm that the predictors of relationship quality for luxury restaurants are cross-culturally valid. This study also examines the relative importance of each predictor of relationship quality, and identifies strategies for luxury restaurants that should enhance their level of customer trust and satisfaction.     

Determinant Factors and Choice Intention for Chinese Restaurant Dining

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify important selection attributes for customers dining at Chinese restaurants in the state of Indiana, and the determinant and predicting factors in customers' intentions to return. A closed-ended questionnaire was used, and a systematic sampling approach was employed to survey a sample of customers in three Chinese restaurants in Indiana. The data were analyzed using factor and multiple regression analysis. A four-dimensional structure was established from 14 selection attributes. The results of the study indicated four dimensions that were significantly related to the likelihood of customers returning to the same restaurants, as follows: “Food and Environment,” “Service and Courtesy,” “Price and Value,” and “Location, and Advertising and Promotion.”     

Factors Contributing to Internal Customer Satisfaction and Commitment in Quick Service Restaurants

Abstract

The fast-paced, highly competitive nature of quick service restaurants (QSRs) has motivated members of the industry to develop creative ways to optimize customer satisfaction. This search for competitive advantage has fueled an increased interest in employees as “internal customers” who are primarily responsible for external customer satisfaction. The hospitality industry is unique in that employees are part of the product; they directly provide the service component. This project surveyed over 900 hourly and salaried employees at 61 QSRs. The results indicate strategies and tactics to maintain satisfied and “actively” as well as “passively” committed employees. In turn these employees may be an employer's greatest marketing tool.     

Dining Chinese

Abstract

With the growing popularity and consumption of Chinese cuisine, it is crucial for restaurateurs to acquire knowledge of consumer expectations and dining satisfaction. The purposes of this study were: to determine patrons' perceptions and attitudes Chinese restaurant dining and to determine if there is a difference between diners of Chinese descent, other Asians, and all other patrons with regard to their expectations concerning dining at Chinese restaurants. A structured questionnaire was used to determine the dining preferences of 192 customers of eight full service Chinese restaurants. The results indicated that slightly over 60% of the respondents considered themselves to be knowledgeable of Chinese regional cooking. Fifty-one percent of the respondents felt that the food in the restaurants was similar to the food prepared in restaurants in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan; however, 53% said the food was adjusted for American taste. Over 63% of the respondents wanted the restaurant to appear somewhat authentic. It was found that there were no significant differences between the subgroupsstudiedonthe questions.     

Interpretive structural modeling for E-electricity utility service

Service quality has been recognized as one of the major factors for an organization's sustainability. It is one of the driving forces for an organization??s achievement. Service quality may be represented by the comparison between customers?? expectations of how a company or organization should perform and the customer??s perception of the service performance. For successful delivery of public services, use of online technology has rapidly become a benchmark for effective public sector management. Governments worldwide are attempting to harness the potential offered by these new technologies to create new dimensions of economic and social progress. The present article discusses the important aspects of customer's satisfaction in service quality of E-electricity utility service by interpretive structural modeling method.     

Satisfaction and image as mediators of store loyalty drivers in grocery retailing

The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of satisfaction and image as mediators of four store loyalty drivers (store location, service quality, assortment, and price) within a comprehensive cause–effect model. The analysis employs a more holistic view of the store loyalty model than is common in a retailing context. It is based on the consistent macro-oriented National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) approach. This makes it an important cross-over study, both enabling a comparison of results across industries and providing a more solid base for model validation. The data source is a survey among customers of a chain-based Norwegian grocery store which is analyzed by partial least square (PLS) and covariance-based structural equation (LISREL) estimation. A change in customer's perception of store image, where image is measured as a reflective ‘overall’ latent variable, has the expected direct significant effect on loyalty. But in addition, image will also serve as an important mediator between satisfaction and loyalty, and this is a rather uncommon result in a retailing context. Another significant finding is that a customer's perception of store assortment only influences perception of image and ultimately loyalty indirectly via satisfaction, whereas price evaluation and service quality works directly both through image building and satisfaction creation. Satisfaction creation seems to be more important for store loyalty than image building.     

Relationship Marketing and the Orientation Customers Require of Suppliers

Increasingly firms are being encouraged to move away from traditional, transactional marketing towards building long-term relationships with customers. The majority of the literature examines the benefits to suppliers of adopting this philosophy. It was decided, therefore, to examine whether the interacation between customer requirements of the marketing style exhibited by their suppliers and customers’ perception of style delivered by suppliers might influence service quality satisfaction. To examine possible interactions, a mail survey of 500 .small UK manufacturing firms was undertaken to determine perceptions of services provided by accountants. The survey tool used two new scales developed specifically to measure requirements and perceptions of relationship marketing style. Service quality satisfaction was rneasured in relation to overall expectations versus perceptions, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibility. Applying ANOVA to the responsiveness from 141 firms suggests that service quality satisfaction will be highest where there is convergence between the marketing style required of a supplier and a customer's perception of the style exhibited by the supplier: The implications of these findings in relation to the need for further research are discussed.     

An Exploratory Comparison of the Casual Dining Experience

Abstract

Chain restaurants in the United States now represent the majority of dollars spent in terms of overall sales when compared to independent restaurants. As a result, independents struggle to remain competitive in the marketplace. This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study that was conducted to compare consumer perceptions toward the casual dining experience between chain and independent restaurants. The results clearly show consumers view dining experiences at chain units more favorably than dining experiences at independent units. Food quality has the greatest impact on satisfaction levels in terms of chain restaurants, whereas, server responsiveness is the driving force behind satisfaction as it relates to independent restaurants.     

Customers,marketing and the network organization

Customers are becoming more demanding. Network organizations are emerging which embrace customers, and are more flexible and responsive to their needs. CEO's increasingly regard customers as part of the organization. Customers are too important to be “left” to one or two directors and their divisions. CEO's are requiring everyone to focus upon the requirements of customers. To help achieve this, organizations are seeking ways of linking remuneration and performance assessment to customer satisfaction. Increasingly customers assume reliability and performance. Quality of itself may no longer differentiate alternative suppliers. In markets in which all suppliers have their quality programmes, managers need to consider what lies beyond quality. Reason is no longer enough. Less tangible factors such as feelings, emotions and values need to be understood. CEO's question whether marketing departments can respond to these and other challenges and help facilitate the changes they are seeking.     

Are Variety-Seekers Bad Customers?

SUMMARY

Variety-seeking behavior occurs if customers derive utility from a change of service providers. It has negative consequences for the firm's profits, because it functions as a moderating factor in the relationship of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Even by offering high service quality variety-seekers cannot be retained. Therefore variety-seekers are often seen as “bad” customers, because they are not loyal to the firm. This article will show variety-seeking behavior in a more positive light. Variety-seekers are satisfied customers and therefore they are likely to engage in positive word-of-mouth communication. Recommendations will help to attract new customers and thus increase profits.     

Store attributes leading customer satisfaction with unplanned purchases

Understanding which specific factors of retail stores’ offering affect unplanned buyers’ satisfaction may be of great interest to store managers as they could set ad hoc strategies to target these consumers and establish long-term, profitable relationships with them. Satisfied unplanned buyers could indeed return to the store where they purchased their unplanned item(s) and/or positively talk about it with other customers. Nevertheless, we still know very little about such factors. To close this gap, this research gathered survey data on consumers’ store satisfaction and perceptions of store attributes in Spain during two time periods: in 2008, when the crisis was barely noticed by Spanish consumers, and five years later, when consumers were experiencing this economic situation. The results obtained evidence how grocery retailers can respond to customers’ awareness of the crisis by providing some managerial recommendations for bolstering satisfaction in consumer segments with diverse levels of unplanned buying behavior.     

Customers' Satisfaction Factors Regarding University Food Court Service

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify university customers' satisfaction levels regarding foods and services in the food court at Oklahoma State University. A survey of 276 customers was conducted regarding customer satisfaction levels of foods and services. Results indicated that food quality was found to be the most important factor contributing to customers' overall satisfaction. It is suggested that management should pay attention to the freshness, appearance, and nutrition of the food to increase the customers' satisfaction. Moreover, focusing on product differentiation by offering convenience packaged Asian, Mexican, and Italian cuisines may prove to be a potential variable contributing to customers' purchasing patterns.     

Antecedents of customer loyalty in residential energy markets: Service quality,satisfaction, trust and switching costs

A conceptual framework is proposed that analyses the effect of perceived service quality, customer satisfaction, trust in the energy provider and perceived switching costs on customer loyalty in residential energy markets. Three distinct dimensions of perceived service quality are identified: technical quality of core services, technical quality of peripheral services and service process quality (functional service quality). The proposed model is tested within the scope of a representative survey of Spanish residential energy customers. Regarding the dimensions of service quality, the results indicate significant effects only of service process quality on satisfaction and, indirectly, on customer loyalty. Loyalty effects of further variables in the model are significant.     

Understanding Mature Customers in the Restaurant Business

Summary

The study reported here examined die differences between intangible service experiences of mature and younger customers in quick-service, casual, and fine-dining restaurants. The authors used ten unpleasant service experiences to identify the significant experiences that can impede satisfaction in three types of restaurants. No unpleasant service experiences were significant for either mature or young customers. However, in the casual dining restaurants, the (1) lack of product knowledge and (2) inattentive servers created significantly unpleasant service experiences for mature customers. In the quick service restaurant, the (1) lack of product knowledge, (2) inattentive servers, (3) rudeness, and (4) lack of cleanliness produced significantly unpleasant service experiences which in turn impeded the satisfaction for the mature customer. The reasons for these findings are discussed, and the authors suggest that the restaurant industry pay more attention to the mature population in order to increase both customer satisfaction levels and profits. A literature review precedes a discussion of the characteristics and service requirements of mature restaurant customers.     

Competitiveness vis-à-vis service quality as drivers of customer loyalty mediated by perceptions of regulation and stability in steady and volatile markets

The purpose of this research is to investigate predictors of customer loyalty in order to identify alternatives to customer satisfaction with service quality, which has been traditionally accepted as the primary predictor of customer loyalty, particularly for services. A stratified sample of bank customers was surveyed to collect information on customer perceptions and behaviors in relation to satisfaction with service quality, competitiveness, risk, regulation, stability and loyalty. Partial least squares path modelling (PLSPM) was applied to develop loyalty models for a steady market (Australia) and a volatile market (Greece). This study's empirical findings support theoretical arguments for the inclusion of customer perceptions of competitiveness in loyalty modelling. Perceptions of regulation and stability intervene in the relationship between drivers of loyalty and loyalty itself. For bankers, the study emphasizes the need to move away from customer satisfaction with service quality to explain customer loyalty, towards focusing efforts on achieving relative superiority in competitiveness, namely competitive productivity and products. Profiling customers based on their perceptions of a bank's competitiveness can provide additional explanatory power beyond traditional satisfaction based loyalty models. Services marketing has focused on the service components, and there is no doubt about its crucial role. But given this focus, other factors, such as the actual product component, have been somewhat overlooked in services research. The study makes a unique contribution to understanding and modelling customer loyalty by demonstrating the importance of the inclusion of customer perceptions of other factors as appropriate to market conditions.     

Analysis of customers' satisfaction with baby products: The moderating role of brand image

The previous experience of customers is assessed by textual reviews and ratings to reflect their levels of satisfaction with the service or product. Online reviews and ratings have played a vital role to assess the performance of the services or the quality of goods. This research explores customers' levels of satisfaction with baby products on Amazon.com through text mining and survey-based methodologies. The moderating role of a brand image is also investigated on the relationship between customers' satisfaction and recommendations to others. Two sources of data were utilized, online reviews from the Amazon portal and responses of the participants on a large-scale survey. The research model is developed based on the factors that were extracted from the text mining approach. Following that, a questionnaire was distributed and the collected data were inspected using Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that several dimensions have an influential effect on customers' experiences with baby products, among which are comfortableness, material quality, easy use, easy return, design, price, packaging, and size information. In addition, the moderating influence of the brand image on the hypothesis between customers' satisfaction and recommendations to others was significant. By deploying the two-phase methodology, baby product vendors can understand the influential variables in customers' experiences and their impacts on customers’ satisfaction more accurately.     

Revisiting customers' perception of service quality in fast food restaurants

This research is an extension to previous work in fast food restaurant marketing. The population of this research consists of actual fast food restaurant customers. Following the literature, data are analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, and Path Analysis. Findings of this work identify factors impacting customer satisfaction, as well as dimensions of service quality and their rankings in the fast food restaurant context. Results indicate that there is no direct way of increasing behavioral intentions through improving service quality for fast food restaurants. Rather, behavioral intentions can be improved through customer satisfaction as an intermediary. Further, this work finds evidence that customer satisfaction can be improved through service quality, food quality, and price-value ratio, which in turn would pave an indirect path toward improvement in behavioral intentions in this industry. Results of this research shed light on prioritizing managers’ focus and resource allocation for customer satisfaction and different dimensions of service quality and can be used by fast food restaurant managers to set guidelines and strategies in providing better service to their customers.     

Fabric speciality stores: customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with information-source attributes

The purpose of this research was to determine customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with information-source attributes supplied by fabric speciality stores. After constructing a theoretical framework of information-source attributes and a questionnaire, a survey of fabric speciality store customers was conducted in eight Midwestern cities in the U.S. The results indicated that salespeople, store layout/displays and fabric-bolt labels caused more dissatisfaction than store advertising, special services and free printed literature. It was also found that variables, such as the respondent's age, were related to the respondent's degree of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with fabric speciality store informations-source attributes.     

Determinants of the satisfaction of firms with the competencies of university students: a Spanish case study

Spanish universities pay little attention to business demands with regard to workforce training and to the research that has been developed in this area. The present study analyses the effect of various factors on firms’ satisfaction with the education provided by universities. The factors include the content of the student's major subject of study and social, methodological and participation skills. The data were obtained from a survey of businesses. Although the results obtained show that all of the factors have an impact on overall satisfaction, they are not of equal importance. University managers may be able to use the information obtained from this study as a basis for designing and implementing action that might improve employers’ level of satisfaction, which has considerable positive consequences. Moreover, the study's methodology could be applied to other outputs of universities, such as the research performed.