RELATED/CONCEPTUAL LITERATURE

Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is described as a customer's assessment of products and services in terms of

whether they meet the customer's needs and wants or whether they do not. Actually, customer
satisfaction refers to a customer's assessment of goods and services in terms of whether they meet the
customer's needs and desires, or if they are unhappy with product services or product performance that
falls short of expectations, and often consumers are more pleased if product performance exceeds their
expectations (Kotler P. &., 2012). And if a consumer is unhappy with one aspect of a product or service,
they may be dissatisfied with the overall results.

Customer satisfaction enables buyers to directly express their wishes to sellers. Customer satisfaction is
critical because it aids in the discovery of a company's strengths and weaknesses. It is the final stage of
the consumer purchasing process, and it occurs when the consumer evaluates the advantages obtained
through the purchasing process (Oliver, 2014).

Customer satisfaction is described by Kotler and Keller (2016) as "a person's feelings of pleasure or
dissatisfaction as a result of comparing a product or service's perceived output (or outcome) to
expectations."

Customers Expectation

Consumer support teams may be scrambling as a result of the pandemic, but customer expectations
haven't dwindled. Indeed, according to new study, 80% of customers expect "better customer service"
during the pandemic (Pickel, 2020).

The findings reveal a surprising range of diners' preferences, including how much they are willing to
spend and what kind of restaurant marketing they will be open to in the future (Sitter, 2020).

Over time, the food and restaurant industry has changed significantly. Service rates have skyrocketed,
and demands are higher than ever before, as consumers have become more discerning when it comes
to dining. When customers come to your restaurant to eat, they don't only want to eat decent food;
they also want to have a good time (Booke, 2020).

Pleasant leadership, empathy, seriousness, performance, and meeting customer needs and desires are
all part of the expected employee experiences (Jani and Han, 2011).

Customer expectations are a broad term that encompasses interactions between consumers,
businesses, and the products and services they provide (Schmitt et al., 2014).

Price
A price is a monetary value that customers must pay in order to purchase a commodity. Consumers
often actively process pricing information and translate prices based on prior buying experience, formal
and informal contact, and other variables. Consumers' purchasing decisions are influenced by their
perceptions of current prices. Companies must determine where they will put their goods based on
quality and price when setting prices. Restaurant owners should use a comparative marketing strategy
to help consumers recognize the price of restaurant food so that the price is fair and acceptable in
comparison to other restaurants, according to (Jani and Han 2011).

Furthermore, customers seek high-quality food and service at affordable prices. This illustrates the fact
that customers value products or services based on relative prices rather than absolute prices (Ha and
Jang, 2013).

Consumers often consider prices dependent on the benefits of the goods and services they receive, as
well as the prices of competing services (Sunyoto and Susanti, 2015).

Nutritional Value

The nutritional value of a food is a measure of how much it contributes to the nutrient content of the
diet. This value is determined by the amount of food that is digested and consumed, as well as the
quantities of essential nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate, minerals, and vitamins) present. Soil and
rising conditions, handling and storage, and processing can all affect this value (BiologyOnline, 2020).

The Healthy Menu Choices Act, enacted by the Ontario government, encourages people to make
educated decisions by providing nutritional details on menus. As of January 1, 2017, restaurants with
more than 20 locations in Ontario must post the caloric values of the foods and beverages they offer.
Many Canadian restaurants and foodservice providers have recognized the importance of offering
healthier menu choices since the act was enacted, and now sell a range of balanced food options with
nutrition labeling, regardless of whether they are required to comply or not (FDA, 2016).

Service

Employee friendliness, attitudes of employee attention to customer needs, employee seriousness in

providing services, employee ability to provide effective services, and employee services in meeting the
needs and demands of customers are all measurement metrics in service results, according to Jani and
Han (2011).

Customer satisfaction may be influenced by attractive employee appearance, friendliness in welcoming

customers, and the sincerity or accuracy of cashiers in payment transactions (Bangsawan, 2015). As a
result, one of the most important factors influencing customer behavior, including buying decisions, is
service. Restaurant owners should use employee engagement to draw attention to the company's
services. Pleasant leadership, empathy, seriousness, performance, and meeting customer needs and
desires are all part of the expected employee experiences.

Customers' perceptions of the importance of services and goods are influenced by their perceived
efficiency. The term "quality service" refers to a service that meets or exceeds the customer's standards.
When a service meets the customer's needs, the customer perceives it to be of high value. As a result,
the perceived value of a product or service is determined by the degree of perceived service quality
(Choi and Kim, 2013).

According to Tushi (2014), the development of trust in service marketing is dependent on a dedication
to delivering superior service, which means that when a provider's service is of high quality, it will be
able to create value in customers. To offer more benefits to customers, high service quality means being
able to touch different facets of the service.

Warmth, friendliness, and politeness are often used to characterize good service. Businesses can easily
satisfy these requirements, but true customer loyalty necessitates more than just attentive workers.
Customers' expectations are often fulfilled when excellent customer support is provided. The majority of
customers expect easy, intuitive customer service that gets them exactly what they want in a timely
manner (Commence, 2020).

Taste

One of your essential senses is taste. It aids in the evaluation of food and beverages in order to assess
what is healthy to consume. It also helps the body absorb the food you eat. The sense of sensory cells in
your taste buds is referred to as taste. Your brain senses a flavor, such as sweetness, when food
compounds stimulate these sensory cells. You will enjoy a variety of foods and cuisines thanks to your
sense of taste (Healthline, 2020).

Taste is crucial in food selection, and a deeper understanding of the connections between food taste,
individual taste preferences, food choices, and intakes will help us understand why certain people
choose and eat unhealthy foods (Liem and Russell, 2019).

Quality of Environment

Restaurant dining provides a sense of relaxation and pleasure from the meeting of families, colleagues,
peers, and business associates (Walker, 2014). The physical environment of a hotel or restaurant can
enhance a company's brand image, reshape consumers' expectations, and have a direct impact on
customer satisfaction.

Temperature, lighting, smell, noise, atmosphere, and music, according to Hanaysha (2016), are both
tangible and intangible components within and outside the restaurant that are included in the definition
of physical setting. He also indicated that a well-kept physical environment will help a restaurant retain
current customers while also attracting new ones.

Customers' perceptions of product, atmosphere, and service are strongly linked to their feelings (both
positive and negative) and behavioral intentions as a result of their dining experience. Customers'
actions can be greatly influenced by ambient elements (such as sound, smell, taste, and touch), design
elements (such as store decoration and layout), and social elements (such as contact with member
staff). Some customers prefer a fun and creative atmosphere to restaurant food or service (Canny,
2014).
References:

https://www.irmbrjournal.com/papers/1399194994.pdf

https://seajbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SEAJBEL21_248.pdf

https://tiikmpublishing.com/proceedings/index.php/icoht/article/view/632/404

https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/4/460/pdf

https://ijrp.org/paper-detail/1691

https://www.commence.com/blog/2020/08/08/customer-satisfaction-factors/#:~:text=The%20three
%20major%20factors%20that,and%20create%20real%20customer%20loyalty.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00174/full

https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-taste

https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/nutritive-value

https://www.menusano.com/blog/why-restaurants-need-to-include-the-nutritional-value-of-meals-on-
the-menu-and-how-is-it-beneficial-for-their-business/

https://customerthink.com/3-ways-customer-service-expectations-have-changed-in-2020/

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/consumer-trends/what-customers-want-restaurants-they-reopen

https://modernrestaurantmanagement.com/customer-service-trends-in-the-restaurant-industry-to-
look-for-in-2020/