Service Quality among Selected ‘Chop Bar’ (local restaurants) Operators in Koforidua, Eastern Region of Ghana (original) (raw)
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The study assessed the quality of customer service delivered by 'chop bar' (local restaurants) operators and satisfaction levels among customers in Koforidua. Snowball sampling was used in selecting 5 chop bars. A sample of 200 customers was used. Purposive sampling was used to select and interview owners of the chop bars. Self-administered questionnaire comprising 17 close-ended and 3 open-ended questions were used. 14 of the 17 questions were designed on Likert 5-point attitude evaluation scale. The study indicated that 70% of the customers are satisfied with service quality of the chop bars, but 30% are not. This means that there are still significant service quality gaps in terms of tangibles or physical evidence, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy (Parasuraman et al., 1985) that the chop bars must endeavour to close to improve customer service delivery, loyalty and business growth.
Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013
The study was undertaken to assess the level of customer satisfaction. Literature on customer service quality was reviewed and primary data were gathered percentages, tabulations, cross-tabulations,pie and bar charts were used to analyse and presentthe data.The study revealed, among other things, that regular customers who patronize the resta There were indications of negative gaps between customers' service quality expectations and the service quality the Restaurant actually delivered to customers. On the more important service quality attributes such as re responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, the Restaurant is rated average; on tangibles (physical evidence), the least important attribute, the Restaurant is rated high.Based on the findings and the conclusions drawn, recommendations were made to help improve the Restaurant's performance and customer satisfaction levels.
International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management Research Studies, 2018
This research work assesses the effect of quality customer services delivery on selected traditional Catering establishments (Chop Bars) in Bolgatanga Township of Ghana. The researcher adopted a simple random sampling technique to choose 30 respondents from the contacted customers in the various chop bars at the time of the study. The study revealed that the exterior characteristics of chop bars in Bolgatanga Township on the following basis; the parking convenience and the cleanliness of chop bars were fair, while the attractiveness were averagely rated. The interior characteristics of the chop bar revealed the internal decoration of the chop bars was rated average, the lighting of the chop bars was rated very good, the cleanliness of eating area as good, while the comfort of furniture in chop bars was also rated very good. The quality of food served in chop bars also revealed that the freshness of food served by chop bars were very good and the menu variety of the chop bars was as fair, while the packaging of the food were considered good. It was recommended that chop bars in Bolgatanga Township should take appropriate steps to improve and sustain employee satisfaction in order to achieve customer satisfaction and also chop bar operators should take steps to address customers' challenges in order to improve their service demands.
1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The continues growth of hotels and restaurants industry in Ghana of late have demanded for recruiting competent employees who have the in-depth knowledge and good human relationships with customers. This requirement affords the employees the opportunity to interact with potential customers during the provision of customer services. For the past 10 years, customer service has become a major area of interest to Management of hospitality outlets and researchers in full service hotels and restaurants. Customer service has a resilient influence on promoting hospitality services which in the end leads to higher profitability margin (Baum, 2006). According to Mcquity, Finn and Willy (2000) A customer is someone who receives or consumes goods or services and has the capacity to select different product when the needs arise. Again, Turban et al, (2002) also assert that a service entails all activities and responses that customers recognise in their buying. This can be considered as the provision of service to customers before, during and after purchase of any products or services. Customers' in this modern world are not only concerned in the product or service they purchase but all the additional elements of service purchased from the owner or supplier. Much attention should be drawn when they enter a retail outlet and lodging complaints at the front desk or customer care unit. Satisfied customers are looking for unforgettable and dynamic experiences like good reception, excellent interpersonal communication and high quality of service where it counts. There is therefore the need for customer service in the organisation's like restaurant operations to develop loyal customer base and improve relationships with customers, since, loyal customer when satisfied repeat his/her visit and also promote the business through word of mouth recommendations. Customer service plays a vital role in the hospitality industry. Prominent amongst them is attracting new customers while maintaining existing ones. Many managers of the hospitality industry have however lost focus of this, as a vital component of the service delivery system. However, discovering this essential area is worth being researched upon. This is because customer service to most Ghanaians is an element linked to only big hotels and restaurants in Ghana. Poor customer service delivery is now a major problem especially in restaurant and other place of relaxation (Ghana Tourist Board, 2008). This appears to be as a consequence of inadequate technical knowhow and unskilled human resources recruited for such jobs. Abstract: Good customer service is one of the keys to success in any business, but is particularly important in the hotel and restaurant industry, where guests expect to receive quality service and warm reception. This research work assesses the contribution of customer service as a promotional tool in the hospitality industry in the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana. The qualitative research approach of data collection was used to capture the opinions, feelings, and experiences of respondents. Management and employees from the selected restaurants were selected using simple random and purposive sampling techniques to choose fifty (50) respondents from some selected restaurants in the Municipality. Questionnaires were the main instrument adopted for the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages counts were used and the results presented in tables using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software package. The study revealed that good and quality services were being offered to customers in most of the restaurants. Also, further findings indicated that some of the restaurants had special techniques in place to lure customers to their restaurants. The study also revealed that (58%) of the services provided by restaurants in Bolgatanga Municipality promote the operations of the restaurants. However, customers' complaints were also embraced by restaurants where most customers complained about the poor services provided by restaurant's and the poor customer and staff relationships of the restaurants. It was recommended that Management should pay attention to customers' complaints in order to satisfy their expectations. Further, management of restaurants should regularly conduct research activities in order to keep regular track about customer satisfaction level.
The study investigated a sample of 200 respondents with respect to customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry in Ghana. The general customer service practices, core service drivers and customer service charter were assessed through survey questionnaires using purposive sampling methods. The descriptive statistics analysis’ results revealed that customer service practices among the restaurants were quite acceptable except that the industry needs some improvement in certain areas like frequent customer feedback as well as showing their commitment to effective service delivery. The findings of the study informed the restaurants operators and employees that to ensure effective customer service delivery, they should manage diverse proportions of not only the core service drivers but also other peripherals which define customers’ subjective measurement of effective service quality and satisfaction. Although, the study measured just ten restaurants’ in the population area, the study provided valuable insight on customer service drivers and their relative importance in defining effective customer service practice. Keywords: Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service Practices, Core Service Drivers, Customer Service Charter, Restaurant Industry
2018
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The continues growth of hotels and restaurants industry in Ghana of late have demanded for recruiting competent employees who have the in-depth knowledge and good human relationships with customers. This requirement affords the employees the opportunity to interact with potential customers during the provision of customer services. For the past 10 years, customer service has become a major area of interest to Management of hospitality outlets and researchers in full service hotels and restaurants. Customer service has a resilient influence on promoting hospitality services which in the end leads to higher profitability margin (Baum, 2006). According to Mcquity, Finn and Willy (2000) A customer is someone who receives or consumes goods or services and has the capacity to select different product when the needs arise. Again, Turban et al, (2002) also assert that a service entails all activities and responses that customers recognise in their buying. This can be considered as the provision of service to customers before, during and after purchase of any products or services. Customers' in this modern world are not only concerned in the product or service they purchase but all the additional elements of service purchased from the owner or supplier. Much attention should be drawn when they enter a retail outlet and lodging complaints at the front desk or customer care unit. Satisfied customers are looking for unforgettable and dynamic experiences like good reception, excellent interpersonal communication and high quality of service where it counts. There is therefore the need for customer service in the organisation's like restaurant operations to develop loyal customer base and improve relationships with customers, since, loyal customer when satisfied repeat his/her visit and also promote the business through word of mouth recommendations. Customer service plays a vital role in the hospitality industry. Prominent amongst them is attracting new customers while maintaining existing ones. Many managers of the hospitality industry have however lost focus of this, as a vital component of the service delivery system. However, discovering this essential area is worth being researched upon. This is because customer service to most Ghanaians is an element linked to only big hotels and restaurants in Ghana. Poor customer service delivery is now a major problem especially in restaurant and other place of relaxation (Ghana Tourist Board, 2008). This appears to be as a consequence of inadequate technical knowhow and unskilled human resources recruited for such jobs.
Measuring Customer Satisfaction in the Local Ghanaian Restaurant Industry
European Journal of Business and Management, 2011
As the Ghanaian food sector continues to grow and with Ghanaian consumers' perception for quality food been on the rise, the issue of customer satisfaction continues to engage the mind of academia and local restaurant managers. This research ascertained the critical determinants that influence customer satisfaction in the Ghanaian local restaurant industry. The aftermath of the study showed that out of the five variables utilized only the three variables (namely food quality, service quality and price) had significant influence in determining customer satisfaction The study clarified that service quality variables (which included attentive staff, efficient staff, staff's knowledge about food, staff greeting customers) have the most critical impact in determining customer satisfaction. After service quality, came food quality and price.
CUSTOMERS' PERCEPTION OF THE QUALITY OF SERVICES IN FAST FOOD ENTERPRISES IN BENIN CITY
This study empirically examined the perception of customers towards service quality in fast food enterprises in Benin City. The study also ascertains if customers' perception is influenced by demographic attributes. A survey research design was adopted through the use of questionnaire. The population of the study consists of customers of fast food enterprises in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Out of the 300 questionnaires administered, only 265 were retrieved and found usable. The questionnaire contains 22 question-items adopted from SERVQUAL model with five dimensions namely: assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and tangibility. Statistical tools such as simple percentage, weighted mean, T-Test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed for data analyses through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results revealed that the fast food enterprises examined performed comparatively well in the areas of tangibility, empathy, reliability and assurance that have weighted mean of above 3. However, the fast food enterprises were rated last on the basis of responsiveness. The study also found that demographic attributes such as gender, marital status, educational qualification and income level do not significantly influence customers' perception of service quality of fast food enterprises. It is therefore recommended that employees of fast food enterprises be engaged in continuous training that will sharpen their skills, and enhance the communication capacity of the employees to render services professionally.
Customers' perception of food service quality: The case of Cape Coast
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
Providing quality food services has become one of the critical issues in the tourism industry and a lot of studies have focused on it. However, there seem to be paucity of data on service quality in Ghana’s hospitality industry which makes it difficult to fashion an appropriate management intervention. Also there has been little attempt to relate customers perception of service quality to their socio-demographic characteristics as well as the characteristics of organizations delivering the service. This study therefore analyzes customers’ perception of service quality in the food service sector in Cape Coast Municipality, an important tourist destination in Ghana. A survey of 101 customers of food service facilities revealed that there was a negative service gap between customers’ expectations and perception of service quality. The findings have serious policy and human resource development implications for regulators of the industry and managers of the food service facilities in th...
Assessment of Customers' Satisfaction on Service Quality of Fast Food Restaurant in Akure Metropolis
Journal of Management and Corporate Governance Volume © 2016 Cenresin Publications 8, Number 1, 2016 www.cenresinpub.org ISSN: 2277-0089
Fast Food Restaurants has been identified as one of the businesses in Nigeria that continues to promise greater return on investment notwithstanding the presence of economic, social and political dilemma in the country (Mustapha, Fakokunde and Awolusi, 2014). A lot of studies have been carried out on Fast Food Restaurants from different stand point and perspectives (Ukessay, 2013; Carew, 2010; Park, 2004; Lowenstein, 1995) and each profiling different views on customer satisfaction on service quality and Nigeria is not an exception from this study. Despite several researches in Nigeria, customer satisfaction on service quality and its influence on customers' patronage to the best of my knowledge as not been focused on in Akure metropolis. This study identifies the journey so far on assessing customer satisfaction on service quality of FFRs in Akure metropolis Ondo state, Nigeria. The analysis unveils how consumers perceive service quality through SERVQUAL model that poor or low and unsatisfied services were rendered to the numerous customers by the selected FFRs management in this study area. Despite with all these poor service offered, customers are still patronizing the selected FFRs due to its location and food quality. Measuring service quality can help management provide reliable data that can be used to monitor and maintain improved service quality. In conclusion, using the SERVQUAL model to assess service quality enables management to better understand the various dimensions and how they affect service quality and customer satisfaction. This will help them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and thereby make necessary improvements.