Customer value in restaurants in Port Elizabeth: what customers experience and what managers perceive

Abstract

Delivering value for customers has become a central theme in restaurants. The paper examines customer value from two perspectives, i.e. that of restaurant management and that of the customer. The questionnaires were based on the DINESERV model (developed by Stevens, Knutson & Patton, 1995). A total 207 managers and 400 customers responded to the survey. A descriptive quantitative study design was followed and a systematic sampling method was used to select respondents. The empirical results show that on a 5 point Likert scale, the overall mean score for customer experiences was 4.10 whilst the overall mean score for managers' perceptions was 4.20 giving an overall DINESERV gap of -0.10. Overall, customers' experiences of customer value fell below managers' perceptions of customer value. These results suggest there is a need to align management and customer perspectives to optimize customer value as delivered and experienced. Specifically, restaurants should improve the food and beverage knowledge of frontline staff, particularly waiters.

Keywords

• DINESERV
• Food and beverage
• Customer value
• Quantitative study