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HOW FOOD QUALITY INFLUENCES GUEST SATISFACTION Authors: Nicole Ewert: 227013 Jop Stins: 189766 Class: L1GEC

Tutor: Mr Ran Zhang Date: 4th of November

Stenden University International Hospitality Management Leeuwarden The Netherlands Summary

The core issue of the research assignment is the impact of food quality and its sub-dimensions, like taste, nutrition/health effect and the overall food quality, on guest satisfaction during a restaurant visit. The introduction chapter focuses on a simple overview of the used steps, for analysing the guest satisfaction. It also points out the importance of the purpose of the study. The literature review gives a closer introduction of each used sub-dimension. By using collected data which analysed the sub-dimensions, it explains the possible impact and importance of taste, nutrition/health effect and the overall food quality on guest satisfaction and behaviour. The mind map is a visualisation of the discussed topic. It deals as a simple overview for the focus guest satisfaction, and each connection of the used sub-dimensions. The problem statement maintains the core issue of the research assignment. All the mentioned points are connected to this statement. The methodology chapter offers an overview of the way the studys question was analysed. It explains the used sample, like the questionnaire, the instrument and the procedure. The end of the research assignment consists of the results- and discussion-chapter. The results-chapter entails graphs, tables and scatter-plots, which were created by using the given research questions. There is a simple explanation for each graph given. The discussion chapter rounds off the whole report. Within this chapter the gotten results and the used results from the literature review are compared. It discusses the expected and analysed findings.

Introduction
The freshness, temperature, taste, creativity, texture, smell, presentation, size and portion, nutrition and health effects are sub-dimensions of food quality, which have an impact on guest satisfaction. In the recent years the selection of different food is drastically increasing. That is the reason, why people are more and more paying attention to the food they get served in restaurants. In this research report the importance of taste, nutrition/health effect and the overall food quality are reviewed. Subsequent statistics are demonstrating the different impacts on guest satisfaction. The purpose of the study is to fill this research gap by investigating the range of the influence of food quality, and its sub-dimensions, on guest satisfaction. KEYWORDS: food quality; taste; nutrition/health effect; freshness; overall food quality; Guest satisfaction 2 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

Literature Review
Food quality is a fundamental component to increase consumers repeat-purchase-decision and the consumers satisfaction during a restaurant visit (Johns & Tyas, 1996; Kivela, Inbakaran & Reece, 1999; Sulek & Hensley, 2004). The quality of food also has a major impact on the return patronage. Perceived quality is accepted as a form of overall evaluation, a global judgement or an attitude towards purchasing products (Olshavsky, 1985; Parasuraman et al. 1988). That is the reason, why an essential indicator of a companys past, current and future performance is guest satisfaction, which is mainly created through food quality (Oliver, 1999). Taste The taste of food is one of the most important indicator, maybe even the most important, of guest satisfaction during a restaurant visit ( Cortese, 2003; Kivela et al., 1999). Existing taste 3 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

receptors in the mouth of a human being perceive the taste during the chewing process. The indicator taste has been divided into five sub-dimensions of tastes- sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami ( Diane M. Barrett, John C. Beaulieu, and Rob Shewfelt, 2010).Umami is associated with salts of amino acids and nucleotides (Yamaguchi and Ninomiya, 2000). It is possible to measure these basic sub-dimensions instrumentally. Sweetness can be approximated by HPLC determination of individual sugars. In addition to this it can also categorizes the total soluble solids (Kramer, 1965). For a rapid determination of commodities, such as potatoes, indicator papers are used (Kader, 2002). As an approximation of saltiness, the possibility of measuring the chloride or sodium content is given. The exact sourness of food may be indicated by either pH or the measurement of total acidity. Finally, the astringency content may be determined by measuring total phenolics and bitterness. An analysis of compounds like alkaloids or glucosides is useful in this case ( Inga-Britt Gustafsson, Asa strm, Jesper Johansson and Lena Mossberg, 2006). Taste and its sub-dimensions is an in depth discussed topic, which contains its focus in the natural science. Nutrition/health effect The nutritional value is more and more a common term, which is related to food quality. Todays consumers expect fresh fruits and vegetables to be the source of many vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre ( Inga-Britt Gustafsson, Asa strm, Jesper Johansson and Lena Mossberg, 2006). As an index for a determination of the foods freshness, vitamin C is used. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for the nutrition of a human being. Thats why an deficiency of Vitamin C can lead in the most cases to abnormalities in the bones and teeth. It is also known, that during the cooking process a lot of vitamins get destroyed. That is the reason, why the most efficient way of consuming Vitamin C is through fresh food (Saito et al., 2000). A method for determining the amount of vitamin C in juices, frozen, packaged or fresh food can be done by a redox titration ( Inga-Britt Gustafsson, Asa strm, Jesper Johansson and Lena Mossberg, 2006). The redox titration is the most efficient and rapid way for a determination of the Vitamin C content in food. The nutritional value as a hidden characteristic is an increasingly value for costumers in restaurants. It affects the human being in ways, which are not visible. Nutrients are essential for the growth and long-term development of human bodies. Overall food quality The overall food quality is in the most cases seen as a widespread term, which cant be exactly determined. Significant predictors of satisfaction with the overall food quality and dining experience are in the most cases the atmosphere of the dining area, the fairness of the seating order and of course the food itself. The most important attribute of all the components in a full-service restaurant may be the food quality. Nearly followed by the dining atmosphere and at least the seating order. In addition to this, those three factors had a strong impact on the repeat-patronage decision. If the repeat-patronage decision is made, it can be seen as an indicator of good overall food quality (Oliver, 1999; Westbrook & Oliver, 1991; Yi, 1990). The three predictors of the overall food quality also affect each other. So if one predictor does not fit the expectations of a consumer, the other two predictors are detracted. That is the reason, why the goal of a restaurant is to reach a good level between those three factors. 4 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

Mind-map

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The mind-map is demonstrating detailed each relationship, which was mentioned in the literature review. As well as other important aspects of guest satisfaction.

Problem statement: How does food quality influence guest satisfaction? Research questions:
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1: Is there a difference between male- and female grades? 2: Does taste have a important impact on the overall food quality? 3: Is there a relation between the nutritious and health aspects of food and the freshness? 4: Is there a relation between spending and overall food quality?

Methodology
The method of data collection, which was used in this research report is a typical questionnaire. The questionnaire was filled out by evaluating the questions using a scale from 1 (worst impression) till 10 (best impression). The scale used is called the Lickert-scale. The 11 questions given on the questionnaire-sheet, focussed on food quality and its subdimensions. For each sub-dimension like freshness, temperature, taste, creativity, texture, smell, presentation, size and portion, nutrition and health, overall food quality and at last the general satisfaction, a grade was given. For a good evaluation possibility, fifty-eight people attended these study about the influence of food quality on guest satisfaction. Eight-teen out of them were males and the other 38 subject were females. All respondents of the study were first year Hotel Management students in the guest experience module, from Stenden Hogeschool in Leeuwarden. The study was only carried out in the Netherlands. For specifying the area in which the study was carried out, it is possible to say, that the visited restaurants are mostly located in Friesland and in the direct vicinity. The attended respondents were international students, like Dutch, German, Chinese and other cultures. The visited restaurants had to be a full-service restaurant, otherwise the possibility of an exact evaluation is not reachable.

Results:
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As seen in figure 1 the grades of overall food quality have an average of 7,5 and the average grade of general satisfaction was 7,75. This could indicate a relationship between the two variables. Figure 1 Figure 2 shows that within our dimensions men have given slightly higher ratings than females. Also can be seen that (from our dimensions) the highest grades are given to the taste and the lowest grades are given to nutrition and health. Figure 2

Taste Figure 3 indicates that there is not a clear relation between taste and overall food quality. It shows us that there are high ratings of taste followed by relatively low overall food quality ratings and vice versa. Figure 3 Taste Average of the taste grades 7,89 7,83 7,80 Standard deviation of the Mode of taste the taste grades grades 1,08 8 0,86 8 0,92 8 Median of the taste grades 8 8 8

Gender Males Females Total Figure 4

Nutrition health: As seen in figure 5 there could be a relation between nutrition and health grades and freshness grades. In most of the filled in questionnaires a high nutrition and health grade could also mean a relatively high freshness grade. Figure 5 In figure 6 it is shown that females have given a lower grade to the nutrition and health. This could indicate that females think nutrition and health issues are more important. Nutrition and health Standard Average of deviation Mode of Median of the of the the the nutrition nutrition nutrition nutrition Gender grades grades grades grades Males 6,83 2,04 8 7 8 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

Females Total Figure 6

6,39 6,66

1,48 1,39

7 6

7 7

Overall food quality In figure 7 it is shown that there are subjects who spent a lot of money and were satisfied but also subjects who have spent much less money and were still satisfied. This could indicate that there is not a important indicator between the amount of money spent and the perceived food quality. The lowest amount of money spent was 12, where the highest amount of money spent is about 40. Figure 7 The grade that was given most was a 8 as seen in figure 8 Food quality Average of the overall food quality 7,5 7,4 7,5 Standard deviation of the Mode of Median of food food the food quality quality quality 0,80 8 8 0,74 8 7 0,76 8 8

Gender Males Females Total Figure 8

Range 38

Discussion
The goal of this research is to answer the question: how does food quality influence guest satisfaction. In the literature reviewed, researchers said that food quality was the most important factor when it comes to guest satisfaction. It was also the most important part if a hotel or restaurant wants their customers to come back. Results from the new research also showed that there is a connection often when the overall food quality is high, so is the general satisfaction In the literature review it is found that guests think the health aspects of food are really important. But does freshness have a effect on people their thoughts of whats healthy and what is not? In the literature review it is stated that people want food to be healthy but arent fresh vegetables more healthy than less fresh food? In the literature which is reviewed researchers found that people want fresh food because they are a source of many vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. But when for example vegetables are old or being overcooked, a lot of those essential vitamins get destroyed. And because of the health awareness of the guests it is advised that only fresh food is used. The result of this research was that freshness, nutrition and health are related. In the results it is found that when a guest filled in a high freshness grade a high nutrition and health grade was also given. It is also found that women gave lower grades to nutrition and health. This could mean that women think nutrition and health is more important and do not easily give 9 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

good grades. The result showed that men give slightly higher grades than women. This could mean that men are more easily satisfied. In all of the other dimensions research also showed that men give slightly higher grades ranging form 0,1 more to 0,44 higher ratings. The results have shown that taste did not have very much effect on the given grade to overall food quality. This because there are also cases where it is shown that a high taste grade lead to a low overall food quality grade. To contradict this there are also cases in which the taste grade is high and the overall food quality as well. This indicates that there is no clear relation between the two. The results do show that the taste grades are the highest of our dimensions, which could indicate that people are earlier, satisfied with the taste. In the literature that is reviewed, researchers believed that taste was the most important indicator of guest satisfaction, which differs from the research that was conducted. The research that was conducted showed us no real relation between spending and overall food quality. This could mean that when a guest spends a lot they have much higher expectations. Also on the contrary it could mean that when a guest spends little money he is satisfied more easily. The results have shown us that there arent guests who were dissatisfied with their dinner. It also shows us that the most common grade given is between 7 and 8, which would indicate a relatively good guest satisfaction. The most common amount of money spent will be between 12,50 and 30. The lowest amount of money spent was 12, where the highest amount of money spent is about 40. This is a big range. The guest who spent the lowest amount of money had a less high satisfaction rate than the guest who spent the most money.

Reference list:
J. M. Sulek and R. L. Hensley (2004). The Relative Importance of Food, Atmosphere, and Fairness of Wait: The Case of a Full-service Restaurant (journal article) I.-B Gustafsson, strm, J Johansson, L Mossberg (2004) The Five Aspects Meal Model: a tool for developing meal services in restaurants (journal article) D. M. BARRETT, J. C. BEAULIEU, R SHEWFELT (2010) Color, Flavor, Texture, and Nutritional Quality of Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables: Desirable Levels, Instrumental and Sensory Measurement, and the Effects of Processing (journal article) Y Namkung (2006) Does food quality really matter in restaurants? Its impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions (journal article)

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Appendix:

Receipt was lost, copied the transaction from ING bank 11 Research assignment: Nicole Ewert & Jop Stins

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