Identifying the Effect of Service Quality Attributes on an Overall Customer Satisfaction by the Foodservice Type and the Contract Management Company(CMC) Scale

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to a) measure the service quality attributes of foodservice type such as school foodservice, hospital foodservice and business & industry(B&I) foodservice, managed by contract management company(CMC), b) compare with service quality attributes by CMC scale, c) analyze overall customer satisfaction(CS) by the foodservice type and the CMC scale, and d) identify the effect of service quality attributes on an overall CS by the foodservice type and the CMC scale. The questionnaires were handed out to 6,620 customers of 207 school, 38 hospital, and 86 B&I foodservices in 108 CMCs. The statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS Win(ver 12.0) for descriptive analysis, t-test, reliability analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis. From an analysis on service quality attributes, 'proper arrangement of table and chair at hall distribution(3.53)', 'operation of nutrition education(3.50)' were highly perceived to student, 'correctable serving(4.08)', 'serve at fixed distribution time(4.08)', 'kindness of serving employee(4.04)' were highly perceived to patient, 'employee's kindness(3.84)' were highly perceived to customer of B&I. In comparison of service quality attributes by CMC scale, most scores of large enterprise(LE) were significantly higher than small and medium sized enterprise(SME) in school foodservice, hospital foodservice and B&I foodservice. Overall CS levels were 3.53 out of a maximum 5 on B&I, 3.46 on school, and 3.44 on hospital and were evaluated differently CS score by CMC scale. Finally, regression results for the effects of service quality attributes on overall CS by each of foodservice type were identified significantly different service quality attributes by foodservice type such as school, hospital, B&I(p<.001) and by CMC scale. For considering the goal of enterprise on profit-making through CS and the needs of customer on CS at moment of truth(MOT), the findings should be applied to the CMC and the foodservice industry.