Underlying dimension of customer delight in the restaurant industry: An exploratory factor analysis

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop a customer delight framework for a restaurant in Davao City. The study comprises the following: 1) profile of the respondents; 2) customer delight factors as perceived by the respondents; and 3) underlying factors that characterize customer delight in a restaurant. The study was exploratory and used both qualitative and quantitative approaches; thus, a sequential mixed-method research design was necessary. The study was conducted using primary data. Focus group discussions were first initiated involving six regular diners and another six restaurant employees. A systematic sampling technique in choosing the respondents was applied in the survey phase. A total of 225 diners participated in the study. Results were processed through frequency count and percentages, weighted mean, and exploratory factor analysis. Additionally, predetermined dimensions of customer delight were presented to check the respondent perception of customer delight in the context of a restaurant in Davao City. The result revealed that diners were highly delighted regarding the value-for-money experience, branding, location, ambiance, menu, service quality, food quality, and responsiveness. Five factors were extracted from the 40 items submitted for exploratory factor analysis. However, one factor was excluded from the factor structure identifications due to item isolation issues. The four factors that characterize customer delight in Davao City are product and service quality, marketing strategy, customer focus, and differentiation.