Factors Influencing Food Service Quality in Ghanaian Polytechnics

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess factors influencing food service quality in Ghanaian polytechnics. Service quality and customer satisfaction have been identified as key elements of the service-profit chain. A mixture of an exploratory and descriptive research designs were employed to study 250 respondents. Data was analysed using statistical tools such as the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed that all the service quality variables (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) were positively related to customer satisfaction which indicates the higher the service quality, the higher customer satisfaction. The analysis of respondents’ expectations scores suggested that the most important expectations items were “accurate bill (3.18)”, “clean rest rooms (2.94)”, “clean, neat and appropriately dressed staff (2.46)” and “clean dining areas (3.34)”, which fall under the dimensions reliability and tangibles. In conclusion, customers were not sure whether the physical facilities, equipment and appearance of the personnel of the restaurants (Tangibles) were attractive. The study recommends that improving service quality in restaurant settings will not only increase customer satisfaction and strengthen customer loyalty, but also improve the restaurant’s reputation and generate greater revenue.

Keywords: Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Restaurants, Polytechnic