ANTECEDENT AND CONSEQUENCES OF CUSTOMERELIGHT: A STUDY AT FINE DINING RESTAURANT IN INDONESIA
Budi Aryani1, Farida Djasfar2, Lucy Warsinda3, Robert Kristaung4
Faculty of
Economics and Business, Trisakti University, Indonesia 1,2,3,4
[email protected]1, [email protected]2,
[email protected]3, [email protected]4,
|
KEYWORDS Customer Delight, Experiential Value, Fine Dining, Word
of Mouth ARTICLE
INFO Accepted:
January, 26th 2022 Revised:
February 13th 2022 Approved: February, 14th 2022 |
ABSTRACT This study is to analyze
the role of customer delight in mediating the effect of experiential value on
Word of Mouth (WOM) on customers of fine dining restaurants in Indonesia.
Questionnaires were distributed using purposive sampling technique in order
to obtain a sample of 250 respondents. The research data were analyzed
statistically descriptive using the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results of the study
found that experiential value variables supported by the dimensions of
customer escapism, food and beverage excellence and customer efficiency
showed a positive influence on customer delight and on WOM. The experiential
value variable which is supported by the dimensions of food and beverage
excellence has an effect on WOM if mediated by customer delight variable ,
experiential value variable which is supported by customer escapism dimension
also affects WOM when mediated by customer delight variable. The originality of
this research lies in the experiential value variable with dimensions of
aesthetic experience, and service excellence turns out to have an effect on
customer delight or on WOM, customer delight as a mediating variable has no
effect on the dimensions of aesthetic experience, service excellence and
customer efficiency on WOM. This research is limited only
to fine dining restaurants. The managerial implication of this research is
that experiential value can be increased through the beautiful appearance of
food and beverage excellence accompanied by the appropriate temperature, the
customer escapism strategy can be an attractive service alternative if it is
equipped with a delightful touch. |
INTRODUCTION
Restaurant is a culinary-based
business that is an attraction for business people in Indonesia today. In the
third quarter of 2019, the restaurant sector contributed 45% to Indonesia's
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), followed by the manufacturing and agricultural
industrial sectors. The Indonesian restaurant market is an attraction for
domestic and foreign food ingredient producers, coupled with the emergence of a
middle class population in the Indonesian consumption market, driving demand
for food and beverages using new raw materials, as well as the desire to get a
variety of different flavors.
The biggest advantage of the
restaurant market comes from buying visits made by the community (Hsu
et al., 2018). The reduced number of public visits is a
problem faced by the restaurant market in the midst of environmental
uncertainty, requiring restaurants to always adapt globally, be more flexible
and aggressive in order to be able to compete in innovation so that they can
get out of various worrying problems, especially concerns about the erosion of
profits (Wheelen & Hunger, 2018). External problems faced by restaurants, one
of which is the Large-Scale Social Restriction Policy set by the government,
has worsened the condition of the restaurant sector in Indonesia.
During January-April 2020 there have
been closures of 8,000 restaurants from around 14,000 restaurants throughout
Indonesia, with a total loss of income estimated at 40 trillion rupiah (UNWTO
April, 2020). In order to survive in the market, restaurants are required to be
service providers to innovate that adapt to culinary trends, through cultural
exchanges, meet people's interest in tasting food outside, restaurants are now
also expected to be in the location of choice, become a location for social
interaction and communication (Hsu
et al., 2018).
Restaurant manufacturers will find
success when they encourage voluntary action customers to disseminate WOM both
traditionally and electronically, resulting in the speed of delivering
information to other consumers about a product or service, information through
browsing on the internet can reduce risk and further increase trust (Huete-Alcocer,
2017). WOM is currently spreading faster because of
the ease of internet facilities used by more than four billion people in the
world and 42% of the world's population, using electronic social media
available on mobile phones and computers (Grafstr�m et
al., 2018). Previous research found that experience in
the sphere of quality relationships is influenced by five supporting dimensions
used for experiential value variables, namely the dimensions of aesthetics,
escapism, service excellence, food beverage excellence and customer return of
investment (efficiency) which have cognitive value and contribute affectively
to relationship quality. restaurant providers with customers, so it is
recommended to be able to strengthen the intention to spread WOM (Mema
et al., 2018).
Restaurants in addition to having a
role in providing a variety of food and beverage and service excellence by
their employees, need a role to provide positive expectations and provide
valuable experiences, treatment for customer delight caused by experiential
value experienced by customers can lead to an impetus for positive behavior,
prioritizing customer experience and striving for customer delight is believed
to be able to provide benefits to the company, (Roberts-Lombard & Petzer, 2018)
Experiential Value and WOM
Experience is considered a primary
factor and is taken into account by customers when choosing a restaurant, so
understanding the needs of consumers in luxury restaurants can help provide
information on market position and steps for restaurant policy (Hsu
et al., 2018). The atmosphere of the restaurant, which is
equipped with a garden and the freshness of natural green plants, can evoke an
aesthetic experience and can lead to a customer's desire to spread WOM due to
the atmosphere that surrounds the restaurant, thus creating harmony (Apaolaza et al., 2020). Customer escapism is believed to be an
extension of getting joy, in uniting all activities and a situation when
customers are immersed in restaurant activities that generate active
participation so that it affects the spread of WOM (Sharma & Rather, 2015).
Extraordinary experiences are one
way that is proven to be able to contribute to the delivery of service
excellence, in addition as a group experience and can benefit from the
emergence of WOM (Collier et al., 2018). Food and beverage excellence service complete
with the beauty of the restaurant atmosphere will be significantly felt by
customers and can generate intentions to motivate the spread of WOM (Richardson, et al., 2019). When prioritizing a customer-oriented approach,
efficiency is understood through the perspective that customers want to do and
customers can facilitate so that WOM is achieved (Sapounakis, 2011). The suitability of the visual appearance in
the restaurant environment can be used as an aesthetic experience that creates
infinite pleasure in the form of customer delight for customers (Mema
et al., 2018)
H1. There is a positive effect of Aesthetic
experience on WOM.
H2. There is a positive influence of customer
escapism on WOM.
H3. There is a positive effect of Service
Excellence on WOM.
H4. There is a positive influence Food and
beverage excellence on WOM.
H5. There is a positive influence of Customer
Efficiency on WOM.
Experiential Value and Customer Delight
The harmony of the appearance in a
unified environment is used as an aesthetic experience in creating infinite
pleasure in the form of customer delight for customers (Mema
et al., 2018). Allowing customers to escape for a moment
from the routine of life that feels boring, then get an opportunity that
encourages enjoyment as an intrinsic delight on the customer's side (Apaolaza et al., 2020)
According to Roberts-Lombard
& Petzer (2018) the interest in service providers that can be
accepted by customers is formed from extraordinary experiences, which support
cultural treatment when service excellence occurs. Food and beverage excellence
is a complement that customers always want to get restaurant luxury that is
formed from service surprises so that customer delight arises amazingly (Hosany &
Witham, 2010).
Expectations to get customer
efficiency are greatly increased, customers often want to be known when
interacting with employees so that when they are in a restaurant customers can
play an active role in the process of getting customer delight which is easily measurable
(Sapounakis, 2011).
H6. There is a positive effect of Aesthetic
experience on Customer delight.
H7. There is a positive influence of customer
escapism on customer delight.
H8. There is a positive effect of Service
excellence on Customer delight.
H9. There is a positive influence of Food &
beverage excellence on Customer delight.
H10. There is a positive influence
of Customer efficiency on Customer delight
Customer Delight and WOM
A good relationship with customers
will create increased customer delight, giving rise to positive trust which has
an impact on the emergence of WOM (Zhang
et al., 2014).
�H11.
There is a positive effect of Customer delight on WOM.
Customer Delight as a mediating variable
Culture in modern society, requires
the body to use sensory in order to feel the pleasure of taste, smell and sight
artistically and visually to the aesthetic experience of the positive
environment that is presented, forming special memories in the form of delight
which naturally spreads as a story to other people to be present to feel the
experience that is the same (Korsmeyer, 2015).
H12. There is a positive effect of Aesthetic
experience on WOM mediated by Customer delight
Mema
et al., (2018) stated that by combining the experience needed
by customers, namely escapism as one of them with quality relationships
that provide memories such as customer delight , it can maintain customer
engagement significantly which can result in WOM.
H13. There
is a positive influence of customer escapism on mediated WOM customer delight
The effect of service quality on
individuals who have a number of groups Limited people tend not to want to
spread WOM, but can be overcome by giving pleasant surprises by offering
discounts to visitors, providing new benefits for individuals who bring
additional guests or presenting interesting events so that they can spread
stories (WOM) to other communities (Mema et al., 2018).
H14. There
is a positive influence of Service excellence on WOM mediated by Customer delight
Richardson et al., (2019) stated that food and beverage excellence is a
strong factor driving the pleasure obtained by customers, the next impact is
causing a conversation that can become a recommendation for the restaurant as
an interesting topic so as to spread WOM among customers.
H15. There is a positive influence of Food and
Beverage excellence on WOM mediated by Customer delight
Restaurant employees play a role in
providing solutions to efficiency problems By involving customers, a positive
relationship occurs due to the influence of customer efficiency on customer
delight which can help to measure the level of emotion, so WOM is used as a
control for customer intentions (Bakti
et al., 2020)
H16. There is a positive influence of customer
efficiency on mediated WOM customer delight
The concept of customer delight is
considered "beyond of satisfaction" according to suggestions from
previous research, it is hoped that customer delight will be reviewed
empirically so that it becomes a theory that contributes to the service sector,
because it has great benefits for the company. Intention theory, which
encourages the emergence of marketing contexts in the restaurant sector,
recognizes that the literature on customer delight that has an impact on
customer experience is still rare (Roberts-Lombard & Petzer, 2018).
�The puorose of this research is to discover
whether aesthetics experience, customer escapism, service excellence, food and
beverage excellence affect WOM or not.
METHOD� RESEARCH
Fine-dining restaurants in three
cities in Indonesia, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, were chosen as the
object of this research, in order to answer the questions summarized as
hypotheses in this study. The selection of the object of research is based on
the statement of Pizam
(2012) which reveals that fine dining restaurants are
a range of upscale restaurants which has a complete service, complete with the
concept of exclusive food and beverage offerings by aligning customer tastes
and prioritizing a combination of high service standards, so that it is
believed that fine dining restaurants can be the key to the success of the
restaurant business.
The interval scale is used to help
respondents to answer research questions, in the questionnaire there is a
question section to represent individuals according to certain categories. In
addition, the question is aimed at separating the answers in order by group,
making a large measure of the differences obtained from individual preferences (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). The Likert attitude measure scale for this
study will certainly use a five-point scale, chosen to make it easier for respondents to answer
statement items with positive answer
choices, namely as follows; 5 = Strongly Agree (SS), 4 = Agree (S), 3 =
Moderately Agree (CS), 2 = Agree (S), 1 = Strongly Disagree (STS). The
questions on the questionnaire were adopted from previous research, and the
population determination stage was carried out with clear targets according to
the research design. The method of data collection was done
by purposive sampling, which was
based on certain considerations in accordance with the nature of the research
that did not require generalization.
The period of data collection in this study
was carried out by cross section directly obtained
from the respondents, namely the customers of fine dining restaurants as the
unit of research analysis. The research sample was designed
using non-probability sampling and purposive sampling methods. Certain considerations
were determined according to the nature of the research that did not require
generalizations, besides that each element in the population of this study had
the same opportunity to be selected as the sample studied among a large number
of populations and not know exactly how many. The benchmark used to determine
the sample refers to the statement by Hair
Jr, et al, (2014). It is the number of research samples
needed must be adjusted to the number of question/statement indicators used in
the questionnaire, assuming nx 5 observed
variables/indicators up to nx 10 observed
variables/indicators, it means that the number of samples used is calculated
using the formula 5 to 10 times the number of indicators. Has the number of
statement items that are used as indicators (observed
variables) as many as 25 items, it is necessary to have a sample of 25 x 10 =
250 respondents. Based on these benchmarks, 250 samples were distributed
to respondents through online questionnaires. The questionnaire that was
collected was only 205 eligible samples to be processed and it was ensured that
these samples had met the requirements for use and had met the criteria
suggested by Hair
Jr, et al, (2014)
This quantitative study was
analyzed statistically descriptively and the research model was measured
using SmartPLS, which has analysis facilities for
direct and indirect effects, Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results of
the detailed research instrument testing are shown in
the table below:
Table 1. Average Variance Extracted
����������� �������������� �Source: Results of data processing with PLS
Table 2a. Cross
Loading - Discriminant Validity
Table 2b. Cross
Loading - Discriminant Validity
Source: Results of data processing with PLS
Table 3. Composite Reliability Results
Source: Results of data processing with PLS
The test on this research model with
composite reliability, all meet the reliability among all latent variables
based on the CR value, it can be said that this test meets the reliability
requirements and has consistency because CR > 0.7.
Table 4 Reliability Test
Results with Cronbach Alpha
Source: Results
of data processing with PLS
The value of the reliability test results
with Cronbach Alpha in the table above, it was found
that all the answers to the indicators that support the construct indicate
consistency, because all variables and dimensions show Cronbach Alpha values
above 0.7. The reliability value on the test of all indicators of this study
shows that the relationship of all indicators to the construct has a high level
of reliability.
The indicators of latent variables that
make up the construct of this research are all consistent and can be accounted for in meeting reliability. The path
diagram for the output of the outer model looks like this:
Figure 1. Path Diagram
Outer Model
Table 5. Coefficient of
determination
The two variables, the values generated on
the latent variables of this study have a high average value above 70%, so that
this research model has high predictive accuracy and the results of the
structural model test can be said that this research
model is good and meets the requirements to be used for research.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
In the hypothesis test the direct influence
gives a decision on the results obtained, the decision is
based on observing the values between constructs obtained from the
bootstrapping process. The results of the path diagram of the inner model can be seen in the image below
Figure 2. Path Diagram Inner Model
Source: Results
of data processing with PLS
Value for each direct effect resulting from
the bootstrapping process have varying values, the decision of the hypothesis
of this study depends on the magnitude of the coefficient value, the value of
t-statistics and the result summarized in the table below.
Table 6. Direct
effect hypothesis test results
Source: Results
of data processing with PLS
Based on the conclusions in table 6 above,
the first hypothesis with a negative path coefficient value was
decided not to support. Likewise, hypothesis 3, hypothesis 6 and
hypothesis 8 have a P- value greater than 0.05, so it is decided not to support
it. Hypothesis 2, hypothesis 4, hypothesis 5, hypothesis 7, hypothesis 9,
hypothesis 10 and hypothesis 11 resulting in a P-value smaller than and equal
to 0.05 so it can be accepted. The elaboration of the values of the indirect
effect test is summarized and arranged in a table. Thus,
it can describe the influence between constructs and the significance that
occurs between variables through the indirect effect test, described in table 7
below this.
Table7. Specific Indirect Effect
In Table 7 the analysis of the indirect
effect, hypothesis 12 and hypothesis 14 and Hypothesis 16, the P-value results
show a value above 0.05 so it cannot be declared
insignificant and cannot be accepted. Hypothesis 13 and hypothesis showed
significant and acceptable results. It was found that
the direction of the strong positive indirect influence was the food and
beverage excellence route � customer delight � WOM with a P-value of 0.001 and
a coefficient of 0.167.
CONCLUSION
The results of the indirect effect analysis
were found; first, the dimensions of food and beverage
excellence on WOM mediated by the customer delight variable and the dimension
of customer escapism on WOM through the variable customer delight show a
positive and significant effect. Second, the dimensions of aesthetic experience
on WOM, dimensions of service excellence on WOM and dimensions of customer
efficiency on WOM mediated by customer delight, show that there is no
influence. An insignificant effect was found on the
service excellence dimension on the WOM variable when mediated by the customer
delight variable. An interesting finding was found,
namely the results on the customer escapism dimension path to WOM mediated by
the customer delight variable shows a positive and significant relationship.
REFERENCES
Apaolaza, Vanessa, Hartmann, Patrick, Fern�ndez-Robin,
Cristobal, & Y��ez, Diego. (2020). Natural plants in hospitality
servicescapes: the role of perceived aesthetic value. International Journal
of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Bakti, I. Gede Mahatma
Yuda, Rakhmawati, Tri, Sumaedi, Sik, Widianti, Tri, Yarmen, Medi, &
Astrini, Nidya J. (2020). Public transport users� WOM: an integration model of
the theory of planned behavior, customer satisfaction theory, and personal norm
theory. Transportation Research Procedia, 48, 3365�3379.
Collier, Joel E., Barnes,
Donald C., Abney, Alexandra K., & Pelletier, Mark J. (2018). Idiosyncratic
service experiences: When customers desire the extraordinary in a service
encounter. Journal of Business Research, 84, 150�161.
Grafstr�m, Johan, Jakobsson, Linn�a, & Wiede, Philip. (2018). The impact of
influencer marketing on consumers� attitudes.
Hair Jr, Joe F., Sarstedt,
Marko, Hopkins, Lucas, & Kuppelwieser, Volker G. (2014). Partial least
squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business
research. European Business Review.
Hosany, Sameer, &
Witham, Mark. (2010). Dimensions of Cruisers� Experiences, Satisfaction, and
Intention to Recommend. Journal of Travel Research, 49(3), 351�364.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287509346859
Hsu, Sheng Hsun, Hsiao,
Cheng Fu, & Tsai, Sang Bing. (2018). Constructing a consumption model of
fine dining from the perspective of behavioral economics. PLOS ONE, 13(4),
e0194886.
�https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194886
Huete-Alcocer, Nuria.
(2017). A literature review of word of mouth and electronic word of mouth:
Implications for consumer behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 8,
1256.
Korsmeyer, Carolyn. (2015). Making sense of taste. Cornell University Press.
Mema, Silvina C., Sage,
Chloe, Xu, Yuhui, Tupper, Kenneth W., Ziemianowicz, Daniel, McCrae, Karen,
Leigh, Mark, Munn, Matthew Brendan, Taylor, Deanne, & Corneil, Trevor.
(2018). Drug checking at an electronic dance music festival during the public health
overdose emergency in British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Public Health,
109(5), 740�744.
Pizam, Abraham. (2012). International
Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management 2nd edition. Routledge.
Richardson, Scott, Lefrid, Mohammed, Jahani, Shiva, Munyon, Matthew D.,
& Rasoolimanesh, S. Mostafa. (2019). Effect of dining experience on future
intention in quick service restaurants. British Food Journal.
Roberts-Lombard, Mornay,
& Petzer, Dani�l Johannes. (2018). Customer satisfaction/delight and
behavioural intentions of cell phone network customers�An emerging market
perspective. European Business Review.
Sapounakis, E. (2011). Efficiency: The second essential of a customer
centric business. UX Magazine.
Sekaran, Uma, & Bougie,
Roger. (2017). Metode Penelitian untuk Bisnis: Pendekatan
Pengembangan-Keahlian, Edisi 6 Buku 1.
Sharma, Jyoti, & Rather,
Raouf Ahmad. (2015). Understanding the customer experience: An exploratory
study of �A� category hotels. International Journal on Customer Relations,
3(2), 21�31.
Wheelen, Thomas L., &
Hunger, J. David. (2018). Concepts in strategic management and business
policy: Globalization, innovation and sustainability. Pearson Education.
Zhang, Kem Z. K., Zhao,
Sesia J., Cheung, Christy M. K., & Lee, Matthew K. O. (2014). Examining the
influence of online reviews on consumers� decision-making: A heuristic�systematic
model. Decision Support Systems, 67, 78�89.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2014.08.005
Copyright holder:
Budi Aryani, Farida Djasfar, Robert Kristaung, Lucy Warsinda (2022)
First publication right:
Devotion - Journal of Community Service
This article is licensed under:
