Study on the Effects of Service Encounter Elements in a Family Restaurant Based on Customers' Emotional Response and Satisfaction
The purpose of this study was to understand the interrelationships between customers' perception of service encounter elements, customers' emotional response and customer satisfaction in a family restaurant. Based on a total of 408 samples, this study reviewed the reliability and fitness of the research model and verified a total of 4 hypotheses using the Amos program. The hypothesized relationships of the model were tested simultaneously using a structural equation model (SEM). The proposed model provided an adequate fit to the data, χ2=821.151 (df=333), CMIN/df 2.466, GFI .878, NFI .927, IFI .955, TLI .949, CFI .955, RMSEA .060. The results showed that human factor (β=.426) and physical factor (β=.266) as service encounter elements in family restaurants were indicated to have a positive (+) influence on customers' positive emotion. For influence of customers' negative emotion, human factor (β=-.157) was surveyed to have a negative (-) influence. Also, customers' positive emotion (β=.716) and negative emotion (β=-.081) had significant effects on customer satisfaction. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.