MALAYSIAN MALAY RESTAURANTS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CONCEPTUAL MODEL

The early 1970s saw the emergence of customer satisfaction as a legitimate field of inquiry and the volume of consumer satisfaction research has increased significantly during the last four decades. With regard to the food service industry, most restaurateurs have realised the effect of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty for long-term business survival, and have chosen to improve customer satisfaction in an attempt to achieve business goals. However, the development of a model that helps restaurateurs to understand what customers need in terms of a satisfactory experience and how those determinants can be better managed to improve satisfaction has not yet received enough attention. Therefore, this qualitative study that applied grounded theory research approach and case study research strategy has conducted in three Malaysian Malay restaurants to develop a conceptual model of customer satisfaction based on customers' experience, and not the manager's, to help managerial staff to understand the whole process of customer satisfaction in a restaurant. Data were collected adopting in-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observation, direct observation and documentary evidence. The data was analyzed using NUDIST computer software. Finding of this study views that dining experience as a service and product production process that consist of three major concepts: Input, transformation and output of the dining experience. The input of the dining experience (contains of the determinants and management of customer satisfaction), transformation of the dining experience (involves seven stages that starts from the customers' getting information about the restaurants then experiencing the dining themselves) and the output of the dining experience process (is expressed through psychological impact of pleasurable feelings that then motivate the customers to show behavioural changes: revisit the restaurant, repurchase restaurant's products and/or service, price tolerance, first choice, conveying positive word-of-mouth recommendations and showing preference. These were viewed as indicators of service loyalty).