The Effect of Location of Waiting Place on Consumers’ Perceived Waiting Time in a Family Restaurant

Purpose - Although an extensive body of research in psychology and marketing focuses on perceived waiting time, no research has examined the effect of the location of the waiting place on perceived waiting time. In particular, this study suggests that customers who are waiting in a restaurant may have different perceived waiting time depending on whether they are in close proximity to the service area (e.g., dining area) or farther from it. In particular, the author examines how and why the location of the waiting place affects the perceived waiting time of the consumer and reveals the mental simulation as its psychological mechanism. Research design, data, and methodology - This study conducted field surveys with customers waiting in real restaurants. Eighty-eight people participated under two conditions: a restaurant with a waiting place near the dining area and a restaurant with a waiting place far from the dining area. Participants responded to questions about perceived waiting time (the dependent variable), mental simulation (the mediator), and demographic variables. To verify the hypothesis, ANOVA and bootstrapping analysis were performed. Results - The major results from the field study are as follows. First, participants perceived wait time differently depending on the location of the restaurant’s waiting place: participants in the restaurant with a waiting place close to the dining area perceived significantly shorter waiting times. Second, the effect of the location of the waiting place on the perceived waiting time was mediated by mental simulation: the closer the wait location is to the dining area, the more imagination the customer exercises about the meal, which in turn distracts attention from time flow and shortens the perceived wait time. Conclusion - This study has a theoretical implication in that it extends research on perceived waiting time as the first study of how and why the location of a waiting place affects a customer’s perceived wait