Service Quality Assessment Basis for Improvement: A Case study of Seńor
De Pacencia
A Case Study Paper Presented to
The Faculty Committee of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
Arellano University Pasig
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of
The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management
By:
Cruz, Louis Eagan M.
Gonzales, Ivan Paul L.
Date
ABSTRACT
Title: Service Quality Assessment Basis for Improvement: A Case study of Seńor De
Pacencia
No. of Pages:
Researcher: Louis Eagan M. Cruz, Ivan Paul L. Gonzales
Adviser: Prof. Annie Herbolario
Degree Conferred:
School: Arellano University Andres Bonifacio Campus
Year: 3rd year
INTRODUCTION
Seńoe De Pacencia Enterprises is own by a married couple name Bing Cruz and
Lina Cruz, this business is establish in the year of 2005 until today. The business is doing
good because the catering in this time is really popular in our generation.
The problem of some catering business is that some are not providing the good
quality of service towards their customers and also to the employees as well. This study
will let the others know if the catering business is doing a good quality of service and
also to know let others know why to they need to have a good quality of service in their
business.
Once we have conduct this study to senor de pacencia about the service quality,
they will have an advantage towards other competitors because they are providing a good
quality of service to their customers and employees. Service quality is basically is one of
the important aspect in a certain business,and also catering business should provide a
better service quality to get more customers or to have a loyal customers.
Service quality in the hospitality industry becomes one of the most important
factors for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage and customers’ confidence in the
highly competitive marketplace, and therefore service quality can give the hospitality
industry a great chance to create competitive differentiation for organizations(Al-Ababneh
MM 2017).
RELATED LITERATURE
Service quality reflects the extent to which the delivered level of service matches
Customer expectations [Lewis and Booms, 1983].
[Parasuraman et al 1985] claims that quality cannot be defined using a product-
based approach when dealing with service sectors and hence came forward with the term
‘Service Quality’.
[Garvin 1987], the common attributes of service quality are Performance, features,
conformance, aesthetics, reliability, durability, serviceability and perceived quality.
Service quality is considered as an important driving customer satisfaction in the
service environment [Andaleeb & Conway, 2006]. The service is supposed to elicit an
emotional reaction, without which we can't entirely understand the customers' satisfaction
process [Ladhari, Morales et al, 2005]. However, the customer opinion of service quality
is change overtime [Palmer and O’Neill, 1999].
Service quality is considered as an important factor when it comes to deciding
where to eat [Waters, 1998].
Service quality reflects the extent to which the delivered level of service matches
Customer expectations [Lewis and Booms, 1983].
[Kivela et al. 1999, 2000 & 2009] stated that in the restaurant industry, customers
not only evaluate the quality of food but also the quality of service they encounter during
their dining experience.
The quality of service can bring customer intention to use the service again. These
will bring the loyalty of the customer to the business. Service quality came as a superior
quality to customer and brings the customer loyalty [Zeithaml, Berry & Pasuraman 1996].
The good quality of service will convincingly client to repeat the demand of service.
It show customer behavioral towards service provider. The quality of service that fulfills
customer expectation will gain the customer loyalty. This intention will make customers'
favorable inclination a service relative to other firms offering the same service [Kaura,
Prasad & Sharma 2015].
[Zeithaml 1996] suggested that satisfaction with service quality has been
determined to have a positive effect on customer loyalty to the organization, which leads
to increased organizational profits [Young, 2000]. [Barsky & Nash 2003] shared the same
opinion as [Young 2000], satisfaction with service quality has been directly influenced
customer intent to return and customer willingness to recommend.
[Zeithaml 1998] defined service quality as the judgment of a customer about a
product’s overall excellence. Many researchers perceived service quality as critical issue
in the hospitality industry. Researcher also agreed that high level of satisfaction increases
repeat patronage and improves service provider market reputation as mentioned by [Yuksel
& Yuksel, 2002]. [Cronin & Taylor 1992] also agreed that service quality has a significant
impact on the customer purchase intentions . [Lee 1998] concluded that the perceived
product and service quality had an effect on customer satisfaction and directly influenced
customer loyalty.
[Galloway & Ho10 1996] have described a model of service quality based
upon operational issues which are directly relevant to staff training & skills which are
developed on three important dimensions of hard/soft, outcome/process and
objective/subjective. It mentions that the benefits to the organization by matching
customer expectations with staff skills has resulted in increased level of job satisfaction for
staff.
[Redman & Mathews24 1998] have examined a variety of management practices
including human resource management (HRM), used in service sector. On assessment of
their potential impact on service quality and total quality management (TQM), most of the
techniques are identified as being potentially supportive of quality improvement but few
in particular to those closely associated with minimization of cost and the less subtle forms
of managerial control posed danger to the improvement process.
It is a known fact that profits are directly linked to service quality and productivity
especially in service operations where customer has active role to play in delivery of
services and has direct impact not only on the service provider but on the entire network.
This highlights the assessment of returns on relationships in relationship marketing, the
concept introduced by [Gummesson251998].
Service processes have different performance requirements than those of
production processes because of their characteristics. [Gunes & Deveci44 2002] have
found that reliability of service processes is taken into consideration in a verbal sense and
regarded that “reliability is satisfied by delivering service to customers on time.”
The fundamental factors that contribute to customer satisfaction in restaurants
include food quality (hygiene, balance, and healthiness), service quality, physical provision
(layout, furnishing, and cleanliness), atmosphere (feeling and comfort), and service
received (speed, friendliness, and care) during the dining experience [Jones, 1983; Johns
& Pine, 2002].
[Ruben chumpitaz and Nicholas G. paparoidamis 2004]. In an Empirical study
focus to clarify the contradictory evidence with respect to relationships among the concepts
of service quality and to provide evidence of this mediating role of industrial satisfaction.
The result provides the direct effect of industrial satisfaction on loyalty, accessibility,
delivery and product reliability as antecedents of industrial satisfaction.
[Wan – I Lee and Chi-Lung July 2011], The purpose of the study is to explore the
relationship between service quality, customer value, customer satisfaction and purchase
intention in relation to chain drugstores. The results reveal that overall service quality is
not correlated with behavior intention, although reliability and personal interaction are
significantly related to behavior intention.
Prabha ramseook-munhurren,[Nov3-2012]. In this study focus the service quality
dimensions in restaurant services. The findings of this study are food quality; the
reliability dimension was the strongest Predictor of customer satisfaction as well as repeat
purchase intention and willingness to recommend. It concluded that improving service
quality will not only strengthen customer loyalty, but also improve the restaurant's
reputation and result in more sales and greater revenue in the long run.
[Dong kyoon yoo, jeong Ah park 2007], In an outstanding study examines
relationships among employees perceived service quality, customers and financial
performance. The findings of the study are that employee training has an influence on
perceived service quality. Finally concludes, management may keep the consistency and
reliability of perceived service quality by increasing the capability of employee through
training and a shared understanding.
[Bright leisen Pollack 2008], In this research study focus the relationship between
service quality attributes and customer satisfaction. The findings of the study are that
Satisfiers exhibit initially no relationship with satisfaction, but after the acceptable level
of quality (i.e. inflection point) has been reached, become positively related. Finally
concludes, for dissatisfies, the firm should increase the service quality.
In the hospitality and tourism industry, service quality is a very important element
that can determine the success of the organizations in the industry [Lockyer, 2003]. It has
been proved by numerous researches that when organization provide its customer with
high level of service quality, it follows that a high customer satisfaction would accrue to
customers, which then leads to increase loyalty and improved competitiveness of the
organizations [Lockyer, 2005], [Mack, Mueller, Crotts and Broderick, 2000].
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem of catering business is that some are not providing the good quality
of service and good quality of food towards their customers. In this study it will know
why does the catering services is lacking is food quality and service quality to their
customers and know how will they handle this kind of assessment toward their business.
So once this study is done it will let the others know if the catering business is doing a
good in service quality and food quality towards their customers.So researchers will
assess the service quality and food quality that is needed to improve by the Senor De
Pacencia Enterprises.
METHODOLOGY
A qualitative research strategy is particularly applicable for the purposes of this
research, where the connection between several different variables had to be established
through interpretation. Also, the research makes use of triangulation because
triangulation gives the opportunity to approach the research objectives from different
viewpoints (Cohen and Manion, 2002; Altrichter et. al, 2008). Descriptive research
describes the present status of people, attitudes and progress. “It involves gathering of
data that describe events and then organizes tabulates, depicts and describes the data
collection” (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). The customers are informed regarding to the
objective of the study by presenting the letter to conduct an survey, rest assured that the
information that will be gathered shall not be held against them but shall be kept highly
confidential and use only for academic purposes and purpose of the research.Purposive
sampling (also known as judgment, selective or subjective sampling) is a sampling
technique in which researcher relies on his or her own judgment when choosing members
of population to participate in the study. The study used purposive "non-probability
sampling in which decisions concerning the individuals to be included in the sample are
taken by the researcher, based upon a variety of criteria which may include specialist
knowledge of the research issue" (Oliver, 2006). In this study, some selected participants
are interview to know what kind of service and food quality that being provided by of
senor de pacencia toward the customers. Some samples of questions are included in the
semi-structured open ended interview are the following:
Questions
1. How will you rate the service and food quality of Senor De Pacencia? Why?
2. Why did you choose Senor De Pacencia to cater you?
3. How will you improve its service quality?
4. How will you improve the food quality of Senor De Pacencia?
5. Is Senor De Pacencia having a awful service to their customer? How?
6. Is there any bad service that been provide by senior de pacencia?
7. What is the problem you encounter in this catering? Why do you think they have that
kind of problem?
8. The food being served has a good quality? How?
9. Do you thinks that quality of service is important in catering? Why?
10. Why do you think food quality is important in a catering?
11. How is the experience in the food that being served?
12. Do they satisfy you with their food and service that they provide? How?
13. What is think is the solution on improving the food quality and the service quality on
Senor De Pacencia?
14. Why do other catering business is having a problem to their food quality and service
quality they provide?
15. Will you recommend this catering to others? Why?
Personal interview was conducted by the researcher to the past customers of senor
de pacencia. The interview was standardized, an open-ended interview which is a
questions is being asked to the participants in order to gather some information for this
study. The interview was documented by the researcher by using some recorder and
written answer.
This study will seek the problem about ”Service Quality Assessment Basis for
Improvement: A Case study of Seńor De Pacencia” that will lead to improvement the
service quality that being provide to the customers. This study will know the answer why
does the some catering is lacking in quality of service and how do they improve the
service quality that they provide to the customers.