Customer loyalty: an exploration of the relationship between service quality and customer intent to return / Ainiwati Bakeri

In today's competitive marketplace, one of the biggest concerns of service restaurant operators is winning customer loyalty. This study examined the relationship between service quality and customer intent to return in the full-service sector of the restaurant industry in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. The constructs of service quality and customer intent to return were measured using DINESERV survey instrument. Evidence exists that service quality delivery through five service quality dimension is an essential strategy to success, possibly more important than low price. To deliver superior service quality, managers of restaurant must first understand how customers perceive and evaluate customer service. The goals of this article are to review and synthesize the literature about service quality delivery through service quality dimension, and creating customer loyalty in service restaurant industry.

The study design and methodology was based on quantitative descriptive survey research from which respondents ratings of study constructs are evaluated. Participants of this study were asked if they are over 18 years old and willing to complete a survey upon finishing their meals. Once the completed survey solicitation was complete after two weeks time at each location, the data results for each demographic question (i.e., age, gender, annual income) and the DINESERV and loyalty questions were transferred into an electronic SPSS data set with password protected only known and accessible to the researcher. Data was analyzed and result will proposed to the restaurant manager for future improvement.