TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding culture on the effectiveness of restaurant servers’ check-back style
AU - Lee, Hye Eun
AU - Hwang, Joyce Hyunjoo
AU - Bennett, Keri
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PY - 2015/11/9
Y1 - 2015/11/9
N2 - Purpose – This study aims to, first, identify how service perception can differ depending on the customers’ cultural background during intercultural encounters and, second, provide useful and specific directions of more culturally competent service interaction to restaurant managers and servers in US restaurants. Effective exchanges between service providers and international customers are important to ensure the success of restaurants. While frequently and explicitly checking in on customers is common in the USA, this may not be preferable to people from different cultures. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 (n = 975) utilized a survey, and Study 2 (n = 145) used an experimental design to, first, examine cultural differences between American and Japanese participants in their preferences about restaurant servers’ check-back style and, second, examined the moderating effect of culture (i.e. American and Japanese culture) on the relationship between the servers’ check-back behavior and the evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and the intention to return to a restaurant. Findings – The results showed that the frequency of a server’s visits had a positive effect on evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and intent to revisit for the Americans, but not for the Japanese. Practical implications – This research has practical implications for restaurant managers and servers who are expected to interact with international customers. They can apply the findings of this research to examine culturally appropriate check-back styles, which are an important attribute of effectiveness in intercultural service encounters in US restaurants. Originality/value – The current study indicates that providing standardized service to all customers, regardless of cultural differences, might not be ideal.
AB - Purpose – This study aims to, first, identify how service perception can differ depending on the customers’ cultural background during intercultural encounters and, second, provide useful and specific directions of more culturally competent service interaction to restaurant managers and servers in US restaurants. Effective exchanges between service providers and international customers are important to ensure the success of restaurants. While frequently and explicitly checking in on customers is common in the USA, this may not be preferable to people from different cultures. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 (n = 975) utilized a survey, and Study 2 (n = 145) used an experimental design to, first, examine cultural differences between American and Japanese participants in their preferences about restaurant servers’ check-back style and, second, examined the moderating effect of culture (i.e. American and Japanese culture) on the relationship between the servers’ check-back behavior and the evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and the intention to return to a restaurant. Findings – The results showed that the frequency of a server’s visits had a positive effect on evaluations of service effectiveness, emotional response and intent to revisit for the Americans, but not for the Japanese. Practical implications – This research has practical implications for restaurant managers and servers who are expected to interact with international customers. They can apply the findings of this research to examine culturally appropriate check-back styles, which are an important attribute of effectiveness in intercultural service encounters in US restaurants. Originality/value – The current study indicates that providing standardized service to all customers, regardless of cultural differences, might not be ideal.
KW - Check-back
KW - Consumer behavior
KW - Cross-cultural studies
KW - Customer services quality
KW - Emotional response
KW - Intent to revisit
KW - Intercultural service encounter
KW - Restaurants
KW - Service effectiveness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84947929369&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/IJCHM-04-2014-0195
DO - 10.1108/IJCHM-04-2014-0195
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84947929369
SN - 0959-6119
VL - 27
SP - 1905
EP - 1926
JO - International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
JF - International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
IS - 8
ER -