Challenge the impossible distance–Examine consumers’ perceptions of the spatial perceived crowding between seats in restaurants

• Main Authors: Kuo, Chia-Jung, 郭家蓉
• Other Authors: Wang, Kuo-Ching
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2pn836

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 運動休閒與餐旅管理研究所 === 102 === Recently, the consumptive spaces in restaurants are getting considerable attentions not only from the function of capacity, but also from pursuing building well situational influence to meet the customers’ need and expectations. In Taipei city, in order tokeep economical and increase revenue,regardless the distances from table, lots ofrestaurants set tables tightly due tohigh rental. However, customers may have unpleasant consuming experiencesand repugnance to restaurants for limited personal spaces and uncomfortable spaces between tables. For this study, with 796 invited customers, the perception of crowding and dinning experiences in two restaurants in Taipei are examined. These two restaurants were divided into ten areas for investigation in light of interferences of spatial perceived crowding between personal factors and customers’ characteristic. Furthermore, the relationship among spatial perceived crowding and consumers' evaluations of service of restaurants, anxiety emotions, customer satisfaction were also examined. Numerous interesting findings emerged from the results, which are: (1) The different levels of spatialperceived crowdingwere found in different seating areas. (2) The interferences with spatial perceived crowding existed between personal factors and customers’ characteristic.(3) Spatial perceived crowding affectedconsumers' evaluations of service experiences restaurant. (4) Positive correlation between spatial perceived crowding and anxiety emotion was found, whereas negative correlation withcustomer satisfaction. (5) It must be noted that the restaurants have excellent food quality, consumption values, comfortable seats spaces and well service, whereas the prices of meals are non-priority factors.This result provides the practitioners the suggestions of seating arrangement that different customers with different properties accept different arrangement. Catering industry operators can arrange seats due to customers’ properties, and further increase consumer satisfaction. On theother side, this research is also contributive to perceived crowding measurement in academic field.