The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the environmental-friendly features of the university foodservice on customer satisfaction and loyalty. To be more specific, this study analyzed the influences of such environmental-friendly fact...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the environmental-friendly features of the university foodservice on customer satisfaction and loyalty. To be more specific, this study analyzed the influences of such environmental-friendly factors of the university foodservice as pro-environmental elements, food quality, hygienic elements and service ones over customer satisfaction and loyalty. Then, this study aimed to encourage the environmental-friendly meal service policies and suggest the reform measures thereof in an effort to help the university students improve their health through the improved food services at their university.
For this purpose, preceding studies were reviewed, and thereupon, a research model was constructed, while some research hypotheses were set up. In order to test the designed research model and the hypotheses, university students were sampled randomly to be subject to a self-administered questionnaire survey for the period from May 1 to May 30, 2019. The data collected thus were processed for frequency analysis to analyze subjects' demographic variables. On the other hand, the data were also processed to test the reliability and validity of the question items through analysis of Cronbach's Alpha coefficients to check the internal consistence among the various measurement items. Furthermore, through the exploratory factor analysis, the validity of the component concepts was examined, while the regression analysis was conducted to test the hypotheses. The results of this study can be summarized as follows;
As a result of the factor analysis for the environmental-friendly service quality, the factors were divided into 5 groups of factors. The group 1 consisted of 'such environmental-friendly elements': organic farming, less use of the pesticides, supply of the environmental-friendly agricultural and fisheries products, supply of the fresh vegetables and fruits, reduction of the food wastes and others, maintenance of a proper indoor temperature, indication of the environmental-friendly marks or country of origin, contribution to customers' improvement of health. The group 2 may well be 'quality elements of the foods': tasting of seasoning, tastes of foods, temperature of foods, diversity of the menu, freshness of foods. etc. The group 3 may well be called 'hygienic elements' in overall terms: cleanliness of hydration stand, cleanliness of dishes, spoons and others, comfort of the dining space, overall state of hygienics, cleanliness of the place where dishwares are collected, cleanliness of the cafeteria, etc. The group 4 may well involve the dining facilities: illumination, ventilation, convenience of cooling and heating, comfortable tables and desks, comfortable dining space, convenient hand-washing facilities, overall facility convenience, etc. The group 5 may well involve the service factors: workers' appearances and attire, their kindness, information service regarding the menu, etc.
Among the various customer satisfaction factors, the highest factor loading was the overall satisfaction, followed by satisfaction with the food distribution service, satisfaction with food quality and menu, satisfaction with the atmosphere of the foodservice, satisfaction with the meal service prices, and workers' attitudes and services in their order. On the other hand, the highest factor loading of customer loyalty was recommendation of the foodservice to others, followed by positive mentioning about the foodservice, hope for continuous food services at the foodservice, revisit to the foodservice and mentioning about the advantages of the foodservice in their order.
The results of testing hypotheses can be summed up as follows;
First, as a result of testing the hypothesis 1 that the environmental-friendly food service would affect customer satisfaction positively, it was found that the subjects were satisfied with the environmental-friendly elements, quality of foods and convenience elements. In particular, customer satisfaction was affected much positively by foodservice workers' efforts to help improve customers' health as well as the use of organic farm products, less sterilized foods, environmental-friendly agriculture and fishery products, indication of such environmental-friendly elements. Hence, the hypothesis 1 that "the environmental-friendly service of the university foodservice would affect customers' satisfaction positively" was adopted, although partially.
Secondly, as a result of testing the hypothesis 2 that "the environmental-friendly service of the university foodservice would affect customers' loyalty positively", it was found that such factors of the environmental-friendly services as quality of foods and convenience factors would affect customers' loyalty. In particular, if the suppliers provide the organic-farming products, less-sterilized foods, environmental-friendly agricultural and fisheries products and the foodservice makes efforts to reduce the food wastes, and if the environmental-friendly food materials are supplied with the proper indication of the origins of foods, the customers would be more likely to use the foodservice or recommend it to others. Hence, the hypothesis 2 that "the quality of the environmental-friendly services would affect customers' loyalty to the foodservice positively was adopted, although partially.
Thirdly, as a result of testing the hypothesis that customer satisfaction would affect customer loyalty positively, it was fond that customers' satisfaction would affect their loyalty. Namely, the higher the customers were satisfied, the stronger their loyalty was. Hence, the hypothesis 3 that "customers satisfaction would affect their loyalty" was adopted.
The implications of this study can be summarized as follows;
First, since this study empirically analyzed the correlation between university foodservice's environmental-friendly service quality and customer satisfaction and loyalty, it would well help to systemize the correlations between university foodservice's environmental-friendly service factors and customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Secondly, unlike the preceding vast and diversified studies on university foodservice service quality, this study adopted a new approach or the environmental-friendly school meal service quality, it would well be an extensive and specialized research, being differentiated from the preceding studies.
Thirdly, this study suggested multi-faceted strategies to help enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty: organic farming products, less sterilized foods, use of the environmental-friendly agricultural and fisheries products, supply of the fresh vegetables and fruits, reduction of the food wastes, proper indoor temperature, indication of the environmental-friendly food materials and their origins, contribution to customers' improvement of health, etc.
Fourthly, if the university foodservice should supply the environmental-friendly foods to student customers, their customer satisfaction and loyalty would be enhanced, while their health and dietary life would be improved.
Fifthly, the environmental-friendly food materials would help to enhance the school image, conduce to citizens' health, creation of the customers and increase of sales.
Lastly, although this study examined the factors of the environmental-friendly service quality for the university students and thereby, analyzed the factors affecting their satisfaction and loyalty by means of literature review and empirical analysis, it has been limited in the following terms.
First, since the sample of this study was a group of the university students, its results may not well be generalized for the school meal services. Hence, the future studies are deemed obliged to expand the sample into elementary, middle and high school students.
Secondly, since this study limited the environmental-friendly service quality of the university foodservice into 5 categories, it is deemed necessary for the future studies to use more diversified service quality factors to generalize their results effectively.
Third, it is deemed necessary to diversify the environmental-friendly service quality factors to systematically analyze the correlations between customer satisfaction and loyalty as well as analyze their effects by using a larger pool of variables.