Cornell Study: Coworker Support Is Vital to Restaurant Guest Satisfaction

A new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research finds that creating an environment of supportive coworkers is a key ingredient for maintaining guest-oriented servers.

Three factors combine to create the guest orientation that makes for excellent restaurant service: clear standards, management support, and coworker support. The question is, which of these elements promote guest-oriented employees? The study, 'The Effects of Organizational Standards and Support Functions on Guest Service and Guest Satisfaction in Restaurants,' answers this question with a model that connects these elements. The study is available at no charge from the Center at http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/chr/research/centerreports/.

In a survey of 324 service employees and 271 guests at 25 midwestern restaurants, researchers Alex Susskind, K. Michele Kacmar, and Carl P. Borchgrevink found that all three factors-standards, management support, and coworker support-contribute to service excellence. Although supportive coworkers is the factor that carries the most weight, Susskind and his colleagues discovered an essential role for managers.

'Management support per se is not a strong contributor to service employees' guest orientation, but managers have a critical role in explaining, reinforcing, and executing the restaurant's service standards,' said Susskind, an associate professor of food and beverage management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. 'Those standards form the basis of the restaurant's success in satisfying guests.'

While such other factors as food quality and restaurant ambience also are essential for guest satisfaction, this study shows the importance of guest-oriented servers to a restaurant's success.

Meet and interact with Dr. Susskind, an active member of the executive education faculty at the School of Hotel Administration, when he presents in the Professional Development Program http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/execed/pdp.html.

About The Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of the Center's 57 corporate affiliates, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operating practices. The Center also publishes the award-winning hospitality journal, the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. To learn more about CHR and its projects, visit www.chr.cornell.edu.

CHR Partners and sponsors: AIG Global Real Estate Investment, Denihan Hospitality Group, Expedia, Inc., Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, HVS International, JohnsonDiversey, Inc., Kohinoor Group, LRP Publications, Marriott International, Inc., Marsh's Hospitality Practice, Mobil Travel Guide, Nestlé, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Proskauer Rose LLP, Smith Travel Research, Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc., SynXis (a Sabre Holdings Corporation), Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Thayer Group of Companies, Travelport, and Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo.

CHR friends: 4Hoteliers.com • Caribbean Hotel and Restaurant Buyers Guide • Cody Kramer Imports • Cruise Industry News • DK Shifflet & Associates • ehotelier.com • Estrela Marketing Solutions • Fireman's Fund Insurance Company • Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes • Global Hospitality Resources • Hospitality Confections • Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) • hospitalityInside.com • hospitalitynet.org • Hotel Asia Pacific • Hotel China • HotelExecutive.com • Hotel Interactive • Hotel Resource • International CHRIE • International Hotel and Restaurant Association • International Hotel Conference • iPerceptions • KPMG Japan/Global Management Directions • Lodging Hospitality • Lodging Magazine • PKF Hospitality Research • The Resort Trades • RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit • RestaurantEdge.com • Shibata Publishing Co. • The Lodging Conference • TravelCLICK • UniFocus • WageWatch, Inc. • WIWIH.COM


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Reader Comments:

Be the first to leave a comment for this article

Tweet