레스토랑직원의 고객지향성이 관계혜택, 고객만족, 충성도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to examine the important role of customer-oriented service employees (COSE) in the upscale restaurant industry. More specifically, based on the existing theoretical background, it was proposed that four dimensions of COSE (i.e. technical skills, social skills, motivation, and decision-making authority) influence relational benefits (i.e. confidence benefits, social benefits, and special treatment benefits). In addition, it was hypothesized that relational benefits can result in three managerial satisfaction and loyalty. A conceptual model was developed and tested using the empirical data collected from 241 upscale restaurant patrons in Korea. The results showed that technical skills, social skills, motivation, decision-making authority play important roles in the formation of confidence benefits, which in turn positively affects satisfaction and loyalty. The important theoretical/managerial implications that were derived from the analysis are presented and discussed in the last part of the article.