Customer experiences and expectations of sit-down restaurants: An auto-ethnographic perspective on restaurant failure

Abstract

It is noticeable that many restaurants in South Africa fail to keep their doors open – and this most often applies to non-franchised eateries. Small business entities may be deficient in market research, which could result in a mismatch between what is offered by them and what customers expect. The aim of this study was to analyse and present customer experiences and expectations of eateries in order to offer present and aspiring restaurateurs guidance on what may be required of them to succeed by retaining customers. An auto-ethnographic approach was followed, where customers (the participants) were required to document their experiences of eateries, focusing on what made them attractive and what they found repellent. Following the collection of the documents, the scripts were pooled and compared – to identify common themes, but also to identify idiosyncratic preferences. It was found that the food and drink offering played an important role in customer satisfaction, but that factors not directly related to the offering had a substantial impact on customers’ willingness to return. A list of these factors is provided. The food selection and drink offering of a restaurant are important. However, it is insufficient to retain customers. This paper provides present and aspiring restaurateurs several propositions on what may be required to enhance customer satisfaction. This is presented in the auto-ethnographic style – which allows for easy access by non-academics. Most of the suggested interventions don’t require a substantial financial input, and would thus be easy to implement and advance the sustainability of restaurant owners’ businesses.