Perceived values, satisfaction and behavioral intentions of Japanese casual-dining restaurant diners in Petaling Jaya

Abstract

In recent years, a steady growth in the number of ethnic restaurants, including Japanese restaurants has made the restaurant industry increasingly competitive. With the growing wealth and changing lifestyle, customers are becoming more demanding not only on the quality of foods but also on the services they received. As a result, in the highly competitive market especially Klang Valley, it is important for restaurant operators to be aware of the wants and needs of customers in order to ensure their survival. The effect of economic downturn has been felt by many in the restaurant industry and in coping with it, various measures has been deployed such as purchasing inexpensive ingredients and( or) decreasing the portion size all together in order to maintain the selling price. Besides that, due to the prolonged effect of Fukushima nuclear plants disaster, Japanese restaurant operators found themselves dealing with new problem of consumers' perception towards safety of Japan imported ingredients used in their premises. The general purpose of this study was to study the level of perceived values, satisfaction and behavioral intentions of Japanese casual-dining restaurant diners. Specifically, this study had to identify the most influencing factor towards customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions; and investigates the relationship among perceived value, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. In this research, the instrument used was in the form of questionnaire using the face­ to-face interview technique to collect the data.