SISTER NIVEDITA UNIVERSITY
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REPORT WRITING ON FIELD WORK – INDUSTRIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
PAPER: CC-16
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SUBMITTED BY:
Shawni Dutta, M.Sc. Applied Psychology, Semester 3, Sister Nivedita University
Specialization: Organizational Behavior and Management Psychology
Enrollment No.: 212223002037
Registration No.: 210020371334
SUBMITTED TO:
Prof. Dr. Raj Shekhar Aich, Department of Psychology, Sister Nivedita University
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INVESTIGATING
CUSTOMER CARE
STRATEGY
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1. RESEARCH TITLE
Investigation of customer care strategies utilized by restaurant industry in creating optimal customer
satisfactory experience.
2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
2.1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To investigate the customer care strategy a restaurant or hospitality organization uses in optimal customer
satisfaction.
2.2. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE
To investigate the domain atmosphere in relation with customer satisfaction.
3. INTRODUCTION
Customer satisfaction is the fundamental markup and predictor of service in service industry. This is
particularly true in cases of restaurants and other gastronomical establishments, because food is an intimate
and very personal matter. In industrial and organizational psychology, there has been investigation in this
domain, for example, extending research by North and Hargreaves (1998), this study investigated the effect
of music on perceived atmosphere and purchase intentions in a restaurant. Results indicated that different
types of music had different effects on perceived atmosphere and the amount patrons were prepared to
spend. the study contributes to the development of a model that seeks to account for the relationship between
music and consumer behavior. Recent studies conducted in restaurants found that the atmosphere affects
customers and staff more than the food itself and is a tool for changing behavior and attitudes (Heid &
Gronhaug, 2009). Another research by international Journal of Hospitality Management Volume 31, Issue 4,
December 2012, Pages 1167-1177 revealed that restaurant atmospherics to have a significant influence on
patrons’ dining satisfaction and their behavioral intentions, particularly their intentions to return and spread
positive word-of-mouth and their willingness to pay more.
However, there is no research at Calcutta restaurant customer strategy. This research attempts to fill this gap.
The general objective of the research is to investigate the customer care strategy a restaurant or hospitality
organization uses in optimal customer satisfaction. The specific objective of the research are promotion and
publicity, food serving, ambience, behavior, problem solving strategies, crowd handling, food quality,
hierarchy strategies and others, and their relation with customer satisfaction.
4. METHOD AND FIELD SIDE
2 groups of 19 students had their field site at One Sip on 26 th and 27th November and 3rd and 4th December
of 2022. The students were given responsibility of collecting data on specific research objectives based on
group of 2. Open ended unstructured interviews were conducted to explore the different aspects of customer
care on the first day. Following on the second day, more specific structured interviews were conducted and
questions were raised and addressed. The data was then analyzed through freehand qualitative data
analyzing strategies through creating things and further points from that.
5. FINDINGS
5.1. GENERAL FINDINGS
From the research, we can generalize that the effective promotion and publicity themes that come to the
surface are promotion using word of mouth of the customers, promotion through event managers by
organizing events, circulating flyers and inviting DJs and artists. The feedback and suggestion taking
methods observed are social media pages and websites, Google, Zomato, and Suggestion Box methods.
Other advertising methods are inviting food vloggers for promotion.
From the research, we can generalize that the organization handle all the problems very effectively but
sometime they face some problems while handling guests at that time all the employees and manager
together help each other to get out of those problems. Also, the manager solves all problems of the
employees.
From the research, we can generalize that their organization has a good hierarchy structure where all the
employees include the manager have good communication between them and they maintain their all the
bookings and order efficiently by maintaining groups.
From the research, we can generalize that, the organization observe all the employees’ problems without
taken any advantages from the employees, and also, they can help their employees unconditionally. They
try to maintain their relationship well between customers and employees. They are very Welcoming and
soothing. Over all the customers and the employee's relationship is very understanding and well
mannered, they try to build rapport with customers and try to increase company's productivity.
From the research, we can generalize that the restaurant provides a satisfactory quality of foods to the
customers. supervisors ought to focus on the increasing the food items that can affect the restaurant
promotion, hierarchy, and customer satisfaction.
From the research, we can generalize that the organization provides a satisfactory quality of food service
to the customers. They take special hold of high-profile guests. Moreover, the organization is also
understaffed which in turn effects their food service quality.
From the research, we can generalize that the restaurant ambience covers every touch from the theme to
the music. There were playing different types of music that made customer's mood. The lightings were
good. The staffs wore formal clothes & were very well behaved to the customers.
From the research, it can be concluded that the manager and the other members try to handle the crowd
and resolve conflict with their presence of mind and they take decisions as per the situation calls. Even
RJ makes a proper balance between the songs he plays as per people's preferences.
5.2. SPECIFIC FINDINGS
The term “atmosphere” was first used for service establishments by Philip Kotler in 1973. Kotler (2000)
defined the concept of atmosphere as “the whole set of factors that shape the perceptions of a customer when
he enters a certain place.” In other words, the atmosphere consists of both physical and non-physical
elements and also affects those in the service business with its presence (Akkus Karkin, 2009).
The quality of the restaurant atmosphere consists of a multi-dimensional structure. It is affected by the
atmosphere of dining places, the comfort of the decor, light, cleanliness, heat, smell, and music.
Atmospheric elements in restaurants play an important role in creating the first impact on customers because
customers encounter atmospheric elements before encountering Employees.
From the semi-structured interviews administered to the management and the customers, it emerged that
One Sip Restaurant's target are customer satisfaction.
Respondents were asked to describe the ambience of the restaurant. What emerges from the semi-structured
interviews is an overall positive customer satisfaction level. The main strengths of the restaurant are: food
quality, affordable prices of foods, music background, good services, sitting arrangements. The Manager of
One Sip Restaurant also mentioned that, “People can enter here even in Hawaii chappals, but cannot do so
in any other pub”. They used music background. Music of all types have an effect on mood and can be
powerful in shaping the customer's experience. Many customers mentioned that they liked the cafe most
because of musical ambience, the place was very much refreshing, there were a separate dance floor. Even
one customer said that, “it is even better than barbeque nation”.
When asked some suggestions for improvement of the ambience few customers said that, “if the place has
an open area like open terrace and sky lounge then it would be better”.
6. SIGNIFICANCE
Restaurants customer care is an integral part of running any restaurant, perhaps as important as food is.
Customer demand from a restaurant do not stop at the speed of service but extend to the way the behavior of
the staffs, address their complaints, and even serve the food.
7. LIMITATIONS
As with any research, this research has some limitations, of which the most important is the cafe should have
an open area like roof top. The seats were not arranged properly. The café was too clumsy. Other
weaknesses might have include having inexperienced staff, not offering online ordering.
8. RECOMMENDATION
More experienced staff can be hired.
Online orders can be started.
Lighting can be brighter.
9. CONCLUSION
The aim of the present research is to investigate the customer care strategy a restaurant or hospitality
organization uses in optimal customer satisfaction.
As a conclusion we can say that one sip restaurant looks after every domain of customer care with a great
effort. They use versatile strategies for promotion and publicity, crowd handling and conflict resolution,
problem solving and customer care. They maintain a good hierarchy structure and care for employees' well-
being. Their food quality and food servicing are satisfactory. But the thing that is highly effective in
customer satisfaction is their musical ambience. They are continuously working for betterment in their
customer care strategies so that they can get highest customer satisfaction.
10. REFERENCE
North, A. C., & Hargreaves, D. J. (1998). The effect of music on atmosphere and purchase intentions
in a cafeteria. Journal of Applied Psychology, 28, 2254-2273.
R. Reuland et al. Research in the field of hospitality. International Journal of Hospitality
Management (1985).
Uslu. A. (2016). The relationship of service quality dimensions of restaurant enterprises with
satisfaction, behavioral intention, eWOM, and the moderating effect of atmosphere. Journal of
Tourism and Management studies, 16(3), 2020, 23-35.
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