Ristorante Italiano Service Quality and Operations - Case Study Example

Ristorante Italiano Service Quality and Operations Research Report Name: Course: Tutor: Institution: Date: Executive Summary This report is a summary of a research in the service industry. In the contextually developing and changing global service industry, it is imperative for organisations to develop the relevant skills and approaches for increased market success. In this regard, the research evaluated the operations and service quality and perceptions in the market, especially in the restaurants industry a case study of the Ristorante Italiano restaurant. The evaluation established that in the changing service market it is imperative for organisations to offer ample outside space for customer recreational activities, increase customer services, enhance diversified and personalized food menus as well as offering supportive internal servicescape for increased performance and market success both in the present and into the future. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 1.0 Introduction 4 2.0 Findings 5 2.1 Accessibility and External Space 5 2.2 Interior Décor 6 2.3 Food Variety 7 2.4 Customer Service 7 3.0 Recommendations 8 3.1 Space Creation 9 3.2 Consumer Surveys 10 3.3 Menu Diversification 11 4.0 Conclusion 12 References 14 1.0 Introduction The changing global market competition landscape has served as a motivational factor for service provides to adapt and change their operations. In his regard, the service industry unlike the goods industry was traditionally confined to domestic markets and a limited consumer base. However, as Lee and Xia (2005, p.75) noted, global changes in transport and technology development have altered the general service industry landscape. Therefore, in order for organisations to retain influence and success in this market it is imperative to align their operations and service quality with the market needs to avoid the emergence of the common market service gaps. In order to offer a practical approach on the topic, the evaluation adopts the case study of the Ristorante Italiano restaurant a renowned market leader in the provision of Italian foods in the market. In this regard, the analysis was based on a four basic criteria namely 1. The parking space and accessibility of the restaurants 2. The interior restaurants décor and interior design 3. The standardization of provided foods 4. Customer service levels exhibited by the employees In order to develop an analysis of these variables, the researcher collected primary data from the outlet through a physical visitation onto the outlet as well as through an internet search on the variety of products and food varieties offered by the organizational venture in the market. Subsequently, based on the data collected, the report developed the subsequent analysis and recommendations for improvement. 2.0 Findings 2.1 Accessibility and External Space The external space is comprised on the available space in the restaurant outlets for other activities. The availability of theses spaces allowed for increased activities by an organizational consumer base such as children playing grounds as well a relaxation and vehicle parking spaces for the consumers to increase their overall satisfaction rates (Schwarz, 2014, p.22). Moreover, increased accessibility of a service organization is a major boast to its increased consumer traffic throughout the season. An evaluation of the Ristorante Italiano restaurants established that the restaurants are among a chain of others under the San Carlos restaurants spread across the UK. In this case, the evaluation reveals that each of the restaurants is strategically located across the UK market. The strategic location along busy traffic areas and on highly populated affluent locations is one of the strengths exhibited by the restaurant for its continued overall performance in the UK market despite increased and rising industry competition. However, an evaluation of available space establishes a limitation in space. In this case, although the restaurants have sufficient parking bays for the customers, they lack enough spaces for other customers’ recreational activities such as children playing areas. As such, this persists as a major organizational weakness in its service delivery. In the changing service landscape, there emerges a perception service gap in that what the provider perceives as quality is not actually perceived as quality by the consumers. This is the case with Ristorante Italiano lack of space. On one hand, the manage perceives quality service as the provision of high quality Italian foods, while consumers perceive quality service s the provision of both quality foods as well as opportunity and space for other recreational activities. This is major service gap in the operations of the restaurant that require mitigation strategies to control it. 2.2 Interior Décor An interior décor is classified and described as the internal environment available in organisations. These are the factors that are not part of the actual offered products but serve as the support services for increased consumer delivery upon the offering of the main products as argued by Lloyd-Walker and Cheung (1998, 350) in an evaluation of the Australian banking industry. The aspect is developed form the increased popularity of the servicescape theory and perception. Under the servicescape theory, it seeks to develop the support services such as lighting, sitting bay as well as interior designing in a premise as a significantly influencing factor on consumers’ satisfaction. An evaluation of the Ristorante Italiano establishes that the restaurant applies the servicescape theory and concept to the fullest. On one hand, the restaurants are designed and characterized by the Italian interior décor ambience. As such, the ambience and interior designs make the restaurants increasingly attractive to consumers for repeat and frequent visits. Moreover, the restaurant has proper and up to standards sitting bays as well as proper lighting apparatus, thus complementing the interior décor designs. Therefore, the research data collected evidenced the possession of a great and dominant strength in the application of the servicescape theory. In this regard, the evaluation concluded that increased application of a superior interior decor accounted to the organizational increased performance and dominance in the restaurants industry in the UK despite the rising population. Increased application of the interior décor value additional activities and operations would invariably increase the overall operational and service quality in the restaurant into the future. 2.3 Food Variety The core business operations of any restaurant are food provision. In this regard, the service influencing aspect is the variety and standards of the offered products. As such, the offered variety across restaurant outlets as well as the standards of the products across the market matters a lot. An evaluation of the organizational products and food varieties in the market established that it offered standard products and foods in all its outlets. In this case, all the Ristorante Italiano restaurant outlets offer the same product varieties. The most popular product brands offered by the organization include Avocado Bernado, Conno Scottato con Finocchi and Cozze e Vongole. The development of standard and common products variety by the organization has increased its reputation in the UK market. As such, consumers are increasingly confident that upon visiting and touring any of the outlets would be satisfactorily served. Therefore, this has created and enhanced increased service reliability to the consumers. As Kusluvan (2003, p.808) stated, service reliability is based on operations standardization in the market that ensures that a large proportion of the consumer service needs are met and satisfied within the expected and logically acceptable timeframe. As such, the standardization of product services is one operational service aspect that the organization should continuously seek to retain and improve into the future. 2.4 Customer Service One of the greatest aspects of service delivery and quality is the provision and offering of quality customer care services by the provider. This incorporates the response as well as etiquette and attitudes exhibited by an organizational customer care representatives. The development of the relevant customer service base is the first and fundamental step towards successful market operations and service quality by the service providers. Based on this acknowledgement, the evaluation research evaluated on the level and extent of customer care service and quality exhibited by the Ristorante Italiano workforce. On one hand, the evaluation revealed an online customer service platform. In this regard, the restaurant showcases its entire operations and services provided. Therefore, consumers could develop a profile of the services and products to expect from the organization. This approach has enabled the organization overcome the service challenge of expectation gap. Al-Imamy and Farhat (2005, p.79) in an evaluation of the UAE market stated that the expectation gap occurs when the consumers expectation are not met of offered by an organization. Therefore, through the website, the organization demonstrates the products and foods it can offer thus ensuring that the consumers have a real expectation profile. Moreover, the website also offers an opportunity for consumers to book reservations in the restaurant, thus further increasing the organizational rating and service quality in the market. Moreover, it helps in management thus increasing the organizational operations quality. A physical visit to the restaurant establishes that the attendants were prompt and often responded to customer needs and queries satisfactorily. Further, they were hospitable and supportive to the consumers. Therefore, this evidenced that the restaurant had sufficient and relevant customer care service as required in the restaurants industry. 3.0 Recommendations Based on the research findings developed in the physical visit to the restaurant as well as through an online evaluation of the restaurant website, this report developed a series of recommendations. These recommendations seek to achieve two strategic objectives. On one hand, the recommendations will enable the restaurant strengthen and improve its current strengths for increased market competitiveness. Moreover, they will help reduce and mitigate the exhibited organizational weaknesses to improve its market ranking and competitiveness in the restaurants industry. Among the offered recommendations include space creation, consumer surveys and menu diversification. 3.1 Space Creation The evaluation established that despite the existence of a parking bay in all the restaurant outlets, there was a deficiency in the supply and availability of space for other activities by the consumers (Wu, Huang and Chou, 2014, p.173). Therefore, this report offers a specialized recommendation for the provision of sufficient space in the respective restaurants. This recommendation is based on the service gap on perception. In a study to evaluate the challenges facing the restaurants industry in the market, Mohanty (2008, p.27) on a focus on the hotel and tourism industry in the Indian market established the perception gap as one of the common challenges. In this regard, the evaluation argued that a lack of support services limited the overall performance o f the industry. In this regard, the evaluation evidenced the fact that consumers in the growing and dynamically changing global market are more included to satisfaction with an increased servicescape. Under this approach, the organizational support services include the provision of enough space for other recreational activities as a servicescape improvement in the industry. In the short run, the report recommends that the organization should consider hiring and leasing out spaces near the outlets to ensure that there is enough outdoor activities space for its consumers. However, in the long run, the organization should consider establishing its retail outlets in areas where there is sufficient outdoor space. This would include a consideration for the relocation of the various established restaurant outlets that lack enough outdoor space or any nearby open space available for acquisition. The adoption and execution of this strategic approach would ensure that the organization offers an increased servicescape to ensure quality support services that form a key competitiveness and attraction point for consumers in the service industry as especially for the restaurants with the increasing health and physical appearance concerns in the global population. 3.2 Consumer Surveys The global market topography is continuously changing. In this regard, the society aspects such as their buying behaviours and decision making models are also changing simultaneously across the market. The changing macro economic factors necessitate the regular changes in business operations in order for organisations to retain an influence and control over the market base. Joiner, Yang Spencer and Salmon (2009, p.121) conducted a study evaluating approaches and avenues through which organisations could increase their responsiveness to changing global dynamics in the market. In this regard, the evaluation established that in order to ensure appropriate and timely responsiveness, organisations should consider the development and initiation of flexible operational strategies. This study can be applied in the restaurants industry. One of the approaches through which the Restaurant can ensure that it retains an increased competitiveness and has timely response is through regular consumer surveys. The surveys should be aimed at evaluating consumer needs and preferences. In this regard, such regular consumer surveys and reviews would ensure that the organizational management is well aware of changing consumer needs in order to change and adjust their services and products accordingly on a timely basis. The conduction of the regular consumer surveys and needs evaluation would insulate the restaurant against the expectations service gap risk. This would occur in the context that in the event that the consumer product and service need changes and the management is unaware of such changes, then the offered products would fail to meet the consumer needs and wants in the market. Currently, the restaurant has a good blend and accurately envisages the consumer needs and preferences in its products and service. However, in order to ensure that it does not fail and loose this sustainable market competitive edge it should invest in regular surveys .Moreover, upon the institution of the reviews, the organization should introduce a continuous improvement process. Shah and D'Souza (2009, p.244) described such a process as an approach through which organisations increased their respective overall systems on a regular basis and dynamically to suit and align operations with the market needs. 3.3 Menu Diversification The research findings establish that the organization has standardized its menu. In this case, as the findings reveal, the approach increases its market reputation as well as service reliability as the consumers are sure and aware of the products to expect in the restaurant outlets. However, such standardization approach through convenient for operations and service delivery convenience limits the organization to a specific consumer base and segment. In this regard, it limits the consumer base as its lacks innovative products (Giannotti, Mattarocci and Spinelli, 2011, p.26). As such, this evaluation report recommends that the restaurant should consider diversifying its menu. Through such an approach, the diversification would include the establishment of the opportunity for customized Italian food products. In this case, in order to ensure sufficiency in the organizational operations planning, such consumers should be required to place their orders in advance online prior to visiting the restaurant. With such a diversification approach, the restaurant would ensure that it acquires an increased consumer base through customization thus increasing its overall sales and market influence for the provision of Italian culture based foods and beverages. 4.0 Conclusion In summary, this report offers a summary evaluation of a service quality and operations research on the Ristorante Italiano. The research involved both the primary and secondary data collection tools. On one hand, the primary data was collected through visits to the restaurant physical premises. On the other hand, secondary data was collected form an evaluation of online data and information on the restaurant and its operations. In its evaluation criteria, the research applied four aspects namely space, interior servicescape, services standardization and customer service respectively. Based on these criteria, the research establishes that indeed the restaurant lacks enough space for customer’s recreation activities. Moreover, the evaluation revealed that the restaurant has a quality interior décor for servicescape aspects as well as a standardized menu base as well as the provision of quality customer care service in the market. Based on the established findings, the research evaluation developed a series of recommendations for increased space provision for recreational activities, improved customer surveys in the market as well as increased menu diversification in the market. Through the evaluation on the research report affirms that the restaurant is bound to increase its competitiveness in the overall market success. References Al-Imamy, S. & Farhat, N. 2005, "The MIS Expectation Gap in the UAE: Industry Expectations Versus Academic Preparation", Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 78-84 Giannotti, C., Mattarocci, G. & Spinelli, L. 2011, "The role of portfolio diversification in the hotel industry", Euro Med Journal of Business, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 24-45. Joiner, T.A., Yang Spencer, X.S. & Salmon, S. 2009, "The effectiveness of flexible manufacturing strategies", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 119-135 Kusluvan, S., 2003, Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry. Hauppauge, Nova Science Publishers, New York Lee, G. & Xia, W. 2005, "The ability of information systems development project teams to respond to business and technology changes: a study of flexibility measures", European Journal of Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 75. Lloyd-Walker, B. & Cheung, Y.P. 1998, "IT to support service quality excellence in the Australian banking industry", Managing Service Quality, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 350 Mohanty, P., 2008, Hotel industry and tourism in India, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi Schwarz, G., 2014, Public shared service centers: A theoretical and empirical analysis of US public sector organizations, Springer Gabler, Weislebaden. Shah, K., & D'Souza, A., 2009, Advertising and promotions: An IMC perspective, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi. Wu, P., Huang, C. & Chou, C. 2014, "Service Expectation, Perceived Service Quality, And Customer Satisfaction In Food And Beverage Industry", International Journal of Organizational Innovation (Online), vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 171-180. Read More