EFFECT OF KNOWLEDGE IN FOOD CHOICE ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN RESTAURANTS WITHIN ELDORET CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, KENYA

Abstract

Social psychology enhances customer satisfaction and positively moderates the relationship between food menu and customer satisfaction .Though satisfaction has been widely studied, little is still known about satisfaction derived from the knowledge of food choice. The main purpose of the study was to determine effect of level of knowledge in food choice on customer satisfaction in restaurants within Eldoret Central Business District (CBD). Additionally the moderation effect of social psychology was tested. The study was guided by the following objectives; to determine the effect of food quality knowledge, nutrition knowledge, food menu knowledge and investigate the moderating effect of social psychology on the relationship between knowledge of food choice on customer satisfaction in restaurants within Eldoret CBD. Explanatory research design was used in the study. The study was informed by Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior.The target population was 3610 customers from 36 restaurants within Eldoret Central Business District. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 360 restaurant customers. The researcher used questionnaires as a tool for data collection. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to describe data, while inferential tests specifically multiple linear regressions were used to establish the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The study findings showed that nutrition knowledge (β2=.319, ρ<0.05) had the highest significant and positive effect, followed by knowledge of food menu (β3=.278, ρ<0.05) and knowledge of food quality (β1=.243, ρ<0.05) on customer satisfaction respectively. Findings show that the three levels of knowledge of food choice enhance customer satisfaction in restaurants,and that social psychology positively moderates the relationship between knowledge of food menu and customer satisfaction (β=2.466, ρ<0.05), and negatively moderate relationship between nutrition knowledge and customer satisfaction (β=-1.888, ρ<0.05), however, does not moderate the relationship between knowledge of food quality and customer satisfaction (β=-.839, ρ>0.05. In conclusion high social psychology, customer’s knowledge of food menu will increase customer satisfaction but their knowledge on nutrition and food quality will reduce satisfaction. Nutritional knowledge is a key ingredient in enhancing customer satisfaction. Based on these findings the study recommends that restaurants improve on the food nutrition and food quality, create awareness to customers on food nutrients they offer, and make the food menu clear and understandable to all customers.