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In their study of whether offering a guarantee of
service quality will encourage customers to visit a
particular restaurant, Tucci and Talaga have found
that the effect of such guarantees is mixed. For
(5)
higher-priced restaurants, there is some evidence
that offering a guarantee increases the likelihood of
customer selection, probably reflecting the greater
financial commitment involved in choosing an
expensive restaurant. For lower-priced restaurants,
(10)
where one expects less assiduous service, Tucci and
Talaga found that a guarantee could actually have a
negative effect: a potential customer might think that
a restaurant offering a guarantee is worried about
its service. Moreover, since customers understand a
(15)
restaurant's product and know what to anticipate in
terms of service, they are empowered to question its
quality. This is not generally true in the case of skilled
activities such as electrical work, where, consequently,
a guarantee might have greater customer appeal.
(20)
For restaurants generally, the main benefit of
a service guarantee probably lies not so much in
customer appeal as in managing and motivating staff.
Staff members would know what service standards
are expected of them and also know that the success
(25)
of the business relies on their adhering to those
standards. Additionally, guarantees provide some
basis for defining the skills needed for successful
service in areas traditionally regarded as unskilled,
such as waiting tables.