A Structural Approach on Students’ Satisfaction Level with University Cafeteria

Abstract

This study was carried out to identify the relationship between the food quality, price fairness, staff performance, and ambience of the university cafeteria with students' satisfaction. The survey method was employed in testing the proposed hypotheses via a structured self-administered questionnaire. This survey was conducted in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) and a total of 93 undergraduates were selected for questioning via convenience sampling method. The results were generated by using the Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique via AMOS 21.0 computer program with maximum likelihood estimation. Based on the SEM technique, food quality and price fairness are the two most important dimensions that influence the students satisfaction on café service quality. Next, the students give less priority to staff performance and ambience. The results were differing from the previous study. The university cafeteria should take serious measurement in improving the food quality and price for long term sustainability.

Consumer Choices and Service Quality in the University Canteens in Warsaw, Poland

“…According to several authors [1,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25], customers’ expectations and perception of service will determine the perceived quality of service. The customer satisfaction is a major determinant of a company’s long-term profitability, and customer loyalty [15].…”

“…There are different factors influencing the choice of canteens by students and u staff, the choice of food in canteens and the satisfaction of students and university staff from canteen services. Some of the factors are as follows:The quality of food and beverages, quality of ingredients used in foods, taste of food [1,16,17,18],Menu variation [16,19,20];Quality of service (staff performance and ambience), efficiency of service [1,16,18,21,22]; responsiveness-assurance, empathy-equity, reliability and tangibles [4];Value, price and price fairness [1,20];Hygiene and cleanliness, food hygiene and environment, cleanliness while serving to customers [20];Location, as well as the atmospherics of establishment [1,18,19], the canteen design [23], the physical setting [26], furniture suitably designed at university canteens [20];Waiting time [16]. …”

“…Location, as well as the atmospherics of establishment [1,18,19], the canteen design [23], the physical setting [26], furniture suitably designed at university canteens [20];…”

“…Various aspects of customer services in university canteens are also important. The unsatisfactory services offered by the university cafeteria operators, staff unfriendliness, unresponsiveness (lack of smiles and greetings) slow service and unreasonable product prices was stated by Chang et al [20]. Service quality was found to have a significant effect on customer satisfaction [4].…”

“…Probably, students, when they are at the canteen deciding what to eat for lunch, will most probably not be motivated enough or too distracted to engage in deliberate decision making about their eating behavior. Chang et al [20] stated that students’ satisfaction with the university cafeteria is influenced more by food quality than staff, price fairness and ambience.…”