Abstract:

Staff behaviour in food and beverage establishments is a critical factor that directly affects customer experience. Especially in the food sector, the relationship between the staff and the customer is of great importance. Considering the physical proximity between the staff and the customer during the service process in the food sector, it becomes critical that the staff exhibit a careful and attentive attitude. Even if all the facilities provided by the business are perfect, negative customer experiences caused by staff behaviour may cause the business to gain a negative reputation. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the behaviours and attitudes of the staff who communicate directly with the customers on the eating and drinking experiences of the customers. In this framework, the study investigates the effects of restaurant staff's behaviours such as hygiene, communication skills, courtesy on customers' purchasing decisions, satisfaction level and tendency to recommend the business. The participant group of the study consists of customers who go to restaurants serving street food in Kocaeli province. Using qualitative research method, data collection was carried out by interview technique. The participants were asked questions to evaluate the effect of staff behaviours on their eating and drinking experiences in restaurants and the answers were recorded. The results of this study show how critical staff behaviour is for restaurant businesses to increase customer satisfaction. In this context, it is recommended that businesses should develop strategies for staff training and improving their behaviour.

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