Re-Examination of Servicescape Model: Food Expectation and Patronage to Macau’s Restaurant from Chinese Visitors’ Perspectives

Abstract

The appearance of the physical surrounding which potentially effect to visitors their expectations of the food. Service environment under the right design may lead to visitor patronage the restaurants. Restaurant owners need to understand how to make use of service environment and affect buying behavior. Servicescape model had been well discussed over the last two decades, which provide a road map for service provider how to adopt service environment in provide customer service expectation. The purpose of this paper is to expand the servicescape model and re-exam service environment which affect their food expectation and patronage to local restaurant in Macau. Hope to make further suggestion to the industry. The rationale of this study aims to examine under the physical dimensions, Chinese visitors what is their food expectation and patronage to restaurant. Previous scholars had adopted various studies in relate to service environment by using the servicescape model, however, limited study which conduct a re-examination the traditional elements under the servicescape and Chinese their buying behavior. The study adopted qualitative research and provided 30 Chinese visitors’ their expectations of the local restaurants, from the service environment which may lead to have different expectation and their buying decision. In-depth interview with semi-structure questions were provided in the study. Discussion made by the interviewees demonstrated visitors’ expectations of the service environment not limited to the traditional elements from servicescape. Result will be discussed and provided an implication to the industry how it can improve the service environment and stimulate the visitors buying behavior.