Evaluation of Key Factors That Determine Customer Loyalty towards an Ethnic Food Business (2013)

This dissertation focuses on critically evaluating the factors that determine the customer loyalty in the ethnic food business. The organization selected by the researcher in order to undertake this research is Palm Beach Restaurant which is a well known South Indian Restaurant situated in Wembley, Middlesex. The identification of the factors that determine customer loyalty is helpful in formulation and implementation of the strategies that can enable the business leaders to enhance the loyalty of their customers essential for their business survival.

The quality of the food related products, brand trust, customer satisfaction, price of the products and store environment are some of the most important factors that drives the customer loyalty in the restaurant industry. Customer loyalty refers to the positive attitude of the customer towards the products and services of the any particular company and this positive attitude reflect in their buying behavior. It is a fact that customer loyalty is very crucial for the food companies which are operating in the era of increased competition and changing business environments.

The reason behind this is there are number of organizations currently operating in the restaurant industry which is offering different types of products and innovative services to the customers in order to attract their attention and ensuring their retention which ultimately results in increase in the company’s client base. The importance of customer loyalty in the present world can be understood from the fact that loyal clients of the firm are very less likely to switch to the competitor’s brands and they prefer to be with the organization despite of the price increases and reduction in the quality of the services. For this particular study, the researcher has considered both primary data collection methods and secondary data collection methods.

The primary data has been collected through the survey and interview method. The survey has been conducted with the employees of Hotel Palm Beach in order to identify the factors that can affect the customer loyalty in the ethnic food business. The researcher has also arranged the interview with the restaurant manager of Hotel Palm Beach which was helpful in identifying the strategies implemented by the management of the restaurant in order to ensure the client loyalty and improve their satisfaction level with the products and services offered by the restaurant.

The secondary data was collected through the books, articles and academic journals which have been written on the topic of client loyalty in the hospitability industry and ethnic food business. The research findings show that customer services, food quality, prices of the menu items and the overall environment of the store are some of the factors that can affect the customer loyalty in the ethnic food business. The outcomes of the research reflect that customer loyalty is one of the most effective methods of increasing sales revenues of the restaurant companies in the modern world which ultimately results in improved business profitability.

The main findings of the study show that customer loyalty can create a positive impact on the profitability of the companies operating in the restaurant industry. The outcomes of the study reflect that customer loyalty is very helpful for the organizations to build profitable relationships with the customers which are essential for the business survival. It is also helpful for the companies to acquire and retain the profitable customers. The main aim of this research is to evaluate the factors that can affect the customer loyalty in the ethnic food business. The objectives of this research are as below;

• To identify that how organizations operating in the restaurant industry can enhance the loyalty of their target customers in the long run
• To assess the impact of client loyalty on the business profitability of the restaurant based companies
• To evaluate that how customer loyalty can affect the consumer buying behavior in the ethnic food business

• 20,000 words – 60 pages in length
• Excellent use of literature
• Good analysis of subject area
• Well written throughout
• Includes questionnaire
• Ideal for marketing students

1: Introduction
Research Aims and Objectives
Study Background
Company Background
Rationale and Value of Research
Limitations of Research

2: Literature Review
Definitions of Customer Loyalty
Theories of Customer Loyalty
How Customer Loyalty Can Be Ensured?
Factors That Determine Customer Loyalty
Customer Loyalty and Business Profitability
Current Trends in the Restaurant Industry
Consumer Buying Behavior and Customer Loyalty
Benefits of Customer Loyalty

3: Research Methodology
Research Approach
Questionnaire Survey
Interview Method
Data Collection Methods
Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
Ethical Issues

4: Research Results and Analysis
Analysis of Questionnaire Survey
Analysis of Managerial Interviews
Outcomes of Research Study

5: Final Conclusion and Recommendations
Final Conclusion
Recommendations

References

Appendix Section
Survey Questionnaire
Interview Questions