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Service employee dress: Effects on employee-customer interactions and customer-brand relationship at full-service restaurants

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  • Wang, Yao-Chin
  • Lang, Chunmin

Abstract

Using social comparison theory, the purpose of this study is to examine how service employees' dress shapes employee-customer interactions and customer-brand relationship in full-service restaurants. An analysis of 437 useable customer responses collected via an online survey indicated that appropriateness of employee dress improves employee-brand congruence, which then enhances both employee aesthetic trait and enjoyable interaction. Both employee aesthetic trait and enjoyable interaction also improve the customer-employee connection. Furthermore, gratification motivation and social motivation each mediates the effects of customer-employee connection on customers’ affective commitment toward the full-service restaurant brand.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yao-Chin & Lang, Chunmin, 2019. "Service employee dress: Effects on employee-customer interactions and customer-brand relationship at full-service restaurants," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-9.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:50:y:2019:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.04.011
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Shah, Purvi, 2020. "Managing customer reactions to brand deletion in B2B and B2C contexts," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    2. Antwi, Collins Opoku & Fan, Chong-jun & Nataliia, Ihnatushchenko & Aboagye, Michael Osei & Xu, Hangyu & Azamela, John Coffie, 2020. "Do airport staff helpfulness and communication generate behavioral loyalty in transfer passengers? A conditional mediation analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    3. Japutra, Arnold & Kumar Roy, Sanjit & Pham, Tram-Anh N., 2021. "Relating brand anxiety, brand hatred and obsess: Moderating role of age and brand affection," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    4. Tierney, Kieran D. & Oswald Karpen, Ingo & Westberg, Kate, 2022. "Brand meaning and institutional work: The light and dark sides of service employee practices," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 244-256.
    5. Érica Ferreiro-Rosende & Nuria Morere-Molinero & Laura Fuentes-Moraleda, 2022. "Employee and visitor interactions in museums as a driver to convey the museum brand identity: an exploratory study approach from Picasso museums," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 383-399, July.
    6. Chen Yang & Jing Hu, 2022. "When do consumers prefer AI-enabled customer service? The interaction effect of brand personality and service provision type on brand attitudes and purchase intentions," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(2), pages 167-189, March.
    7. Pekovic, Sanja & Rolland, Sylvie, 2020. "Recipes for achieving customer loyalty: A qualitative comparative analysis of the dimensions of customer experience," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    8. Asante, Daniel & Tang, Chunyong & Asante, Eric Adom & Kwamega, Michael & Opoku-Danso, Alexander, 2023. "Leveraging perceived HPWS to improve service encounter quality in high-contact service industries," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Xu, Yingzi & Ling, I-Ling, 2023. "Effects of face masks and photo tags on nonverbal communication in service encounters," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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