Discussion on the Relationship Between Characteristics of Self-Service Restaurants and Consumption Willingness

Since changed in external environment and technology as well as diversified demands of customers, the innovation of dishes and services is necessary to attract customers. Therefore, based on literature analysis and empirical research, this study discussed the relationship among customers¡¯ experience connotation to self-service restaurants, service characteristics, customers¡¯ technology involvement, attractions of self-service restaurants, customers¡¯ perceived values and customers¡¯ consumption willingness; and further compared the difference on the relationship mode between the groups who are and are not willing to spend money at self-service restaurants. In this study, the consumers who were 15 or above in Taiwan and had eating-out experience were taken as the main respondents and the questionnaires were sent by staff to carry out the convenient sampling survey, and totally, 650 valid questionnaires were collected. Then, the consumers were divided into two groups: the group with certain consumption intentions and the group with uncertain consumption intentions, according to the condition whether they will be willing to spend money at self-service restaurants in the future, in order to conduct group pattern comparison. It is found from the results that the two groups are significantly different in the strength of the 3 relationship paths. Therein: (1) the customers¡¯ technology involvement of the group with certain consumption intentions has significantly positive effects on the paths to the customers¡¯ perceived values and is stronger than that of the group with uncertain consumption intentions, (2) the attractions of self-service restaurants to the group with certain consumption intentions have significantly positive effects on the paths to the customers¡¯ perceived values and is stronger than that to the group with uncertain consumption intentions, (3) the customers¡¯ perceived values of the group with certain consumption intentions have significantly positive effects on the paths to the customers¡¯ consumption willingness and is stronger than that of the group with uncertain consumption intentions. From the study results, the consumption willingness models of both groups are also different. The results can be provided to the operators of self-service restaurants as the reference to make decisions.