CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF THE FRANCHISE RESTAURANT FRONTLINERS

The frontline services provide by the staff represent the image of the organisation. The perceptions of customers towards the organisation will be influenced by their experiences at the frontline. A poor service delivery experience by a customer will influence the image of the organisation as the customer may share his/her bad encounters to other people. Hence, it is important that the organisation ensured the quality of frontline services will give satisfaction to the customers in onier to secure a positive image of the organisation. Researching customer satisfaction towards communication skills among the frontline staff of the selected franchise restaurants in a small-town setting requires the researchers to look beyond the tangible aspect alone. The service quality (SERVQUAL) model provides the theoretical background to analyse and discuss the interview data conducted with twenty-four customers of five franchise restaurants. The findings revealed a mix perception of satisfaction and dissatisfaction among the participants who received the services from the frontliners. Some participants suggest the need for the employers to provide training to the staff to improve their communication skills and develop favourable attitudes. (C) 2021 Published by European Publisher.