Conclusion: Overall Customer Satisfaction

Based on the data collected and analysis of the data, I would like to make an overall conclusion on customer satisfaction of PappaRich.

As mentioned in the previous post, customer satisfaction is investigated in terms of 4 parts which are food, dining environment, services and staffs. There are 5 sub-questions under each of these 4 parts which are (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e). I had calculated the average point/mean of each sub-question for these 4 parts. 

The following table shows the average mean for each sub-question, (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e).

Based on the table shown in the above, it shows that for the food category, the sub-question (a) attain the highest mean which is 4.05. This question is asking whether the menu was easy to read and understand.  Therefore, on average the respondents are agree with it. 

However, the sub-question (c) for food achieve the lowest mean which is only 2.6. On average, the respondents are disagree that the menu provides wide selection of food. There are some improvements that could be made to improve it. For instance, PappaRich may introduce more variety of food and made the food available every day. In addition, it can also rotate the menu weekly so that the students will not get bored with the food.

Secondly, for the dining environment, PappaRich may need to pay attention on the customer satisfaction in terms of the lighting of the restaurant and also its seating arrangement. This is because both of these criteria achieve the lowest mean among all the five sub-questions. The mean for lighting and seating arrangement are 2.35 and 2.3 respectively. During the interview with the respondents, most of them hope that PappaRich would be able to increase the number of seat in order to reduce their queuing time. Besides that, they also recommended that the lighting at PappaRich should be make brighter.

Thirdly, for the services category, PappaRich achieve highest level of customer satisfaction in terms of the rapid food serving to the customers. This has made up an average point of 3.4. However, PappaRich achieve the lowest point for sub-question (b) regarding the waiting time, which is only 2.5. This could be because most of the students commented that they have to queue for a long queue before they were seated. 

Moreover, PappaRich achieve a pretty good customer satisfaction under staffs category. All the sub-questions under this category achieve an average of more than 3 points. The highest point is 3.8 for sub-question (d) which is related to the staffs dressing and neat appearance. The lowest point is 3.15 for sub-question (c) regarding the ability of the staffs to speak clearly and politely.

As a conclusion, PappaRich Express at TAR College is having a good customer satisfaction standard as it is able to achieve more than 3 points out of the total of 5 points. However, it should continuously improve the customer satisfaction level and take customers' feedback into consideration as they play a major role for a business success.

Photos Taken During Research and Observations

As mentioned in the previous post, I had also carried out direct observations at PappaRich in which several photos have been taken. 

The following are the photos taken during the research:

1. Food

All food and beverages are categorised into different categories such as Noodles, Rice, Bread, Vegetarian and Beverages. However, there are limited choices of food.

PappaRich practices open kitchen in preparing the breads and beverages for its customers. This photo shows that the workers are steaming the breads so that it will be served hot and fresh.

The photo shows that the food was served in good condition and appearance. This will attract customers' desires for dining at PappaRich.

2. Dining Environment

The photos show that PappaRich is able to maintain good standard  of its restaurant's cleanliness. As referred to the photos, the floor is clean without any rubbish.

The lighting at PappaRich is quite dim as shown in the photo. It may be a great place for dining at PappaRich as dim lighting can create relax environment but it may not be ideal for assignment or homework discussion.

Seating arrangement at PappaRich is neat but the spaces between each table and chair is too narrow and it may not be comfortable especially when the restaurant is crowded with people.


3. Services

There was a long queue at the entrance of the restaurant as the concept of PappaRich is that students have to queue up at the counter, make food order and payment and then proceed to their assigned table.


4. Staffs

This photo was taken during the short interview with TAR College's PappaRich Outlet Manager, Mr. Jeeva. He is very friendly and helpful. The left-hand side's photo is the name card given by Mr. Jeeva.

The staffs are focus when doing their work. The workers are also hardworking. This is shown in the right-hand side's photo in which the staff immediately clean up the table once the customers left.

The staffs are dressed appropriately and neat in appearance. They are wearing standardised uniform such as the black colour shirt and the X'mas hat in order to show unity of the organisational members.

Results: Analysis of Customer Satisfaction at PappaRich

After conducting the interview with the students, I had analysed the data collected and the following section shows the analysis of graph for each interview question.

1.  Food

     (a) Does the menu board easy to read and understand?

   Graph 1.1 Easiness to Read and Understand the Menu

The graph in the above shows that out of the 20 respondents, there are 13 of them agree that the menu is easy to read and understand, whereas there are 4 respondents strongly agree with it. The reason provided by the respondents is that PappaRich has categorised each types of food on its menu board or listing clearly and neatly such as Rice, Noodles, Breads, Vegetarian and Drinks. Besides that, there are only 3 students feel neutral towards the question being asked.

     (b) Does the menu provide variety selection of food?

   Graph 1.2 Excellent Selection of Food

This graph shows the customer satisfaction level towards the selection of food offered by PappaRich. Surprisingly, more than half of the respondents which are 12 of them disagree that the restaurant does provide excellent selection of food. The students commented that PappaRich has set the types of food to be offered in the days of the week. For instance, prawn mee is only available on Friday, whereas fried rice is only available on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Besides that, 6 and 2 of the students are neutral and agree respectively towards the question.

     (c) Is the food being served hot and fresh?

   Graph 1.3 Hot and Fresh Food Was Served

Based on the graph 1.3, it shows that most of the respondents which are 13 of them agree that the dishes at PappaRich are served hot and fresh. It also shows that only 2 students disagree with it and the rest 5 respondents just feel neutral. The students who disagree revealed that sometimes the soup noodles like Ipoh Kuey Teow was not served as hot as they expected.

     (d) Is the food being served in good condition and appearance?

   Graph 1.4 Good Condition's and Appearance's Food

The graph in the above presents that half of the respondents agree that the food was served in good condition and appearance. However, both 5 respondents disagree and feel neutral respectively towards the question being asked. The students who disagree with it revealed that, they have been served with half-boiled eggs which are still raw before this. 

     (e) Are the dishes tasty and delicious?

   Graph 1.5 Tasty and Delicious Dishes

As referred to the above, it presents that half of the respondents agree that the dishes were delicious and tasty whereas 8 respondents stand in neutral. However, there are 2 respondents disagree with it. The reason is that since there is no variety selection of food, they feel bored eating the same food and indirectly feel that the food is not tasty.

2.  Dining Environment

     (a) Is the restaurant clean?

   Graph 2.1 Cleanliness of the Restaurant

The graph in the above shows that more than half of the respondents which are 14 of them agree that PappaRich is a clean restaurant and 2 of 20 respondents strongly agree with it. The rest 4 respondents stand neutral on the cleanliness of PappaRich. Most of the respondents commented that the floor is very clean and the surrounding of the restaurant is also clean.

     (b) Is the lighting good?

   Graph 2.2 Good lighting

The graph in the above anlayses the level of customer satisfaction on the lighting of PappaRich. It reveals that 14 respondents disagree that the lighting of the restaurant is good. The respondents did comment that the light in PappaRich is quite dim and it is not an ideal place for assignment or homework discussion. On the other hand, 5 of them just feel neutral and only a respondent agree that the lighting is good.

     (c) Does the seating arrangement neat and comfortable?

   Graph 2.3 Neat and Comfortable Seating Arrangement

Based on the graph shown in the above, more than half of the respondents which are 14 of them not agree that seating arrangement at PappaRich was neat and comfortable. They commented that the spaces between each chair and table are narrow and it is difficult to move in the restaurant especially it was crowded with people during lunch time. The remaining 6 respondents stand for neutral for this criteria.

     (d) Does the temperature in the restaurant comfortable?

   Graph 2.4 Comfortable Internal Temperature

From the graph shown in the above, it reveals that there are exactly 10 people agree that they feel comfortable with the internal temperature at PappaRich, whereas 2 respondents strongly agree with it. On the other hand, both 4 respondents stand for disagree and neutral respectively when this question was being asked. 

     (e) Is the restaurant well-ventilated?

   Graph 2.5 Ventilation of PappaRich

As referred to the graph in the above, it shows that most of the respondents feel neutral towards ventilation at PappaRich. On the other hand, 7 and 1 of the respondents respectively agree and strongly agree that the restaurant was well-ventilated. 

3. Services

     (a) Are you seated promptly?

   Graph 3.1 Promptness

Based on graph 3.1, it presents that 11 respondents just feel neutral when they were asked whether they were seated promptly and 5 respondents disagree that they were seated promptly. They commented that this usually happens when there are many students dining at PappaRich and the staffs were very busy. However, there still have 4 respondents agree that they were seated promptly.

     (b) Is the waiting time short?

   Graph 3.2 Short Waiting Time

The graph in the above shows that out of 20 respondents, 12 of them are not agree that the waiting time was short. Most of these respondents commented that sometimes they have to wait for a long queue before they were seated. This is because there have no seat available in the restaurant. In addition, 6 and 2 of the respondents are neutral and agree respectively that the waiting time is short.

     (c) Does the food order correct and complete?

   Graph 3.3 Correct and Complete Food Order

The graph shows that 7 of the respondents agree that their food orders were correct and complete and a respondent strongly agree about it. However, there are 4 respondents disagree that their orders were correct and the remaining 8 respondents stand for neutral. The respondents revealed that the staffs may missed out certain order during the peak time.


     (d) Did your meal items were served correctly as ordered?

   Graph 3.4 Meal Items were Served Correctly as Ordered

Based on the graph, 8 of the respondents agree that the staffs served the meal items as ordered and one respondent strongly agree with it. On the other hand, there are 4 and 7 respondents feel disagree and neutral toward this question. They provided the reason that the staffs may serve wrong food for them and sometimes may feel confuse with the table number and serve the wrong food.

     (e) Does the food served rapidly?

   Graph 3.5 Rapid Food Serving

As referred to the graph, 1 and 9 respondents strongly agree and agree respectively that the food was served rapidly. They commented that the food will be served approximately within 5 minutes. However, 7 and 3 of the respondents feel neutral and disagree with it. 

4.  Staffs

     (a) Are the staffs friendly and courteous when taking order?

   Graph 4.1 Friendly and Courteous Staffs

According to the graph in the above, it shows that 11 respondents agree that the staffs at PappaRich are friendly and courteous when taking their order and 2 respondents even strongly agree with it. The respondents commented that the staffs served them with a smiling face. The remaining 7 respondents are neutral toward this question.

     (b) Are the staffs able to answer all your questions?

   Graph 4.2 The Ability of the Staffs to Answer Questions

Based on the graph, it reveals that most of the respondents which are 8 of them are neutral on this criteria. There are 7 respondents agree that the staffs are able to answer their questions and another respondent strongly agree with it. For instance, the staffs are  knowledgeable about the menu. However, there are 4 respondents disagree with this.

     (c) Do the staffs speak clearly and politely?

   Graph 4.3 Staffs Speak Clearly and Politely

Based on the graph, it shows that more than half of the respondents, which are 12 of them stand for neutral for this question. Besides that, 3 respondents disagree that the staffs speak clearly and politely. They commented that sometimes it is hard for them to understand what the staffs said as most of the staffs are foreign workers who may speak English with their slang. However, there  are still 4 and a respondents agree and strongly agree with this.

     (d) Are the staffs dressed appropriately and neat in appearance?

   Graph 4.4 Appropriate Dressing and Neat Appearance

As referred to the graph in the above, there are 14 respondents agree that the staffs were dressed appropriately and neat in appearance. In addition, there is 1 respondent strongly agree with this and the remaining respondents stand for neutral.

     (e) Do the staffs make the bills without errors?

   Graph 4.5 Correct Billing

Based on the graph shown in the above, there are 9 and 3 respondents respectively agree and strongly agree that the staffs make the bills without errors. In addition, there are 6 persons feel neutral toward it and the remaining 2 are disagree on it. As according to the respondent, the staffs have been make wrong billing in which extra food was ordered and charged.

Research: Interviews and Observations

Interviews and Observations

I had conducted face-to-face interviews with 20 students dining at PappaRich. Each students were asked 20 questions regarding their satisfaction level in terms of food, services, staffs and dining environment at PappaRich. The questions are shown in the following post.

During the interviews, I was not able to take much photo with the respondents as most of them were camera-shy. Therefore, I had also make some direct observations at PappaRich whereby several photos had been taken to support my findings. The photos will be posted in the following post.

Interview’s Questions

The interview’s questions are separated into four parts that are food, dining environment, services and staffs. The respondents were asked to state their level of disagreement or agreement with the questions which range from strongly disagree (1), disagree (2), neutral (3), agree (4) and strongly agree (5) for each question asked by me. Each level of disagreement or agreement is assigned with a point that is 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively in order to calculate the average mean of each part of the questions. They were also encouraged to provide any comment in order to improve customer satisfaction of PappaRich. 

The following section outlines the questions asked during the face-to-face interview:

1. Food
    (a) Does the menu board easy to read and understand?
    (b) Does the menu provide variety selection of food?
    (c) Is the food being served hot and fresh?
    (d) Is the food being served in good condition and appearance?
    (e) Are the dishes tasty and delicious?

2. Dining Environment
    (a) Is the restaurant clean?
    (b) Is the lighting good?
    (c) Does the seating arrangement neat and comfortable?
    (d) Is the temperature in the restaurant comfortable?
    (e) Is the restaurant well-ventilated?

3. Services
    (a) Are you seated promptly?
    (b) Is the waiting time short?
    (c) Does the food order correct and complete?
    (d) Dis your meal items were served correctly as ordered?
    (e) Does the food served rapidly?

4. Staffs
    (a) Are the staffs friendly and courteous when taking your order?
    (b) Are the staffs able to answer all your questions?
    (c) Does the staffs speak clearly and politely?
    (d) Do the staffs dress appropriately and neat in appearance?
    (e) Do the staffs make the bills without errors?

Here is the photo taken during interviews with respondents:

My Research Topic

As mentioned in the previous post, my research topic will be on customer satisfaction of PappaRich at TAR College. The investigation of customer satisfaction will be based on food, dining environment, services and the staffs of this outlet.

In order to carry out this research, I will conduct face-to-face interview with 20 students dining at TAR College's PappaRich and at the same time make some direct observations at PappaRich.

Say "Hi" to PappaRich

Introduction

This blog is created to discuss a business research on customer satisfaction of a local food and beverage chain franchise — PappaRich.

Company Background

Rich Tan founded PappaRich Group in 2005 with its first outlet in Selayang Mall. Over the years, PappaRich has grown rapidly with a total of 50 outlets throughout Malaysia. In other words, PappaRich has emerged as an awesome player in the local food and beverage chain. In addition, PappaRich is looking forward to become the largest and most popular franchise “Malaysian Delights Restaurant” either locally or internationally.

Among all the outlets, I have chosen PappaRich Express at Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College to investigate customer satisfaction of PappaRich. As this outlet was newly established for not more than two years, I am not able to find much information regarding its background through internet. Therefore, I had conducted a short interview with its Assistant Outlet Manager, Mr. Jeeva. According to Mr. Jeeva, this outlet was established on 23 September 2011 and this is known as a "charity" business since the price of the food is offered much lower to the students than other PappaRich outlets outside TAR College.

During the interview, Mr. Jeeva also told me that the reason PappaRich choose to operate its business at TAR College is because they can foresee that the business at TAR College is able to generate favourable returns. In addition, TAR College consists of approximately 25,000 students and PappaRich was built just opposite the Cyber Center. This has offered great advantage to PappaRich as it can appeal to wider customers base easily and the promotion cost may be reduced subsequently. This has been proven through the profits that it makes. As according to Mr. Jeeva, the gross profits per day is approximately RM 7,000 - RM 7,500.

This is the video taken during the short interview with Mr. Jeeva. The video may consist some noise as it was taken outside the PappaRich restaurant and students were passing by the area.