An exploration on service interactions with the differently-abled employees in food service industry
Michael Gabriel B. Gicana, Mark James A. Juanico, Christian R. Laguartilla & Kaye Ann G. Villanueva
Abstract
This study assessed the interaction challenges faced by differently-abled employees and the level of customer satisfaction in the food service industry in the selected 1st and 2nd districts of Quezon, Philippines. Using a mixed-method approach and purposive sampling, data were gathered from 385 customers and five differently-abled employees in a selected restaurant. Data collection involved the use of questionnaires and informal structured interviews. The collected data were subjected to appropriate statistical analyses to support the development of a training plan. Results indicated that customers were generally satisfied with the responsiveness and empathy demonstrated by differently-abled employees. However, there were varying perceptions regarding assurance, tangibility, and reliability among the customers. Differently-abled employees reported minimal difficulties in service interactions despite their disabilities. This study raises awareness and encourages the food service sector to value and include workers with disabilities in their workforce. The findings validate the idea that individuals with disabilities can perform effectively in customer-facing roles and contribute positively to the customer experience. As a result, the study advocates for inclusive hiring practices and the development of training programs tailored to the specific needs of differently-abled employees.
Keywords
differently-abled employees, service quality, customer satisfaction, food industry
Author information & Contribution
Michael Gabriel B. Gicana. Corresponding author. Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos. Email: michael.gicana.cdscdb@gmail.com
Mark James A. Juanico. Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos. Email: mark.james.juanico.cdscdb@gmail.com
Christian R. Laguartilla. Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos. Email: christian.laguartilla.cdscdb@gmail.com
Kaye Ann G. Villanueva. Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, Colegio de Santo Cristo de Burgos. Email: kaye.villanueva.cdscdb@gmail.com
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Colegio Sto. Cristo De Burgos. The conduct of this study has been approved and given relative clearance(s) by Colegio Sto. Cristo De Burgos.
Data and Materials Availability
AI Declaration
AI tools were not used in writing this paper.
Notes
Acknowledgement
References
Adiele, K.C. & Kenneth-Adiele, N. (2018). Service speed and patronage of quick-service restaurants in Port Harcourt. International Journal of Marketing and Communication Studies, 2(1), 32-38.
Alhelalat, J. A., Habiballah, M. A., & Twaissi, N. M. (2018). The impact of personal and functional aspects of restaurant employee service behaviour on customer satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 66, 46–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.07.001
Ali, B. J., Gardi, B., Othman, B. J., Ahmed, S. A., Ismael, N. B., Hamza, P. A., Aziz, H. M., Sabir, B. Y., Sorguli, S., & Anwar, G. (2021). Hotel service quality: The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in hospitality. International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management, 5(3), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijebm.5.3.2
Bahadur, W., Aziz, S., Zulfiqar, S., & Wright, L. T. (2018). Effect of employee empathy on customer satisfaction and loyalty during employee–customer interactions: The mediating role of customer affective commitment and perceived service quality. Cogent Business & Management, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2018.1491780
Bishop, C. (2023). Customer trust: Definition, importance, and 6 ways to gain it. Zendesk. https://www.zendesk.com/blog/customer-trust/
Calbert, S. (2021). Challenges for people with disabilities. https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/challenges-for-people-with-disabilities
Camungay, R.C., Magno, K. & Jamoralin, M.R. (2021). Impact of stress management on restaurant employees in Dasmarinas Cavite. International Journal of Healthcare Sciences, 9(2), 188-205.
Chaudhuri, A. (2022). The food-related challenges faced by people with disabilities. Times of India Blog. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/developing-contemporary-india/the-food-related-challenges-faced-by-people-with-disabilities
Cheng Chia-Hsin (2020). The satisfaction study of people with disabilities regarding the restaurant with barrier-free environment in Taiwan Tourism Area. International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, 13(4), 1-1.
Christou, P., Hadjielias, E., & Farmaki, A. (2019). Reconnaissance of philanthropy. Annals of Tourism Research, 78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2019.102758
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Doan, T., Mooney, S., & Kim, P. B. (2023). The moments of truth: A qualitative exploration of service interactions between employees with disabilities in the food service industry, and their customers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 115, 103602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103602
Douglas, K. (2023, February 12). The dark-dining restaurant that employs 100% visually-impaired staff. Daily Meal. https://www.thedailymeal.com/1196875/the-dark-dining-restaurant-that-employs-100-visually-impaired-staff/
Hamel, A. (2023). The importance of customer service in the restaurant industry. https://www.incentivio.com/blog-news-restaurant-industry/the-importance-of-customer-service-in-the-restaurant-industry
Johnson, K. (2018). Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction. [Bachelor’s thesis, University of Gävle]. DiVA Portal. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1246475/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Kalargyrou, V., Kalargiros, E., & Kutz, D. (2020). Social entrepreneurship and disability inclusion in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 21(3), 308–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2018.1478356
Kalargyrou, V., Trivellas, P., & Sigala, M. (2020). Guests’ stereotyping and quality evaluations of service delivered by employees with disabilities: Does service failure matter? Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(7), 735–752.
Kim, H., & So, K. K. F. (2023). The evolution of service failure and recovery research in hospitality and tourism: An integrative review and future research directions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 111, 103457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103457
Kim, Y.A. & Baker, M.A. (2020). Customers’ reactions to other customer caused service failures: the effects of tie strength on customer loyalty. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(6), 682-701. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2020.1688218
Korach, M. (2023, July 16). What is customer responsiveness? https://dealhub.io/glossary/customer-responsiveness/
Kumolu-Johnson, B. (2024). Improving service quality in the fast-food service industry. Journal of Service Science and Management, 17, 55-74. https://doi.org/10.4236/jssm.2024.171002
Laguna, A.G., Binauhan, J. M., Erlano, K., Alfonso, K. R. N., & Domingo, K. M. (2022). The effects of hiring persons with disabilities on the overall performance of a restaurant. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 6(8).
Narayanan, S. (2018). A study of challenges faced by disabled people at the workplace in Malaysia. Proceeding – 5th Putrajaya International Conference on Children, Women, Elderly and People with Disabilities.
Noorani, A. (2024). The role of politeness strategies in enhancing guest satisfaction in the hospitality industry. Journal of Policy Research, 10(2), 66–74. https://doi.org/10.61506/02.00208
Putta, S.S. (2023). The effect of service quality on consumer satisfaction in restaurant. International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation, 8(4), 1-11.
Sabir, R. I., Irfan, M., Akhtar, N., Pervez, M. A., & Rehman, A. U. (2014). Customer satisfaction in the restaurant industry: Examining the model in local industry perspective. Journal of Asian Business Strategy, 4(1), 18–31. https://archive.aessweb.com/index.php/5006/article/view/4118
Santuzzi, A. M., Martinez, J. J., & Keating, R. T. (2021). Equality, diversity and inclusion. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2020-0167
Sommerlad, A., Huntley, J., Livingston, G., Rankin, K.P., & Fancourt, D. (2021). Empathy and its associations with age and sociodemographic characteristics in a large UK population sample. PLoS ONE, 16(9): e0257557. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257557
Trang, N. (2022). The influence of personal characteristics on customers’ perception of e-banking service quality and cost effectiveness in Vietnam. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 10, 377-391. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2022.101029
Velasco, J. V., Obnial, J. C., Pastrana, A., Ang, H. K., Viacrusis, P. M., & Lucero-Prisno, III, D. E. (2021). COVID-19 and persons with disabilities in the Philippines: A policy analysis. Health Promotion Perspectives, 11(3), 299–306. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.38
Viviani, C.A., Bravo, G., Lavallière, M., Arezes, P.M., Martínez, M., Dianat, I., Bragança, S., & Castellucci, H.I. (2021). Productivity in older versus younger workers: A systematic literature review. Work, 68(3), 577-618. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-203396
Wang, Y., & Lang, C. (2019). Service employee dress: Effects on employee-customer interactions and customer-brand relationship at full-service restaurants. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.04.011
Cite this article:
Gicana, M.G.B., Juanico, M.J.A., Laguartilla, C.R. & Villanueva, K.G. (2024). An exploration on service interactions with the differently-abled employees in food service industry. Journal of Hospitality, Tourism & Cultural Research, 1(2), 115-141. https://doi.org/10.53378/jhtcr.353222
License:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) International License.
Find this article in:
Related articles:
Most read articles in this journal
- Evaluation of self-directed learning module in food and service management as instructional material in remote modality
- Between policy promises and colonial legacies: A systematic review of power asymmetries and preservation mechanisms in Philippine languages
- Development and psychometric evaluation of an experiential technology acceptance model instrument for virtual reality-based dark tourism in Malaysia