ABSTRACT

Mass customization in fast casual restaurants has been a growing trend to meet customers’ increasingly tailored demands. To receive customization services, however, customers are required to make several choices with limited time. Therefore, this study examines the effects of a perceived number of choices and time pressure on choice overload and the subsequent effects of choice overload on satisfaction with customization in fast casual restaurants. Path analyses with the data of 371 highly valid respondents from a nationwide consumer sample demonstrated that perceived number of choices and time pressure increased participants’ choice overload. In addition, once customers were overwhelmed by choices, they were less likely to be satisfied with the customization process. Notably, when customers had high hedonic or utilitarian restaurant values, there was no negative effect of choice overload on satisfaction. This study provides better insights into the current restaurant trend of mass customization for both scholars and practitioners.

摘要

快速休闲餐厅的大规模定制已成为满足客户日益定制的需求的增长趋势。然而，要获得定制服务，客户需要在有限的时间内做出多种选择。因此，本研究考察了感知的选择数量和时间压力对选择超载的影响，以及选择超载对快速休闲餐厅定制满意度的后续影响。对来自全国消费者样本的 371 名高度有效的受访者数据进行的路径分析表明，感知的选择数量和时间压力增加了参与者的选择超载。此外，一旦客户对选择感到不知所措，他们就不太可能对定制过程感到满意。值得注意的是，当顾客具有高度享乐或实用的餐厅价值时，选择超载对满意度没有负面影响。本研究为学者和从业者提供了对当前餐厅大规模定制趋势的更好见解。