Customer Satisfaction as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty: A Research Study of Franchise Restaurants in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to: (1) investigate the impact of service quality in a franchised restaurant on customer satisfaction, whether total or partial; (2) identify the service quality factor that most influences customer satisfaction; and (3) Analyze the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty to the franchised restaurant. The research participants are 3,852 consumers of franchised restaurants in the city of Malang, specifically McDonald's Dunkin' Donuts Jl., Kentucky Fried Chicken Malang Plaza, Wendy's Dieng Plaza, Donald Sarinah Plaza, Pizza Hut Jl., Es Teler 77 Dieng Plaza, Niki Sae Basuki Rahmat Dieng Plaza, and Kawi. The sample for this research consists of 97 individuals, distributed proportionally among each restaurant. Multiple regression analysis is the data analysis method used. The research results indicated that: (1) the variables of reliability, empathy, assurance, responsiveness, and tangibles have a considerable impact on customers, whether total or partial; (2) the analysis revealed that the responsiveness variable exerts the most predominant effect on the others; and (3) according to data analysis, it has been shown that the customer satisfaction variable has a significant effect on customer loyalty.