The effect of service staff’s verbalized hospitality towards group diner’s additional purchases and tipping behaviour

ABSTRACT

Verbal communication is the main form of personal interaction. This article presents evidence for the positive role of service staff’s verbalized hospitality on consumer behaviour. The principal aim of the study was to explore the effect of verbal attention on making additional purchases and tipping behaviour in three different countries (Sweden, England, and Serbia). Moreover, research investigated whether server gender, customer gender, and group size moderate the relationship between verbal attention, additional purchase, and tipping behaviour. For the purpose of the study, servers in casual dining restaurants either paid special verbal attention to group diners, or did not do so, before asking target questions. The results show that group diners in verbal attention conditions make additional purchases and leave tips more often. While group size moderates the relationship between verbal attention and additional purchase and tipping behaviour, such role was not confirmed in the case of server gender and customer gender. The theoretical and practical implications of verbal interaction between servers and customers are discussed, as well as differences in three analysed countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Restaurant
• verbal communication
• consumer behaviour
• tipping
• buying intentions

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge Nicholas Gilbert for his help during the research.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The per cent change is (35 – 21)/21 = 67%.