Too much service? The conceptualization and measurement for restaurant over-service behavior

Though prior studies have raised the issue that excellent service that exceeds customer expectations can negatively impact customer perceptions, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon in the foodservice industry. This study aims to conceptualize restaurant over-service behaviors and develop a multidimensional instrument for this construct. This study uses focus groups to identify restaurant over-service behaviors. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factory analysis (CFA) yield a five-dimension, 23-item instrument. The categorization and descriptions of restaurant over-service behaviors may serve as a reference for managers to determine whether their high-quality services overwhelm customers and to identify negative perceptions of excessive services. If the needs of customers can be understood alongside how certain service actions disturb customers, elements that lead to over-service can be eliminated or corrected, allowing for time, effort and money to be invested more effectively.