Value Creation Through Service Cues: The Case of the Restaurant Industry in Taiwan

This study attempts to investigate the impact of service cues (physical environment and contact personnel) on various modes of perceived value (conceptualized as functional value, social value, emotional value, and epistemic value) in restaurant environments. Empirical data was collected from five restaurants located at National Central University, Taiwan. 314 questionnaires were eventually collected. The findings reveal that, in general, the two means of service cues have significant, albeit differential, impact on various modes of perceived value. Physical environment is found to be significant in the formation of all the four modes of perceived value, while its impact on emotional value seems to be most influential. Contact personnel are significant determinants of three of the four perceived values (social value excluded) but have the most impact on functional value.