Appraise the role of novelty-seeking on consumers' satisfaction using online food delivery applications

PurposeThe primary intent of this study was to assess the influence of novelty-seeking on the satisfaction of consumers. The investigation concentrated on Malaysian consumers who have experience using online food delivery (OFD) applications.Design/methodology/approachTo perform the research, non-probability and convenience sampling methods were enforced to gather the required data. An online questionnaire in the form of a Google Survey was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Upon completion of the survey, the results were analyzed using SPSS software. Both the Service Quality (SERVQUAL) model and expectation disconfirmation theory (EDT) were exploited to shed light on the impact of consumer satisfaction.FindingsAnalysis of responses from the 250 participants unveiled that novelty-seeking positively influences consumer satisfaction. The finding depicted that reliability and responsiveness have the most positive impact on consumer satisfaction whereas tangibility has no effect on the satisfaction of consumers by using OFD applications.Research limitations/implicationsThis study had three main limitations: first, the limitations on access to the participants during the pandemic; second, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain more accurate results; third, the study was limited to the context of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Practical implicationsThe conclusions brought to the fore that OFD marketers should provide appropriate service quality while concentrating on novelty and well-designed apps to surge consumer satisfaction.Originality/value OFD apps have facilitated customers' access to various meals and helped food vendors survive in the competitive marketplace. A new aspect, novelty-seeking, is added to the SERVQUAL dimensions (i.e. empathy, tangibility, reliability, assurance and responsiveness) identified in the literature review.