Exploring customer perceptions toward different service volumes: An integration of means-end chain and balance theories

Based on means-end chain (MEC) and balance theories, this study aims to construct consumers' cognitive structure toward services provided by classy restaurants. It also demonstrates how MEC and balance theories can be used to reveal the psychological state of consumers when different volumes of services (i.e., excessive, adequate, and insufficient) are provided. In addition, the findings offer restaurant managers valuable insights for improving their service. In this study, means-end qualitative investigation was employed to collect data. A total of 64 one-on-one in-depth interview transcripts were content analyzed to construct a balanced and imbalanced hierarchical value map (HVM). The HVM shows that "great service attitude," "elegant design," "flavor," and "convenient transportation" are important features that influence the willingness of customers to pay a premium for dining in classy restaurants. Notably, "great service attitude," "reacting quickly," "professional image," "concern for customers," "delicacy," and "specialty" are attributes that make customers change their attitude if they are provided with too much or overemphasized services by restaurants. Therefore, managers of classy restaurants should pay attention to these services because, if provided excessively, these services can change the psychological state of customers from balanced to imbalanced. This study is the first to integrate MEC and balance theories to understand consumers' cognitive structure of dining in classy restaurants, especially when their psychological state changes from balanced to imbalanced and vice versa.