Abstract:
Service quality (SQ) plays an important role in the success of any service establishment. The purpose of the
current study was to assess the strategies used in the process of monitoring and controlling SQ in the restaurant
business. Specifically, the study aimed to establish what is involved in monitoring and controlling SQ, to
identify the challenges encountered in monitoring and controlling SQ, to establish what restaurants are doing to
overcome these challenges and to determine the most effective strategies in monitoring and controlling SQ. A
case study design was adopted with primary data being collected through questionnaires and semi-structured
interviews. A sample of 60 staff respondents were chosen while all managers and supervisors of restaurants
involved in the study qualified to be part of the respondents. However, only 35 questionnaires were filled and
returned. The major findings from the study indicated that all restaurants carry out monitoring and controlling of
SQ. The control of SQ is done mostly through use of some process standards manual. However, there is more
reliance on supervision and verbal guidance than a strict manual. Monitoring of SQ is done on a daily basis by a
majority of restaurants through close supervision. Of all the indicators of SQ, ‘sales’ was highly ranked. Some of
the challenges encountered during monitoring and controlling of SQ included diversity among customers with
dissimilar needs and expectations, and employees giving varied responses to quality issues. It is recommended
that efforts to improve team work among staff must be made.
