WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT MOST AFFECT SERVICE QUALITY IN FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS?

This paper aims to identify the factors that most affect service quality in fast-food restaurants (FFR) from the Brazilian customers' perspective. Factor analysis was used to verify the items of the DINESERV scale. Cronbach's α and item-total correlations were used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire; linear regression was conducted to identify the factors that most affect the service quality and, Quartiles analysis was used to determine the most critical items in service provision. The study was conducted at eight FFRs located in malls. Reliability, physical facilities and empathy are the factors that most affect the service quality. The most critical items are related to empathy, i.e., the employees need to be more sympathetic, sensitive and interested in anticipating the customers' needs and wants. The necessity of improvement of service quality on empathy issues confirms the challenge of FFRs in making services "warmer".