| Summary: | Delivering value for customers has become a central theme in restaurants. The paper examines
customer value from two perspectives, i.e. that of restaurant management and that of the customer.
The questionnaires were based on the DINESERV model (developed by Stevens, Knutson & Patton,
1995). A total 207 managers and 400 customers responded to the survey. A descriptive quantitative
study design was followed and a systematic sampling method was used to select respondents. The
empirical results show that on a 5 point Likert scale, the overall mean score for customer experiences
was 4.10 whilst the overall mean score for managers' perceptions was 4.20 giving an overall
DINESERV gap of -0.10. Overall, customers' experiences of customer value fell below managers'
perceptions of customer value. These results suggest there is a need to align management and
customer perspectives to optimize customer value as delivered and experienced. Specifically,
restaurants should improve the food and beverage knowledge of frontline staff, particularly waiters.
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