SERVICE EFFICIENCY AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN PORT HARCOURT'S QUICK-SERVICE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

Fast food industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in Nigeria. Competition in this sector has become very acute. As a result of intense competition, Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR) is increasingly recognizing the importance to continuously improve their customer hospitality to retain and attract customers. This study theoretically investigated the relationship between service speed and patronage of Quick Service Restaurants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The researcher adopted the exploratory research design and reviewed relevant and empirical literature on previous studies conducted in the food service industry within and outside Nigeria. The findings revealed that service speed significantly influence patronage in the food service industry. Specifically, it was found that service speed affect customer repeat purchase behavior and retention; and the researcher recommended that the reduction of waiting lines; customer waiting time and the adoption of service time strategies is a panacea to low patronage in the food service sector