Assessment of service quality in a la carte restaurants within the mega city of Istanbul: A mystery shoppers’ study

In recent years, as consumer income levels have increased, restaurant customers’ preferences have changed, and this is especially reflected in ALCR customers with high service quality. The research was based on the hypothesis that ALCR’s service quality is high. In this study, tourism professionals and academicians aimed to evaluate the product and service quality offered by restaurants — a service sector that aims to provide high-level service — using the secret shopper (SS) method. In the research, 311 restaurant establishments serving in Istanbul, a mega tourism city, were evaluated using the SS method. Since the SS method is an observational technique, the research took a long time (12 months). As a result of the research, it was determined that interaction (p <0.001), physical environment (p < 0.001), management (p < 0.001) and output (p < 0.001) values increased in all restaurant establishments. It was determined that the highest increase was in FDR businesses (p < 0.001). The SS method is commonly used in different service sectors but not in the restaurant industry, and this study applied it here for the first time. The study concludes that inspecting restaurants using SS would increase the quality of the businesses and recommends that tourism professionals apply this method.