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A study on foodservice Wi-Fi shows how connectivity is linked to key customer metrics
Key takeaways:
- Researchers conducted a study to learn how free access to Wi-Fi and the quality of those services impact customer loyalty.
- The study found that customers were more satisfied and loyal with access to Wi-Fi.
- Wireless network monitoring is a solution that helps businesses maintain quality connections.
Wi-Fi access remains one of the crucial ways businesses can deliver better service to customers. Consumers are demanding good connections within retail and business spaces, whether they’re using an onsite tablet or kiosk to access services or their smartphone. And a study published in Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing found direct links between customer loyalty and their satisfaction with Wi-Fi access.
The growing dependence on mobile devices also opens up many new opportunities to companies, including communication and tracking insights about customer preferences and behavior. The study emphasizes that customers don’t just interact with brands online at home—they also use their mobile devices at brick-and-mortar businesses. For example, a client could easily visit a store, look for what they need on a mobile device, and still purchase offline.
The study surveyed how consumers perceive food chain stores, sending them a questionnaire if they asked for access to free Wi-Fi in the restaurant. The researchers also wanted to learn how customers behave at the point of sale in restaurants.
This study was concerned with both satisfaction and loyalty, and there are some key differences between the two concepts. The researchers define customer satisfaction as the emotional state when "disconfirmed expectations" are paired with a previous consumption experience. Customer loyalty is a deep commitment to purchasing from a brand again or promoting a product or service in the future.
Both customer satisfaction and loyalty were shown to be impacted by the Wi-Fi services among study participants.
Key findings on Wi-Fi access and customer metrics
The researchers distributed the questionnaires via customers' mobile devices at a restaurant in downtown Madrid over nearly a year. One critical hypothesis was that the quality of restaurant wireless services influences customer satisfaction, which the data proved to be true.
Another important finding is that not only do Wi-Fi services and free access impact satisfaction, but they also lead to more repeat customers. The researchers concluded that "our results convincingly demonstrate that technologies such as wireless communications and Wi-Fi networks offer great opportunities in terms of understanding customer behavior." Further, they judged that “free high-quality wireless communications and Wi-Fi networks services generate long-term clientele and promote customer loyalty.”
Wi-Fi is an in-demand service. But brands should also embrace the technologies that improve Wi-Fi in retail and business spaces so that customers can have seamless experiences. Marketers recognize that these services are a significant part of the consumer experience and are closely connected to establishing stronger, long-lasting customer relationships.
For better customer Wi-Fi experiences, turn to 7SIGNAL
7SIGNAL helps large full-service and quick-service restaurants provide high-performing Wi-Fi through wireless experience monitoring solutions that deliver the real-time insights needed to ensure quality and consistency.
7SIGNAL helps you track the digital experiences of the end-user so you can respond to any potential issue before they notice anything is wrong. Our cloud-based platform continually tests Wi-Fi performance from the edges of the network and the device perspective. To learn more about how 7SIGNAL helps deliver Wi-Fi that increases customer satisfaction and loyalty, contact us today.
7SIGNAL® is the leader in wireless experience monitoring, providing insight into wireless networks and control over Wi-Fi performance so businesses and organizations can thrive. Our cloud-based wireless network monitoring platform continually tests and measures Wi-Fi performance at the edges of the network, enabling fast solutions to digital experience issues and stronger connections for mission-critical users, devices, and applications. Learn more at www.7signal.com.