CUSTOMER DELIGHT AS MEDIATOR OF SERVICE QUALITY AND REVISIT INTENTION: EVIDENCE FROM PAKISTAN'S RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

Abstract

Despite substantial growth in Pakistan's restaurant sector, the psychological mechanisms linking service quality to customer retention remain inadequately understood. This research examines customer delight as a mediating variable between service quality and revisit intention among restaurant patrons in Peshawar. Survey data from 395 customers were analyzed using established measurement instruments and Baron and Kenny's mediation framework. Results demonstrate that service quality significantly influences customer delight (β = .457), which subsequently predicts revisit intention (β = .739). When customer delight enters the model, service quality's direct effect on revisit intention becomes negligible, confirming full mediation. These findings indicate that service quality improvements generate return patronage primarily through emotional pathways rather than cognitive evaluation. The study reveals geographic limitations, as data collection focused solely on Peshawar restaurants. Restaurant operators should recognize that meeting basic service standards alone cannot sustain competitive advantage; creating emotionally engaging experiences proves essential for customer retention. Theoretically, this research clarifies that in emerging market contexts, affective responses to service encounters outweigh rational quality assessments in shaping behavioral loyalty. The emotional mediation pathway identified here challenges conventional direct quality-loyalty models prevalent in hospitality literature.