SERVICE INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND CUSTOMERS’ BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS IN QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS (QSRS): EVIDENCE FROM ABA, NIGERIA.

The study examined the direct effect of service innovation on customer satisfaction and two behavioural intentions of customers in upscale Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in the commercial city of Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design which generated data from 150 customers who were found dining in the QSRs during the survey. A well-structured questionnaire with 13 scale items, with four demographic items was utilised to generate primary data. The result from the inferential analysis which used SPSS showed service innovation had positive significant effect on customer satisfaction and the two measures of customers’ behavioural intentions (repurchase intention and word of mouth communication) towards the upscale QSRs in the commercial city of Aba, Nigeria Owners and managers of upscale QSRs in the hospitality industry are expected to build capabilities in service innovativeness based on the needs and expectations of their target market