Abstract
This study highlights the valuable role the hospitality industry can play in addressing a societal problem by studying how social interactions between elderly consumers and other customers influence the satisfaction and social well-being of the former. The data were collected from 268 elderly consumers in local coffee shops in the United Kingdom using a self-administrated questionnaire. The findings reveal that elderly customers’ interactions with other customers have a direct effect both on customer satisfaction and social well-being. They also show that social interactions with other customers have both direct and indirect effects on the social well-being of elderly customers. The study provides good evidence for how commercial hospitality settings can serve as a space for social exchange that helps to alleviate social isolation.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 223-233 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | International Journal of Hospitality Management |
Volume | 78 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 25 Sept 2018 |
Keywords
- Customer satisfaction
- Customer to customer interaction
- Elderly consumers
- Hospitality
- Social interaction with customers
- Social well-being
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
- Strategy and Management