Expectation vs. Reality: Food Service, Price, and Promotion of a Fast-Food Restaurant

Abstract

In the Philippines, deceptive advertising has been present in the market. The presence of ads from fast-food restaurants has also made consumers wonder if it is accurate in what they offer. With this evident deception in the market, consumers of a certain fast-food chain may face a similar problem in buying their food, whether they are getting what they are paying for. This study used a quantitative descriptive method that includes administering survey questionnaires in Likert form to diners of the fast-food chain who are aged 18-59 years old, excluding those who buy through the drive-thru and take-out. In the conducted study on February 2023, the findings reveal that among the 103 respondents, female emerging adults and young adults are mostly consumers of a fast-food chain in Bambang and dine occasionally. In terms of service, it shows that crew members who are not friendly have the highest frequency in the items. In price, the item that got the highest agreement was the additional fees when upgrading drinks, which the cashier did not disclose, and respondents consider it a deception. Regarding promotion, not receiving the same item as advertised got the highest agreement. Also, respondents did not experience other deceptions, resulting in them not doing any actions to address identified deception. The results have shown that there is no evident deception in terms of service, price, and promotions other than those identified as it receives a high frequency; nonetheless, it still falls under no perceived deception. It demonstrates that the mentioned fast-food restaurant fulfills its promised advertisements and continues improving its service and avoiding deception for customer retention.