Resumen
The restaurant industry is rife with customers experiencing unacceptable levels of customer service, resulting in many customers often deciding to take their patronage elsewhere. Marketing researchers have long been investigating the influence of family on customer behaviour and satisfaction, but very limited research has been done on the influence of the family structure on customer satisfaction in restaurants. This article examines the influence of household life cycle on customer satisfaction in selected restaurants in the Tshwane area of Gauteng, South Africa. An empirical study was conducted with the aim of establishing if the stage in the household life cycle of restaurant patrons has an influence on the level of customer satisfaction experienced when visiting restaurants. A self-administered survey was conducted whereby questionnaires were handed to restaurant patrons with the restaurant bill folder. Based on the research results, it was found that the stage in the household life cycle of restaurant patrons does indeed have an influence on how satisfied customers were with regard to certain aspects relating to customer service, which in turn influences their overall customer satisfaction. This is important for restaurants who want to retain customers based on their loyalty and to ultimately increase profitability.