Understanding Guest Trust in Fine Dining Restaurants: A Study of User Reviews VS Brand Promotions in Pune

Abstract

This paper examines the way in which customers of the fine dining restaurants in Pune build trust and make choices to dine in the current digital world. The reliance on the online sources is on the rise, and guests become exposed to two essential sources of information: brand promotion and user-generated reviews. The study will attempt to find out which of these sources is more reliable and how much it affects the ultimate choice of restaurants.

A structured questionnaire was used to develop a descriptive survey, and survey questionnaires were filled out by people, who had visited fine dining restaurants in Pune. The results indicate that the majority of guests are eager to use the Internet to find information and make a choice, and the personal recommendations and online reviews have become the most credible sources of information. The reviews left by the users were always seen as more valid and true in such critical areas as the quality of the food, service, atmosphere, and the cost-effectiveness. Conversely, brand promotions were taken with a little bit of delusion particularly where they failed to reflect what the guests were experiencing.

The research finds that brand promotions are useful in creating awareness and initial interest, whereas genuine guest feedbacks are more conclusive in creating trust and impacting final booking decisions. Such experiences reveal the need of restaurants to concentrate on giving a stable experience that leads to favourable word of mouth.