INFLUENCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ON SERVICE MARKETING OF SELECTED RESTAURANTS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT Fast food restaurants or quick service refers to off-the-cuff dining cafés in which semi-prepared food is readily made perfectly and served hot or cold to consumers. Little investment in human development, competing priorities in business, ineffective training and development, and level of competition in industry are challenges for the restaurants. Investing in human development enable more visit of customers. This study examines the influence of human capital development in service marketing of selected restaurants in Ilorin. The study objectives include; to examine the impact of staffs training and development on customer satisfaction; to evaluate the effect of employee engagement with customers on competitive advantage; to determine the influence of staffs’ performance management on business service quality; and to assess the impact of employee empowerment on business service innovation. The study uses regression and correlation as statistical tools of analysis, hypotheses were tested using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and questionnaire was the research instrument. The study found that human capital development components have positive significance on service marketing metrics. The study concluded that training and development, employee engagement, performance management, and employee empowerment significantly influence customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, service quality and service innovation. The study recommended that restaurants should integrate the assessed components and align them with their objectives and always communicate with the staffs for improvement of service