Samenvatting

AbstractDid I understand it right? This research is focused on the client’s experience of hospitality connected to foodservice employees in mental healthcare organisations. Since hospitality, part of the facility management department, is a hot topic in the field of mental healthcare, different serious hospitality concepts and better environments have been developed. However, hospitality also has a soft side, such as the clients’ experience with foodservice employees in mental healthcare organisations. Many quantitative researches have already been conducted on client satisfaction with the environment, the quality of food, and the quality of cleanliness, but none have been conducted from a qualitative point of view. This research is the first step in answering the question: ‘What is the influence of the hospitality of foodservice employees in mental healthcare organisations on client satisfaction?’ With this research study, insight and underlying information will be gained to improve understanding about the hospitality experience of clients in mental healthcare organisations.This research was completed at three of the four locations of the mental healthcare organisation Zinzia Zorggroep. Using questionnaires and interviews, the following propositions were tested for their validity or invalidity: (proposition 1) hospitality of foodservice employees has a positive effect on client satisfaction; (proposition 2) the higher the empathy of foodservice employees, the higher the client satisfaction; (proposition 3) the higher the friendliness of foodservice employees, the higher the client satisfaction; (proposition 4) the more time a foodservice employee spends on a client, the more satisfied the client will be; and (proposition 5) the higher the knowledge of foodservice employees, the higher the client satisfaction. The most important result from this research is that employees being friendly and demonstrating empathy has a positive influence on client satisfaction. Since this is a first step in researching these four hospitality aspects, carrying out further quantitative research involving more mental healthcare organisations and a bigger sample size is recommended so that the results can be generalised for the whole population.