All at once or one by one? A dual-process model of the effect of service delivery approaches on customer satisfaction

Restaurant servers often need to proactively provide complementary items based on the characteristics of the dishes to create a satisfying dining experience. Restaurants face a fundamental choice between two delivery approaches: concentrated delivery, where all required items are provided simultaneously upon order placement, and dispersed delivery, where items are distributed sequentially in line with the meal's progression. This research examined the impact of these service delivery approaches on customer satisfaction. Across four studies, we found that concentrated service leads to higher customer satisfaction than dispersed service. This effect is driven by a dual-process mechanism of customers’ perceptions of server competence and their immersion in the dining experience. Moreover, two boundary conditions moderate the positive effect of concentrated service: it is diminished when customers have a higher need for interaction or when the restaurant is more crowded. This research contributes to service marketing literature and offers actionable insights for service design.