A new study found the cleanliness of restaurant employees can impact a customer's experience and loyalty in the future.
“Studies have looked at how restaurant managers view this issue, but you need to know how customers think about food safety to really understand what changes need to be made," said University of Missouri Associate Professor Pei Liu. "Sometimes the things that matter to management don't matter to the consumer."
After talking to customers, Liu said diners want employees to keep their fingernails clean, wear clean uniforms and wear gloves when handing food.
Customers who are not satisfied may not come back again, Liu said.
"You go to a restaurant, you want to experience the food and service," she said. "My study indicates the humanic clues, which is the employee's performance and employee's appearance has the same importance as the food and environment. It really matters to customers."
