Decoding Ambience, Servicescape, and Satisfaction: Insights from the Wilcoxon Signed-rank Method in Indian Urban Context

This study investigates how ambient conditions, specifically lighting, scent, music, and temperature, affect customer satisfaction in Indian urban restaurants. Grounded in Bitner’s servicescape model and the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework, the research aims to measure expectation–perception gaps across these sensory dimensions and assess their impact on overall satisfaction. A structured survey was administered to 250 respondents using a 5-point Likert scale to capture both expectations and perceptions of ambient conditions. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test, a nonparametric method suitable for ordinal data, was applied to examine significant differences between expectation and perception scores for each factor. Results reveal statistically significant differences across all four ambient variables. Lighting, scent, and music exceeded customer expectations, indicating positive disconfirmation and enhanced satisfaction. Conversely, temperature fell short of expectations, highlighting discomfort as a key dissatisfaction driver. The findings affirm that ambient cues are not peripheral but central to shaping experiential quality in hospitality settings. This study contributes by integrating servicescape and S-O-R theories with a nonparametric statistical approach to empirically test expectation–perception gaps in an Indian context. It highlights dimension-specific insights, offering actionable guidance for restaurant managers to refine sensory strategies for competitive advantage.