The Role of the Service Marketing Mix in Gen Z Consumers’ Decision-Making Toward Café Businesses in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

     This research aimed to 1) examine the level of perception toward service marketing mix factors (7Ps) and café service decision-making among Gen Z consumers in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, 2) compare café service decision-making and perception of price factors classified by gender, age, and average monthly income, 3) analyze the influence of service marketing mix factors on café service decision-making, and 4) analyze the importance and performance of service marketing mix factors using Importance–Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) to prioritize strategic actions. This study employed a quantitative research approach. The sample consisted of 400 Gen Z consumers in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province who had experience with café services. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of α=.86 The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including the t-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson’s Correlation, and Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings revealed that Gen Z consumers perceived all seven service marketing mix factors at the highest level, with process having the highest mean score, followed by price. Consumers of different genders and ages had significantly different café service decision-making at the p<.05 level, while consumers with different income levels had significantly different perceptions of price factors. Multiple regression analysis indicated that process, physical evidence, people, place, and product significantly and positively influenced tourists’ decision-making. on café service decision-making, whereas price and promotion had no significant influence. The model explained 58.6 % of the variance in café service decision-making. The IPMA results indicated that process, physical evidence, and people were positioned in the high-importance and high-performance group, while price was positioned in the high-performance but low-importance group. These findings suggest that experiential factors play a greater role in café service decision-making than transactional factors.