ABSTRACT
For most diners, the service received at the table is of prime importance for good service (Barrier, 2004). Therefore, as the immediate interface between a restaurant and the guest, servers play a key role in creating high quality dining experiences for guests. Emotions expressed by servers toward, or in the presence of, customers are an important component of service delivery (Ryan & Ployhart, 2003). More often than not, people favor one restaurant over another not only because the chosen place provides better food quality or a nicer surrounding, but also because they have had good experiences with their servers, and these encounters at the table have made them feel good (Berta, 2004; Mattila, 200 I). Such good feelings are directly related to affective service delivery (ASD), namely, the degree to which the service delivery is perceived as friendly and warm (Grandey, 2003).
