ABSTRACT
The Chinese community is the fourth largest foreign group in Milan; in it, a large number of Chinese people work in the food business, but the offered services and products often follow stereo types. The improvement of the paradigms of the Chinese food business in Milan can contribute to the intercultural communication between the Chinese community and Italian locals. The paper investigates, as a case study, four Chinese restaurants and analyzes the difference of perceived values between Chinese and Italian customers. The here reported experience map illustrates the online reviews on Trip Advisor. By comparing the feedbacks from both Chinese and Italian customers through the experience map, the investigation shows some findings. The Chinese food is well-accepted by the locals; the creation of various types of social interactions can contribute to the customers’ impressions on the restaurants and to the restaurants’ reputation; the training of the service people about communication skills is the key to improve the service quality. The paper points out the significance of arousing the Chinese restaurateurs’ awareness of the importance of communication of cultural value in the food business, beyond stereotypes. The paper outlines the potential role of design in the aim of improving the customers’ experience in the Chinese food business so to better support the intercultural communication.
