The most important theories about service state that the consumer is satisfied if he considers the service meets or exceeds his expectations. A comparison of the consumer's perception of the performance and his expectations regarding each aspect of the service indicates the satisfaction gap. The greater the gap the higher the consumer's dissatisfaction with the service. Based on this assumption, this paper aims to identify the factors that determine the quality of services rendered by fast food companies. To this end, a quality-measuring instrument - SERVQUAL - was adapted to this business sector and a survey was carried out involving 120 customers of a specific fast food company. The results indicated that the company satisfied its customers in two quality dimensions but was negatively evaluated in four others, indicating the need for actions aimed at improving its service in order to effectively satisfy its customers.
service quality; measurement; fast food
