According to the results of the latest Customer Satisfaction Index compiled by the Institute of Service Excellence (ISES) at SMU, customer satisfaction with the food-and-beverage (F&B) sector climbed to an all-time high this year. The quality of food had the “largest and most significant” impact on customer satisfaction. ISES Academic Director Assistant Professor Marcus Lee noted that it is “intuitively obvious” for F&B establishments to focus on improving food quality. “However, the savvy restaurateur also appreciates that customers do not consume their food in a vacuum and that the dining experience plays a significant role in the overall satisfaction of customers,” he said.