Customer evaluations of winery tasting room employees with disabilities

This study examines how visible disabilities influence customer evaluations of winery tasting room employees. The researchers collected surveys from 362 U.S. winery visitors who viewed video-based service interactions and rated employee competence and service quality. Results showed that employees with disabilities were evaluated as less competent than those without disabilities, and competence mediated the relationship between disability status and service quality assessments. Service failures intensified these effects with employees with disabilities receiving significantly lower ratings when errors occurred. These findings are similar to prior disability research in the hospitality industry by showing how stereotypes about competence shape customer evaluations in wine tourism settings. This study suggests that by addressing disability-related biases wineries could improve employee experiences while maintaining positive customer service. Furthermore, the results indicate a shifting attitude towards service quality by showing less bias than in previous studies.