Internet Banking–An Empirical Investigation of a Trust and Loyalty Model for New Zealand Banks

ABSTRACT

The development of Internet Banking (I-Banking) requires a new recognition of customers' values for building long-term organization-customer relationships in the E-era. A Structural Equation Model was developed and tested in this paper to identify the determinants that influence customers' trust in, and loyalty to, I-Banking in New Zealand. The results indicated that shared value was the most critical factor impacting customers' trust in I-Banking, compared with two other important factors: communication and opportunistic behaviour control. With regards to improving loyalty among I-Bank customers, findings suggest that I-Banking needs to take satisfaction, trust, brand reputation and switching cost seriously. In particular, satisfaction needs to be regarded seriously, as it is the most important factor influencing customers' loyalty. Based on these findings, the paper culminates in recommendations to improve I-Banking services for customers.     

Important Dimensions in Ocean Freight Services

Abstract

This paper examines the criteria used by organizational buyers in their choice of suppliers of shipping services for ocean freight transport so widely used in international trade. The study was conducted in Singapore which is known for its heavy reliance on international trade as well as for its high ranking container port facilities. Based on a survey of shipping managers in a cross section of business organizations in Singapore, the study identifies important factors in the choice of a shipping line selected on their heaviest used export route for their outgoing goods. It also provides buyers' evaluation of the preferred carrier on the same attributes to examine the performance gaps in the services offered by the line. The findings thus provide a bench mark for the shipping industry and points toward areas of emphasis in the service strategies of the shipping lines.     

Customers' Satisfaction Factors Regarding University Food Court Service

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify university customers' satisfaction levels regarding foods and services in the food court at Oklahoma State University. A survey of 276 customers was conducted regarding customer satisfaction levels of foods and services. Results indicated that food quality was found to be the most important factor contributing to customers' overall satisfaction. It is suggested that management should pay attention to the freshness, appearance, and nutrition of the food to increase the customers' satisfaction. Moreover, focusing on product differentiation by offering convenience packaged Asian, Mexican, and Italian cuisines may prove to be a potential variable contributing to customers' purchasing patterns.     

Determinant Factors and Choice Intention for Chinese Restaurant Dining

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify important selection attributes for customers dining at Chinese restaurants in the state of Indiana, and the determinant and predicting factors in customers' intentions to return. A closed-ended questionnaire was used, and a systematic sampling approach was employed to survey a sample of customers in three Chinese restaurants in Indiana. The data were analyzed using factor and multiple regression analysis. A four-dimensional structure was established from 14 selection attributes. The results of the study indicated four dimensions that were significantly related to the likelihood of customers returning to the same restaurants, as follows: “Food and Environment,” “Service and Courtesy,” “Price and Value,” and “Location, and Advertising and Promotion.”     

Effect of Customers' and Suppliers' Perceptions of the Market Orientation of Manufacturing Firms on Channel Relationships and Financial Performance

ABSTRACT

This study is designed to investigate the effect of customers' and suppliers' perceptions of the market orientation of manufacturing firms on customers' and suppliers' trust in, cooperative norms in, and satisfaction with the relationship with the manufacturing firm. The findings from a sample of 72 matched sets of suppliers, manufacturing firms and customers in industrial channels in the Netherlands reveal that the perceived market orientation of manufacturing firms engaged in channel partnerships has a positive influence on customers' and suppliers' levels of trust in, cooperative norms in, and satisfaction with the relationship. This study further investigates the effect of the customers' and suppliers' trust in, cooperative norms in, and satisfaction with the relationship on the financial performance of the manufacturing firm. The results reveal that customers' and suppliers' cooperative norms in the relationship positively influence the manufacturing firm's financial performance. Customer's and supplier's trust in and satisfaction with the relationship have no effect on the manufacturing firm's financial performance.     

Evidence Supporting the Importance of Brands in Marketing Computer Products

ABSTRACT

For convenience store (c-store) management to be truly customer-focused, they must listen to their customers and provide the products that meet customers' needs. This study investigates one aspect of c-store customer satisfaction, the product mix. The purpose of this paper is to investigate c-store customers' perceptions of product offerings to expand the c-store's product mix and in turn increase customer satisfaction. Fourteen products were examined. Of the fourteen, three were rated very likely to be purchased: postal services, home style meals, and a salad bar. Differences in preference were found between gender and marital status. Men and single customers had higher purchase intentions for the home style meals than women and married customers. Suggestions for future research are provided.     

Perceived Importance Factors of Restaurants in Relation to University Customers' Demographic Characteristics

Abstract

This research examines the attributes which influence customers' decisions to return to a restaurant for another meal. Quality of food was rated as the most important attribute, followed by quality of service, cost/value of the meal, and ambiance of the restaurant. Nutritional value was rated as the least important attribute. Male customers did not rate the attributes differently from the female customers.     

The Impact of “Encouragement” in the Development of Professionals for the Non-Profit Service Sector

Abstract

This study examines the role of perceived intent in the context of penalty evaluation. Based on prior attribution research, the study proposes that customers' responses to penalties are different depending on their perceptions of the organization's intent of using penalties. Using the data collected across the service industry, the study shows that when customers perceive the organization's intent as defensive rather than offensive, their evaluations of the penalty and the organization (e.g., perceived justice, satisfaction, behavioral intentions) are more positive than when they do not. Managerial implications are offered.     

Effects of consumer goals on attribute weighting,overall satisfaction,and product usage

With the use of field data from a live theater company, this article demonstrates that customers' goal orientation affects not only what information is used in assessing overall satisfaction, but also downstream measures of level of satisfaction and product usage. The study segmented the customers into four groups based on their goal orientations for the established arts goals of cultural enrichment and relaxation, finding that the different groups weigh the attributes of the service differentially in determining overall satisfaction based on each attribute's ability to fulfill their goals. Furthermore, customers whose goals match the organization's orientation give the product a higher evaluation and utilize it more often. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Moderating effect of customer's retail format perception on customer satisfaction formation: An empirical study of mini-supermarkets in an urban retail market setting

Customer perceptions of retail formats have become ambiguous with new value-added features of traditional retail formats. Hence, this paper proposes a framework for explaining retail patronage formation under the condition that customers perceive the ambiguity of retail format boundaries. The moderating effect of customers' retail format perceptions on customer satisfaction is examined using data from Japanese mini-supermarket customers. Results indicate that customers' perceptions of retail formats partially influence customer satisfaction. Theoretically, this implies that considering retail format as a concept that customers construct a posteriori may be necessary and practically indicates that retail practitioners should manage customers’ retail format perception.     

Analyzing Customers' Switching Intentions in the Telecom Sector

ABSTRACT

Mobile Number Portability (MNP) has not only affected customers' behavioral patterns, but also increased competition among telecom operators. Against this backdrop, the study examines the relationship between customers' switching intentions and attitude towards MNP, customer loyalty, and switching barriers. It also investigates the impact of these intentions on actual switching or staying behavior of customers. Data were collected from a sample of 260 telecom customers comprising university students. Findings reveal that customers' switching intentions would largely depend upon switching barriers perceived by them. Switching intentions predict both actual staying and switching behavior. Our understanding of switching barriers is limited to those involved in switching from a current service provider to a new service provider. Future research can examine the barriers associated with returning to the original provider and the effect on the decision to leave in the first place, especially in the case of contractual agreements such as BSNL. The present study will help practitioners and telecom service providers in understanding the factors affecting customers' switching intentions to prevent switching.     

Do satisfied customers bad‐mouth innovative products?

For many years marketing academics have recommended, and practitioners have implemented, organization‐wide programs that measure customers' levels of satisfaction with a firm's offerings because it is believed that satisfied customers are both more likely to continue using a previously adopted product and less likely to engage in negative word‐of‐mouth communication. Given the ubiquity of product‐review forums resulting from today's increasing levels of e‐commerce, this paper pairs cause constructs from the diffusion literature with effect constructs from the satisfaction and services literatures to reconsider that perspective. Specifically, it examines the relationships bet‐ween six perceived innovation attributes known to influence a new product's diffusion process and two post‐adoption behaviors, satisfaction and negative word‐of‐mouth communication. The results quash previous assumptions that satisfaction mediates negative word‐of‐mouth communication and reveal that satisfied customers do speak ill of previously adopted products. Implications for both theory and practice are also presented. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Analysis of customers' satisfaction with baby products: The moderating role of brand image

The previous experience of customers is assessed by textual reviews and ratings to reflect their levels of satisfaction with the service or product. Online reviews and ratings have played a vital role to assess the performance of the services or the quality of goods. This research explores customers' levels of satisfaction with baby products on Amazon.com through text mining and survey-based methodologies. The moderating role of a brand image is also investigated on the relationship between customers' satisfaction and recommendations to others. Two sources of data were utilized, online reviews from the Amazon portal and responses of the participants on a large-scale survey. The research model is developed based on the factors that were extracted from the text mining approach. Following that, a questionnaire was distributed and the collected data were inspected using Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that several dimensions have an influential effect on customers' experiences with baby products, among which are comfortableness, material quality, easy use, easy return, design, price, packaging, and size information. In addition, the moderating influence of the brand image on the hypothesis between customers' satisfaction and recommendations to others was significant. By deploying the two-phase methodology, baby product vendors can understand the influential variables in customers' experiences and their impacts on customers’ satisfaction more accurately.     

Investigating Aspects of Customer Satisfaction at the C-Store: The C-Store Product Mix and Image

ABSTRACT

A recent investigation into the convenience store (c-store) product mix called for further research into c-store customers' preferences for additional product offerings and non-c-store shoppers' reasons for not patronizing a c-store. This paper answers that call by investigating a cross-section of c-store customers to identify their perceptions of product offerings to expand the c-store's product mix and in turn increase customer satisfaction. In addition, this study explores c-store non-users' perceptions of the c-store image to understand why they do not patronize c-stores. Fourteen products were examined. Of the fourteen, only one was rated very likely to be purchased: postal services. The top three reasons provided for not patronizing a c-store were (1) inconvenient location, (2) high prices and (3) loyalty to other retailers. Suggestions for future research are provided.     

The importance of atmospherics in the choice of hypermarkets and supermarkets

Are the atmospheric variables equally relevant for supermarket and hypermarket customers? As a contribution to the customers' choice of the store format, firstly this work aims to determine the perception of differences between hypermarkets and supermarkets in terms of store attributes. Second, it sheds light on the role played by atmospherics in the customers' decision process. This study uses a logit approach to model the probabilistic choice of the customers' store format using atmospheric and other marketing variables as important attributes of the grocery store. The model's estimation is based on personal interviews conducted during the shopping process in urban supermarkets and hypermarkets belonging to the same retail chain. The findings show that although the atmospheric variables are significantly important for both store formats, the customers perceive differently the importance of each retail atmospheric cue and other marketing variables, when buying in a hypermarket or in a supermarket: the choice of buying in hypermarket is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variables named pleasant atmosphere and accessibility and responsiveness; in contrast, the choice of buying in supermarkets is explained by the significant importance given to the latent variable nice decoration and empathy with the staff. The other latent variable designated by other marketing variables is only significantly important in the decision of choosing supermarkets.     

How managerial responses to online reviews affect customer satisfaction: An empirical study based on additional reviews

This study investigates the internality of managerial responses (MRs) to online reviews on the responded customers' (i.e., customers who have posted an initial review and then being responded by the company through an MR) satisfaction. By utilizing the data of additional reviews (ARs), an innovative social media module for customers to express follow-up opinions that complement their initial reviews, we examine the impact of MR treatment on the customers' AR valence. We leverage the insight that the observability of MR at the time of the responded customer posts an AR is a crucial condition to the impact of the MR, and thus regard the observability of MR as an exogenous treatment for model identification. Fixed effects models with extensive control variables are proposed to estimate the MR treatment effects. The results show that MRs have significant positive impacts on customers' satisfaction in ARs. Further explorations show that the positive impacts are mainly due to the positive effects of MRs on nonpositive initial reviews (MR-Ns), suggesting that MR-Ns are an effective management tool for customer complaints. Moreover, this study identifies MR delay as a boundary condition for the internality of MRs because MR delay negatively moderates the positive impacts of MRs. Therefore, companies should promptly respond to customers' negative opinions in their reviews. This study is among the very first to clearly identify the internality of MRs on the responded customers’ satisfaction. We show that the existing results on the externality of MRs are not directly applicable to the internality of MRs, highlighting the novelty of this study. The obtained new insights provide practical guidelines for companies to adjust their intervention strategies on e-commerce platforms.     

A Comparative Analysis of the Relative Importance of Service Quality for Two UK Grocery Retailers

This article identifies the relative importance of service quality across two grocery store formats. Research to date, indicates that within the grocery sector, customers expect value for money in terms of product quality, nutritional value and service quality. If these attributes are met in relation to the customers' perceived risk, it is more likely that customer satisfaction and retention will occur. In difficult competitive, social and economic circumstances, some sources indicate that there will be a trading down in customer shopping habits, with more customers expecting higher levels of service provision across a wider range of store formats, including the discounters. This study examines the relative importance of service quality for a quality-led retailer, compared to a discounter. Quantitative and qualitative research was carried out to obtain both a demand and supply–side perspective. Research findings demonstrate that despite the fact that consumer expectations are rising in relation to the overall shopping experience, distinctions in relation to customers' expectations between the levels of service provided across quality-led stores, compared to discounters, is still evident.     

The informational value of multi-attribute online consumer reviews: A text mining approach

In the digital age, customers use online reviews to minimize the risks associated with purchasing a product. Major online retailers help customers choose the right product by exposing reviews that received many “helpful” votes at the top of the review section. Given that reviews that have received the maximum helpfulness votes are considered more important in purchase decisions, understanding determinants of helpfulness votes offers clear benefits to online retailers and review platforms. This study focuses on the effect of review informativeness, which is measured by the number of attributes discussed in a review, and its interplay of review valence on customers' perception of review helpfulness. We applied a word-level bigram analysis to derive product attributes from review text and examined the influence of the number of attributes on the review's helpfulness votes. More importantly, we also suggested the moderating role of review valence. Estimation results of the Zero-inflated Poisson models on 21,125 reviews across 14 wireless earbuds indicated that as more attributes are discussed in a review, the more the review can earn helpfulness votes from customers. Furthermore, the positive association between the number of attributes and helpfulness was enhanced among negative reviews. This study contributes to customers' information processing literature and offers guidelines to online retailers in designing a better decision support system.     

Value and Satisfaction Evaluations During a Service Relationship

Abstract

The research used a sample of credit union customers to determine (a) the relative importance of core and peripheral service attributes on customer evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction, and (b) how the relative importance of these criteria change over the life of the service relationship. For the overall sample, peripheral service attributes accounted for over three-fourths of the variance for service value and customer satisfaction. Dividing the sample into three sub-samples based on age of the customer's relationship with the credit union, peripheral service attributes drove evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction for the first stage of the relationship (ten years or less) and the middle stage of the relationship (eleven to nineteen years). Once the relationship aged to twenty or more years, core attributes drove evaluations of service value and customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that relationship strategies for the credit union may need to be customized based on the amount of time customers have had a relationship with a service firm.