How does customer motivational orientation affect satisfaction?

This study examines the link between customer motivational orientation and customer satisfaction in the Chinese context. The customer motivational orientation–satisfaction model was tested on 349 Chinese bank customers in Macao, China. Results of structural equation modelling indicated that task-oriented and interaction-oriented customers were not equally responsive to the financial services provided. Specifically, task motivational orientation was directly and indirectly related to customer satisfaction through customer perceived service quality, whereas interaction motivational orientation only linked to customer satisfaction through customer perceived service quality as a mediator. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

The impact of brand experience,service quality and perceived value on word of mouth of retail bank customers: investigating the mediating effect of loyalty

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of the antecedents—brand experience, service quality, and perceived value on word of mouth (WOM) recommendations by retail banking customers in an emerging market. The paper also investigates the mediating effect of loyalty on WOM with respect to the abovementioned antecedents. A survey of 412 retail customers of various banks in India was undertaken using a structured questionnaire developed using existing constructs. The results show that brand experience, service quality, and perceived value have a significant impact on WOM recommendations of customers of retail banks. Further, the relationships between the abovementioned antecedents and WOM are mediated by loyalty. This study makes several contributions to the academic literature. First, it establishes the importance of brand experience, service quality, and perceived value as antecedents of WOM in the context of retail banks in an emerging market. Second, it also establishes that loyalty plays a mediating role for the abovementioned antecedents for WOM recommendations by retail customers of banks in an emerging market.     

Bank service quality: A comparison between a publicly quoted bank and a government bank in Singapore

This study, conducted in Singapore, investigates three aspects of service quality. The study samples customers of two specific banks, one of which is publicly quoted and one of which is government owned. For comparative purposes, five service quality dimensions, which the authors created, were used. The results showed that consumer expectations about an excellent bank's service quality were not significantly different as between the publicly quoted bank and the government bank. The perceptions that consumers had about the service quality of the bank they patronised, though, showed some significant differences. The publicly quoted bank was perceived as having a significantly better ‘services portfolio’, specifically in regard to making customers aware of its services and offering a variety of services through its ATMs. The government bank was perceived as having better ‘staff who deliver the service’, specifically in the way the staff dressed and the efficiency with which they served customers. The five service quality dimensions were found to have better predictive capabilities for the measurement of the overall satisfaction of customers who patronised the government bank.     

Effects of perceived cost,service quality,and customer satisfaction on health insurance service continuance

This paper aims to contribute to the universal discourse on financial services continuance behavior by examining the impact of service cost on customers’ service-quality perception and service continuance intention. It presents the results of an empirical study that has explored the impacts of service cost, service quality, and customer satisfaction on health insurance customers’ behavioral intention toward continuing or discontinuing with their service providers. Very few studies had examined the impact of service cost on service-quality perception. Our study attempts to fill that gap. A sample of 820 customers was surveyed, and 624 usable responses were analyzed with ANOVA, standard multiple regression, and logistic regression. Our findings indicate that, although highly satisfied health insurance customers will most likely retain their current service providers, customer dissatisfaction does not necessarily lead to discontinuance. Our results also provide some operational implications for health insurance managers, with strategies for reducing attrition and improving customer retention.     

The impact of the magnitude of service failure and complaint handling on satisfaction and brand credibility in the banking industry

The present research aims to investigate the effects of service failure and complaint handling on customer satisfaction with complaint handling which consequently impacts overall satisfaction and brand credibility. To examine the objectives of the present research, the authors deployed a sample of 384 respondents in Persian banks within Iran. Structural equation modeling has been used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that the magnitude of service failure negatively effects customer satisfaction with complaint handling. Complaint handling positively affects customer satisfaction with complaint handling. In addition, the results suggest that customer satisfaction with complaint handling positively influences brand credibility and overall satisfaction. Finally, overall satisfaction positively impacts brand credibility. The results revealed that if the complaint handling occurs instantly at the right time, it would have been a positive influence on customer satisfaction and ultimately develop brand credibility. Therefore, banks can adopt customer relationship management systems and processes which enable quick responses to customer complaints. Bank managers could find the results of the present study useful and beneficial in developing complaint handling efforts and expanding appropriate service recovery and brand credibility strategies.     

Consequences of perceived acceptability of a bank's service failures

This paper presents a study of service failures of a bank and their impact on customer satisfaction and recommendation intention. In contrast to most other studies on this topic, this study uses a large, real-customer sample where the respondents describe a real failure incident, regardless of whether they complained about it. The paper aims to make three contributions: first, based on a literature review, it introduces the construct of ‘acceptability’ of service failures and relates it to the concept of a ‘tolerance zone’ for dissatisfaction. Secondly, it tests its impact on satisfaction and recommendation intention, which is both statistically significant and managerially relevant. Thirdly, the ‘service failure pyramid’ as a managerial tool is proposed and linked to the idea of perceiving every service encounter as a ‘moment of truth’. As a consequence, the use of a ‘perceived acceptability’ measure in customer surveys is suggested.     

Supermarket branch banks and traditional banks: An evaluation of differences in employees' attitudes regarding product offerings,job satisfaction and turnover

Traditionally, banking was an activity conducted primarily in an environment in which employees were housed in a central location. In this environment, the bank culture was relatively stable and well-known to customers and employees alike. Further, both the public and the market knew the bank's financial service offerings. The advent of the supermarket branch bank has created challenges for both employees and managers. Many employees are no longer under the direct supervision of bank management. The culture of the branch bank may be vague, and with this change in culture and in supervision, problems with consistency and quality of banking services may exist. Additionally, banks may experience challenges in terms of job satisfaction, turnover and perceptions of product offerings at the supermarket branch bank and at the traditional brick-and-mortar bank. This research evaluates these environmental changes in terms of their impact on the employees' perceptions of customer attitudes regarding branch and brick-and-mortar bank offerings. This research also assesses the employees' perceptions of job satisfaction and turnover at branch versus traditional banks.     

Customer retention and cross-buying in the banking industry: An integration of service attributes,satisfaction and trust

Most previous studies have focused on customer retention and have ignored the importance of customers’ cross-buying behaviour. Customer retention seems to be the result of a kind of repetitive decision by the customers, but their decision to cross-buy involves a more complicated process. In this study, the authors examine the effects of locational convenience, one-stop shopping convenience, firm reputation, firm expertise, and direct mailings on both customer retention and cross-buying. The mediating roles of satisfaction and trust in the relationships between service attributes, customer retention, and cross-buying are also examined. The results indicate that banks can use different service attributes to influence customer retention and cross-buying. Trust and satisfaction play different mediating roles in the relationships between service attributes, customer retention, and cross-buying.     

A structural equation modelling of the antecedents of relationship quality in the Malaysia banking sector

The intense competition among firms in the new global environment has made it inevitable for firms to seek ways to create and maintain quality relationship with customers, and Malaysia banks are no exception. However, little is understood from empirical viewpoint about the antecedents of relationship quality specifically, the actual influence of overall customer satisfaction and its indicators. Based on data collected from 220 customers of 15 retail banks in Malaysia and analysed using the structural equation modelling technique, findings are that overall customer satisfaction is a key determinant of relationship quality. The indicators of customer satisfaction include trust, commitment, communication, service quality, service satisfaction and conflict handling. These results are not confounded by any service differential among the participating banks. Important theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.     

An investigation of the relationships among consumer satisfaction,loyalty, and market share in Kuwaiti loan services

This study investigates the relationships among customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and market share in nearly 700 users of Kuwaiti bank loan services. The authors show that the expected positive relationships of satisfaction with market share and of satisfaction with loyalty are not supported in this sector of the banking industry. As expected, however, customer loyalty is shown to be related to market share. It appears that, within this product market, loyalty is not derived from customer satisfaction, but rather is based on other factors such as, for example, price, special deals, or bank–customer relationships. Therefore, market share in Kuwaiti loan services is dependent on banks creating and maintaining a large and loyal customer base.     

Atributos de calidad del servicio de la telefonía móvil para clientes mexicanos y su impacto en la satisfacción y en la lealtad hacia la marca

The objective of this study is to identify relevant attributes of service quality in mobile phones for Mexican customers and to establish their impact on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. It is being assumed that the attributes of service quality are an antecedent of satisfaction and loyalty. The study is divided in two phases. In a first qualitative phase, thirteen attributes were detected using in-depth interviews. In a second quantitative phase, these attributes were empirically contrasted with variables of satisfaction and loyalty. It was found that only six attributes are statistically related to the variables of these constructs, with two of them being the most relevant: price per minute and empathy perceived by customers from company’s employees.     

We are who we are: Incorporation of individual culture in customer satisfaction models

Despite the increasing recognition that cultural values have a major impact on consumer behavior, few studies have investigated the effect of individual culture on customer satisfaction in the global banking sector. This study designs a model of customer satisfaction that incorporates Uncertainty Avoidance (UA), and tests it among a sample of 227 Arab customers in the UAE banking sector through structural equation modeling using LISREL. Arab customers are reported to have a high UA, and it would thus be pertinent to determine how this cultural trait affects their consumer satisfaction. It was determined that perceived value and UA are direct antecedents of corporate reputation that in turn has a strong effect on satisfaction. Unexpectedly, service quality was not found to affect satisfaction. Various theoretical and managerial implications arising from the study findings are discussed, as well as potential avenues for further research in this important area.     

Customer satisfaction with socially responsible investing initiatives: The influence of perceived financial and non-financial quality

During the last decade, socially responsible investment (SRI) initiatives have grown to become a mainstream financial service in many countries. However, to date, only a few studies focus on understanding the final investor of such initiatives. This article focuses on one particularly overlooked aspect of SRI behavior; that of customer post-purchase satisfaction. A theoretical model of satisfaction with SRI-profiled mutual funds is developed and tested. The results indicate that perceived financial performance of the SRI-profiled mutual fund is the most important predictor of customer satisfaction. However, perceived environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance also had a positive impact on satisfaction for the SRI mutual fund. On the basis of these results, it is argued that although ESG quality is important to customers, marketers of SRI initiatives should primarily focus on the conventional quality attributes such as financial performance, as a good ESG record alone is unlikely to generate customer satisfaction.     

Assessment of the psychometric properties of SERVQUAL in the Canadian banking industry

This study investigates the psychometric properties of the well-known SERVQUAL model in the Canadian banking industry. The study utilises the performance component of SERVQUAL in an empirical survey conducted among 193 Canadian bank customers. The results support the dimensionality, reliability, convergent reliability, discriminant validity and predictive validity of the scale in this service setting. Thus, SERVQUAL is a suitable instrument for assessing bank service in the Canadian context; bank managers can, therefore, confidently use this instrument to undertake continuous evaluation of their service quality. The results also show that responsiveness and empathy are the most important dimensions of overall service quality in the Canadian banking context. Findings show that the service provided by employees makes the largest contribution to bank customer satisfaction. In view of the study's finding, Canadian bank managers must recognise that frontline employees are crucially important in establishing and maintaining a competitive position for their institution.     

A framework for understanding the evolution of relationship quality and the customer relationship development process

This paper attempts to develop and empirically test a conceptual model of relationship quality (RQ) in the financial sector from the perspective of the individual consumer (B2C). Based on a review of RQ research, the paper proposes a model of RQ from the customer perspective using the constructs most often examined in empirical RQ research (customer satisfaction, trust and commitment) and considers the relative importance of these dimensions within the stages of the relationship development process (RDP). A survey of 150 bank customers was undertaken in Egypt and the results tested using structural equation modelling. Respondents were selected on a convenience sampling basis and administered a questionnaire instrument for completion. The findings show that there is a strong relationship between the customer’s perceived relationship development phase and the perceived RQ. An important contribution of this paper lies in the alternative conceptualization of RQ as composed of three dynamic dimensions which are dependent on the RDP phase or stage. A second contribution is methodological and relates to the development of a modified scale to identify the relationship phases of customers. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, these contributions are unique and have not been made previously to the body of knowledge on service relationship management.     

Customers’ dissatisfaction with banking channels and their intention to leave banks: The moderating effect of trust and trusting beliefs

Banks have the challenging task of managing customer experience across many traditional and technological channels in today’s financial services world. Recent studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that many customers are dissatisfied with their experiences across channels that are supposed to provide a seamless experience. This customer dissatisfaction potentially diminishes a financial service organization’s customer base, and requires the firm to rely on a more fickle customer mix and erodes its reputation. This paper investigates the relationship between individuals’ dissatisfaction with their primary bank channel and their intention to leave their bank in the future. The first study examines individuals’ overall trust in their bank as a potential moderator in the relationship that reduces customers’ likelihood to leave the bank even though they are dissatisfied with a particular banking channel. The second study goes one step further and examines the effect of three trusting beliefs about the bank potentially held by the customer: competence, integrity, and benevolence beliefs. Findings indicate that when customers have a high level of trust in their banks, they are less likely to leave their banks even though they are dissatisfied with their primary banking channel. Furthermore, while competence and benevolence beliefs about the bank have a similar moderating effect, integrity beliefs do not.     

Determinants of loyalty and recommendation: The role of perceived service quality,emotional satisfaction and image

This study develops and tests a model for the determinants of loyalty and recommendation. The model considers three drivers – perceived service quality, emotional satisfaction and image – that are positively related to each other and positively influence loyalty and recommendation. The model is tested using data from a survey of 222 Tunisian bank service customers. The hypotheses, which were tested using structural equation modelling, are all supported. The results confirm that perceived service quality, emotional satisfaction and image are key drivers of loyalty and recommendation. The research emphasizes the role of emotional satisfaction and image as mediating variables between perceived service quality and loyalty/recommendation. The study also shows that a better understanding of the determinants of behavioural intentions in the banking industry occurs when affective dimensions are considered along with cognitive ones.     

Examining the impact of the attractiveness of alternatives on customers’ perceptions of price tolerance: Moderation and mediation analyses

The current literature provides mixed support for the positive influence of competitors on customers’ perceptions of price tolerance (Herrmann et al, Psychology & Marketing, 2004 21(7), 533–551). This paper examines a number of mediators and moderators of this relationship, such as positive switching barriers, negative switching barriers and customer satisfaction. A total of 162 valid responses was collected from the financial brokerage context by means of a random sample. The data were analysed using the Partial-least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling. The findings show that customers’ satisfaction with the service provider partially mediates the positive effect of alternatives on price tolerance. Negative, not positive, switching barriers were found to weaken the effect on price tolerance of the attractiveness of alternatives.     

Bank image in the UAE: Comparing Islamic and conventional banks

This study investigates how bank customers in the UAE view Islamic banks versus conventional banks and whether this image affects customer loyalties or selection of a bank. We distributed a questionnaire to a convenient sample of UAE bank customers that focused on five areas: bank image, bank products, service quality, cultural aspects and religious factors, in addition to demographic attributes of the sample. The main findings of this study are: first, most UAE bank customers prefer banking with Islamic banks, although they are not satisfied with the quality of products and services; second, customers generally have a positive image of whatever bank they dealt with; third, the regression analysis results indicate that the most important factor in choosing a bank was bank products followed by service quality and then religious factors; fourth, there is a significant difference between how customers perceive UAE Islamic banks versus conventional banks; fifth, there is a significant difference in how customers perceive UAE Islamic banks based on their gender, education and duration of the relationship; and finally, there is a significant difference in how customers perceive UAE conventional banks based on their gender.     

Developing an index of online customer satisfaction

This paper integrates and applies the concept of ‘satisfaction’ from three fields: management information systems (MIS), marketing and e-commerce. E-customers are viewed as both computer users and customers and as a result researching customer satisfaction in e-commerce needs to integrate aspects of satisfaction from each of these fields. This study defines e-customer satisfaction and develops an index using a weighted sum model. The index is tested using a Korean sample. Analyses suggest an acceptable model and a generalisable set of measures from which managers and researchers evaluate online satisfaction and, especially, marketing strategies in financial services industries.