Linking service climate to customer loyalty

The present study evaluates the effect of service climate on customer loyalty by incorporating resident perceptions of service quality regarding their interaction with staff members in a nursing home. The study also explores the mediating role of service quality between service climate and customer loyalty. A conceptual two-level model linking service climate to customer loyalty was developed and analyzed using data collected from 197 nursing staff members and 477 residents in 44 nursing homes in Taiwan. The results show that service climate improves service quality and customer loyalty and provide empirical support for the mediating role of service quality between service climate and customer loyalty. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as future research directions.     

The interrelationships among service quality,customer satisfaction,and customer loyalty: Examination of the fast-food industry

The purpose of this study was to use customers’ perspectives to develop a conceptual model for improving service quality and enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The 197 samples were selected from customers of leading fast food franchise enterprises in Taiwan. The research results indicate that service quality positively influences customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Service quality positively influences customer loyalty through customer satisfaction. The research findings indicate that managers need to ensure they have efficient service quality to enhance customer satisfaction and customer loyalty levels.     

Building customer trust and loyalty: an empirical study in a retailing context

This paper integrates the seller's characteristics and the consumer's individual characteristics in testing the person-to-person and person-to-firm effects of trust on loyalty in the department store. A multidimensional model of the behavioural components of trustworthiness is used to examine their differential effects on consumer trust. The results reveal that the effects of behavioural components of trustworthiness on trust in salespersons and trust in department stores are different. Trust in salespersons contributes to the trust in the department stores they work for. In addition, although both trust in department stores and trust in salespersons are expected to enhance customer loyalty, person-to-person trust has stronger influence on loyalty than does person-to-firm trust. The findings also suggest that customers' individual characteristics should be considered in assessing the role of trust in business relationships other than sellers' characteristics.     

The customer retail app experience: Implications for customer loyalty

Retailer mobile applications are one of the principal retail purchase and information search channels. Customer experience is key to retail app success. However, its dimensions and impact on retailer performance have been the subject of only a limited number of studies. This research builds on existing customer retail app experience literature by considering four dimensions as precursors of satisfaction with the retailers’ app and customer loyalty (cognitive, affective, relational and sensorial). Data were collected from a sample of 545 retailer app users and analysed using PLS-SEM. The results demonstrate that the affective dimension has the most influence and they highlight the importance of the sensory experience, which even surpasses the cognitive experience. The effect of the relational dimension on customer satisfaction, meanwhile, could not be positively confirmed. Analysis of the moderating effect of gender, age and device type used identifies effects that have not, until now, been demonstrated in current literature.     

The effects of multi-channel assortment integration on customer confusion

Abstract

The effects of assortment strategy on customer confusion have been discussed for singular channels in the past. However, multi-channel retailers also have to coordinate their assortment across channels. Recent literature has started to investigate which assortment integration strategy is most favourable for retailers, but theoretical and empirical research is still scarce. Until today, customer confusion has not been considered in this discussion. This article seeks to identify the impact of a retailer’s assortment integration on customer overload confusion, assortment perception and their consequences. In an experiment, we manipulate assortment integration internally (online and offline channel of the focal retailer; full and asymmetrical integration) and externally (online channel of the focal retailer and a competing online retailer; full, asymmetrical and no integration). The results indicate that both internal and external assortment integration have an impact on overload confusion and assortment perception. Asymmetrical internal integration induces less overload confusion in terms of its cognitive and affective components and leads to superior assortment perception. Full and asymmetrical external integration evoke less confusion with regard to its cognitive component. Eventually, overload has detrimental short- and long-term effects for the retailer. Multi-channel retailers should consider our results when implementing an assortment integration strategy.     

Retail service quality as a key activator of grocery store loyalty

This paper demonstrates the crucial role of retail service quality as a key activator in the formation of customer loyalty to the store; the latter is understood in a conative and action sense. Applying a modified version of the RSQS scale, a model is tested by administering a questionnaire to 450 customers in an under-investigated retail setting, i.e. supermarkets, within the Italian context. Structural equation modelling was employed. The results prove that customers consider retail service quality as a second-order dimension and recognize the main contribution of physical aspects and reliability first-order dimensions. Findings corroborate the crucial role played by perceived service quality and the mediating role of customer satisfaction and conative loyalty within the relationship between service quality and action loyalty.     

The impact of high-performance work systems in the health-care industry: employee reactions,service quality,customer satisfaction,and customer loyalty

The purpose of this study is to empirically test the effects of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on employee attitude, service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in health-care organisations. The proposed research model was tested using structural equation modelling for hypotheses, based on data collected from 196 pairs of employee–customer respondents in four selected hospitals with more than 500 beds. The results indicate that hospitals can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through efficient operations, employee engagement, and service quality. One of the key findings of our study is that HPWS in health-care organisations influence employee reaction and service quality.     

Internet service providers' service quality and its effect on customer loyalty of different usage patterns

This study attempts to investigate the dimensions of an ISP's service quality, and their effects on customer loyalty in high-tech services. Data was obtained from 1231 internet users. The analyses include segmenting ISPs' customers on the basis of their usage pattern and evaluating their perceptions of Internet service quality dimensions. Through the use of structural equation modelling and bias correct bootstrapping techniques, the study confirms that service quality dimensions can influence both attitudinal and behavioural loyalty. These effects, however, are different across different groups of ISP customers. The contribution of the present paper stems from the modelling of mediation effects and the incorporation of Internet usage that can help better explain the impact of service quality dimensions on customers' loyalty in high-tech service settings.     

M-commerce: The nexus between mobile shopping service quality and loyalty

Whilst M-commerce is having a major influence in the way businesses and consumers interact, mobile shopping service quality (MS-SQ) has been understudied in the literature. This paper examines MS-SQ within a conceptual model of customer satisfaction and loyalty surveying UK customers who bought fashion clothing via their mobile devices. The results of two empirical studies confirm four dimensions of MS-SQ: efficiency, fulfilment, responsiveness and contact. Using bootstrapping of 2000 resamples, SEM results showed a significant impact of MS-SQ on customer satisfaction, which in turn impacts loyalty. These results are robust across two samples. Only the dimension efficiency exhibits an indirect effect on loyalty via satisfaction in both studies whilst controlling for gender, age, income, value of clothing item, and m-shopping experience. These findings are discussed and have managerial implications for retailers operating m-commerce sites.     

Airline customer satisfaction and loyalty: impact of in-flight service quality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the in-flight service quality on airline customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study analyzed the data from passengers of two classes: prestige (business) and economy. The results suggest that there are different factors of in-flight service quality that are important according to the customer seat class. In the case of the prestige class, there were six service quality factors of importance: alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage, responsiveness and empathy, reliability, assurance, presentation style of food, and food quality; while the economy class showed five important service quality factors: responsiveness and empathy, food quality, alcoholic beverage, non-alcoholic beverage, and reliability. These findings imply that airline companies’ in-flight service should have different delivery strategies based on the customer seat class.     

间断性服务业顾客忠诚维度及其影响因素

This research empirically studies customer loyalty in the intermittent service industry with samples from the catering business in Beijing. Results show that customer loyalty in the intermittent service industry is composed of three causally related dimensions, namely cognitive loyalty, affective loyalty, and behavioral loyalty. Factors influencing customer loyalty in the intermittent service industry are customer satisfaction, service quality, and customer perceived value (CPV), in descending order of significance. These factors vary in their function mechanisms and effects on different dimensions of customer loyalty. __________ Translated and revised from Shuliang jingji jishu jingji yanjiu 数量经济技术经济研究 (The Journal of Quantitative & Technical Economics), 2007, (3): 91–101     

Price fairness perceptions and customer loyalty in a retail context

Loyalty and fairness are major research topics in the marketing literature. However, research examining how customer loyalty and fairness perceptions affect each other is lacking. This study examines these two topics in the context of a retailer increasing its prices, develops hypotheses, and tests these hypotheses using an experimental design approach. Results indicate that loyalty has a positive effect on fairness perceptions when price increases are low, though no such effect is found when price increases are high. Also, justifiable reasons for price increases lead to increased fairness perceptions when price increases are low, but any reason offered when price increases are high increases fairness perceptions. Whether distributive or procedural fairness influences post customer loyalty in the presence of price increases is dependent on both the level of the price increase and the reason offered for the price increase. This research provides implications for retailers and directions for future research.     

Supermarket self-checkout service quality,customer satisfaction,and loyalty: Empirical evidence from an emerging market

Supermarket shoppers around the world are increasingly encountering and using self-service technologies (SSTs) during their shopping process. The SSTs are mainly offered to reduce retailer costs and enhance customer's experience. Among the many different SSTs available, self-checkout systems (SCS) have become an extremely popular choice of supermarkets around the world. Although some of the main motivations of the supermarkets for offering SCSs are cost cutting, speed, and convenience, supermarkets are also assuming that these services would enhance customer experience, satisfaction, and ultimately loyalty. However, empirical evidence is needed to better understand customer expectations of SCS service quality and how technology based service quality impacts retail patronage. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the service quality of supermarket/grocery store SCSs and its impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty in an emerging market, namely Turkey. Using the SSTQUAL scale (Lin and Hsieh, 2011), data (n=275) for the study is collected from shoppers who had just completed going through the self-checkout counter in a large supermarket chain. The results of this study show that SCS service quality positively influences loyalty through the customer satisfaction path. Managerial and research implications of the findings are discussed.     

Importance of offline service quality in building loyalty of OC service brand

Customer management becomes increasingly important as consumers have more flexible shopping process and options and competition become intensified in omni-channel (OC) retail environment. OC retailer can facilitate customer communication of OC service with OC service brand. This study evaluates an OC service brand (i.e. SSG OC service brand) to explore the effectiveness of integrated OC service platform which has a standing brand identity, and to determine the importance of selected offline characteristics of OC service on loyalty of OC service brand. Survey of 127 respondents was collected to test Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings show that tangibility and empathy of offline OC service directly affect customer satisfaction and attitude toward overall OC service brand, confirming the importance of offline service quality of OC in the OC service brand management.     

The role of customer loyalty as a brand extension purchase predictor

The paper explores the relationship between customer loyalty to the retail brand and the purchase of non-traditional products and services (NTPS) offered by grocery retailers with their private label (i.e. over-the-counter products, photo printing, mobile communication services and travel booking). Customer loyalty to the retail brand is measured through its behavioral and attitudinal components. A survey was conducted administering a questionnaire to 480 retail customers in two stores belonging to different retail grocers. A binary logistic regression was then applied using the buying of at least one NTPS as the dependent variable (1 = buy; 0 = no buy) and behavioral loyalty and attitudinal loyalty as independent variables. Results show that attitudinal loyalty plays a significant role as buying predictor, but this depends on the NTPS offered. Theoretical and managerial implications are derived.     

Effects of customer loyalty on customer entitlement and voiced complaints

The value of customer loyalty has been well documented by academicians and practitioners. Nevertheless, prior literature has paid little attention to the negative consequences of customer loyalty, for example, entitlement behaviors (e.g. requests for deeper discounts) and complaint behaviors (voicing dissatisfaction to the company). This research empirically examines the effects of customer loyalty on entitlement and voiced complaint behaviors in the context of Frequent Flyer programs in airline industry. Base on partial least squares-structural equation modeling, the results show that (1) customer loyalty has a positive effect on customer entitlement, which is the extent to which customers expect special treatment from the company; (2) the effect of customer loyalty on voiced complaints is fully mediated by customer entitlement; (3) perceived status of loyalty programs amplifies the entitlement behaviors of loyal customers, while tangible rewards of loyalty programs mitigate the entitlement behaviors of loyal customers. Theoretical and managerial implications are elaborated in the discussion section.     

Impact of customer experience on loyalty: a multichannel examination

This article examines the relation between the five dimensions of customer experience advocated by Schmitt [1999a. Experiential Marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 15, 53–67] (cognitive, affective, sensory, behavioural and social) and service provider loyalty. The examination focuses on two different channels, namely branch/agency (physical) and online (Web-based). A total of 484 panellists of a large Canadian polling firm self-administered a Web-based questionnaire regarding banking experience. The exercise was subsequently replicated in the tourism sector. Findings demonstrate that the main dimension impacting loyalty is the affective dimension (negative), thereby contributing handsomely to experiential marketing literature since negative emotions are rarely investigated. Findings also reveal that choice of channel exerts a moderating effect on the different dimensions influencing loyalty and that results vary from one sector to another. The multidimensional, multichannel, multisector approach selected for this study substantiates customer experience as complex and context specific. The authors also suggest practical implications and set out avenues of future research.     

Managing customer loyalty through the mediating role of satisfaction in the DIY retail loyalty program

The focus of this study is the determinants of customer loyalty among members of retail loyalty programs. With data collected from a DIY loyalty program in a Central European country (a preliminary sample of 116 club members and a representative sample of 416 members), the study empirically tests the nature of the effect of the quality of personal interactions and perceptions of the quality of the loyalty program on customer loyalty through the mediating variable of customer satisfaction. Although the findings suggest that the quality of personal interactions bears no direct influence on members’ loyalty, it has a stronger influence on members’ satisfaction than the perceived quality of the loyalty program does. Influence on members’ loyalty is stronger from the mediating variable of customer satisfaction than from perceived quality of the loyalty program. This finding confirms the role of customer satisfaction as an important determinant of customer loyalty in the DIY setting. Offering a diagnostic tool in terms of selected direct and indirect determinants influencing customers’ loyalty, the paper also contributes to comprehension of loyalty programs’ effectiveness and members’ responses to the quality of loyalty programs, which contribution provides important implications for management and development of retail loyalty programs.     

Impact of tacit knowledge on customer loyalty

Tacit knowledge about customers held by contact personnel is a priority for better satisfying customer needs and creating added value. This research project seeks to develop a model to analyse the impact of tacit knowledge on loyalty for rural tourism lodgings. A questionnaire was applied to the clients of rural tourism lodgings who had either already consumed rural tourism services at least once or were then currently consuming such services. By applying structural equation models, the results demonstrate how tacit knowledge does improve the performance of employees in engaging in affective bonds and enables better understanding of the needs and expectations of customers. Furthermore, the results confirm how tacit knowledge about customers represents a resource able to promote customer loyalty and thus a very strong potential source of competitive advantage.     

Relationships and impacts of service quality,perceived value,customer satisfaction,and image: an empirical study

In today's world of intense competition, satisfying customers is only the base line and may not be sufficient for survival. Management should focus on gaining customer loyalty by enhancing customer perceptions of service quality and increasing as perceived by the consumer value. Although previous studies have addressed the importance of service quality, satisfaction, perceived value, and image, the precise nature of the relationships that exist between these constructs and the understanding of their effect on customer behaviour still remains a key issue. This empirical study seeks to understand the relationships that exist between service quality and perceived value and how they impact customer satisfaction, corporate image, and behavioural intentions. The proposed model indicates that delivering high quality service and creating superior customer value can result in achieve high customer satisfaction, thus effecting the firm's corporate image, and ultimately leading to consumer retention.