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.     

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.     

B2C网购环境下的顾客满意度与顾客忠诚度研究

通过对广州市各个高校共342位同学的实地和网上问卷调查,考察了B2C网购环境下的顾客信任在顾客满意度对顾客忠诚度之间关系的中介作用以及性别差异对该关系的调节效应。研究结果显示,在B2C网购环境下：顾客满意度对顾客忠诚有正向影响;顾客信任在顾客满意度与顾客忠诚的关系中具有中介作用;性别差异在顾客满意度与顾客忠诚度的关系中没有调节效应。     

The moderating effects of gender roles on service emotional contagion

This study attempts to examine how service personnel's appearances, attitudes, and behaviours affect customers' emotions and thus their satisfaction and loyalty; it also considers gender roles an important moderator, in that customers with different gender roles may detect and feel differently when they are exposed to personnel's appearances, attitudes, and behaviours. Empirical data were collected from customers in clothing shops in Taiwan. The results suggest that customers with androgynous role more sensitive to the emotional contagion process. Managerial implications and future research directions are also discussed.     

汽车服务业服务质量、顾客满意度与顾客忠诚度的实证分析

为了探讨汽车服务行业服务质量、顾客满意度与顾客认知、情感、意向、行为等四类忠诚度之间的关系,我们对广东省7家汽车4S店进行实证调查,结果发现:服务质量对顾客的认知、情感和意向忠诚度有直接的影响;顾客满意度对顾客四类忠诚度都有直接的影响,且顾客满意度对态度忠诚的影响大于其对行为忠诚的影响;在顾客四类忠诚度中,对顾客行为忠诚有直接影响的是认知忠诚和意向忠诚,其中意向忠诚的影响程度较大。     

Effects of web site characteristics on customer loyalty in B2B e-commerce: evidence from Taiwan

This study proposes a model to explain how web site characteristics influence customer e-loyalty and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) via relationship quality (trust, satisfaction, and commitment) in business-to-business e-commerce. Three hundred and twelve online services users of the Market Intelligence Center in Taiwan were recruited and structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses. The result indicates that web site characteristics positively influence relationship quality. A follow-up post-analysis showed how five dimensions of the web site characteristics impacted relationship quality. In addition, both trust and satisfaction have a positive direct effect on e-loyalty, but not on positive WOM. Finally, theoretical and managerial implications of the findings were discussed.     

Discovering the variables that influence new home‐buyer service satisfaction

While home builders traditionally think of customer service in terms of upgrades and mortgage options, home buyers are thought to view the quality of service on a much broader basis. Previous research has identified five dimensions of service quality: appearance, reliability, timeliness, knowledge, and empathy. Home‐buyer satisfaction with service quality is then the result of home builders providing services that are perceived as meeting or exceeding buyer expectations. Although much research has been done regarding home‐buyer satisfaction with service quality, there is still a gap between builders' and home buyers' perception of the quality of service. Builders need to identify and understand home‐buyer needs in order to constantly improve service quality. This paper describes an exploratory study that focused on customer satisfaction with service quality. The objective of this study was to assess the correlations between various factors on home‐buyer expectations and their perceptions of service quality. Demographics considered in this study included age, gender and household income, while transaction characteristics included purchase price, number of occupants and house size. Characteristics such as higher income, higher purchase price, and larger house size appeared to value dimensions such as reliability most highly. Characteristics such as lower income, lower purchase price and smaller house size appeared to value dimensions such as empathy and appearance most highly. Gender, age and household size did not have significant associations with expectations or relative importance, but age and household size were associated with actual perceptions of service dimensions. Understanding the influence of these variables on customer satisfaction with service quality can positively impact home builders through improved reputation and increased local referrals.     

物流服务质量影响因素与顾客忠诚度

物流服务是现代服务业的一个重要组成部分,物流服务质量对提升企业竞争力具有重大影响。影响物流服务质量的因素主要有信息能力、配送能力、售前售后服务能力、匹配能力和创新能力。其中,售前售后服务能力、信息能力、配送能力对物流顾客感知满意度的影响具有显著性,匹配能力和创新能力对顾客感知满意度的影响较为显著。顾客感知满意度显著影响顾客的忠诚度,并且两者之间存在较大的路径系数。     

零售企业顾客忠诚影响因素分析

文章利用零售业顾客忠诚调查数据,以重购意向、口碑效应、钱包份额和重购频次四个指标为中间变量,对顾客期望差异、顾客满意和顾客忠诚之间的关系进行了实证研究。结果表明,顾客期望差异与顾客忠诚存在显著正相关关系,是顾客忠诚的主要决定因素,零售商应在产品、服务、价格和购物环境等四个方面加以改善,以使顾客获得超过期望的感知绩效,提高顾客忠诚度;顾客满意和顾客忠诚之间存在正相关关系,但并非顾客忠诚的充分条件,零售商应在努力提高顾客满意度的同时,走出“满意制胜”的误区;态度忠诚与行为忠诚之间不存在显著相关关系,零售商应以态度和行为双向顾客忠诚为目标,追求最终的顾客忠诚。     

移动用户忠诚度影响因素实证分析

在现有研究成果的基础上提出了一个顾客忠诚模型,并使用PLS路径方法对模型进行验证,数据采集于江苏移动的7000位消费者。研究结果表明:企业形象和顾客信任较其它因素对顾客忠诚的形成更为重要;企业形象对顾客忠诚的间接影响较大,其间接路径是企业形象→顾客期望→感知质量→感知价值→顾客满意→顾客信任→顾客忠诚;模型中6个内生隐变量R2的平均值高达0.6。综合考虑:该顾客忠诚模型的PLS路经分析结果可靠有效,对企业具有重要的管理意义。     

Understanding the causes of defection among satisfied B2B service customers

Abstract

Many research studies conclude that satisfaction is strongly and positively related to repurchase intentions and loyalty behaviour. However, companies are often faced with the perplexing question of why some customers, who are satisfied, still switch suppliers given the right circumstances. To answer this question, an exploratory research study was conducted in the facilities-management industry with business-to-business service customers. The study was conducted in two stages: an exploratory stage that focused on the industry as a whole, and a confirmatory stage that focused on lost customers from one specific company. It was found that switching motives and actual reasons for switching are quite different. Customers, despite being satisfied, are more likely to switch suppliers for price reasons than they originally stated.     

A New Look at the Antecedents and Consequences of Relationship Quality in the Hotel Service Environment

Abstract

As economic conditions improve, hotels are investing in new ways to improve service quality and perceived value that hopefully will lead to better customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study took a new look, with newly developed scales, at the antecedents and consequences of relationship quality in the hotel service environment to shed new light on the factors hotels have to deal with to achieve their objective of satisfied and loyal customers. Using a structural equation model, it was determined that the tangible and intangible factors of perceived value, timeliness, and hotel facilities are antecedents of hotel quality. Hotel quality, subsequently, is a determinant of both customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, consistent with previous research, customer satisfaction is not a guarantee of customer loyalty.     

顾客抱怨的关系机理与营销对策

顾客抱怨是一部分或全部由于购买商品或服务而感到的满意引起的顾客的一系列多重反应,它是顾客不满意的信号,也是顾客即将流失的征兆。如果企业能够妥善处理顾客抱怨,顾客将更加忠诚;而如果企业对顾客抱怨没有处理或处理欠妥,顾客将加速流失。全面分析顾客抱怨的内涵与作用,通过建构顾客抱怨关系机理模型深入分析顾客抱怨的关系机理,并据此进一步为企业提出妥善处理顾客抱怨的策略选择。     

Integration of standardization and customization: Impact on service quality,customer satisfaction,and loyalty

The basic objective of this study is to analyse the direct and indirect impacts of standardization and customization on customer satisfaction and loyalty through service quality. The service quality has two dimensions: technical quality and functional quality. A framework is developed by extending Grӧnroos’ model of service quality by including the antecedents of service quality. A questionnaire-based survey collected data from 315 customers of three service industries: healthcare, hospitality, and education. The data was analysed and the model validated using PLS-SEM. The findings show that: (1) integration of standardization and customization of service offerings is critical for improved service quality; (2) standardization has higher impact on service quality when compared to customization; (3) functional quality has higher impact on customer satisfaction when compared to technical quality; and (4) customer satisfaction has a significant effect on customer loyalty. The contribution of this study is the development of an integrated framework to analyse the roles of standardization and customization on service quality.     

The effects of service brand dimensions on brand loyalty

The present paper uses a modified version of the Service Brand Verdict (SBV) model. The objective of the study is to incorporate service brand loyalty as an ultimate dependent measure seen as the outcome of consumers' evaluation of various service brand dimensions and communication, and test the generalizability of the modified SBV model in two different service sectors and cultural settings. Two studies using on-line survey data were conducted in Denmark and Norway in two different service industries (airlines and banks respectively). Previous findings suggesting that brand evidence significantly influences consumer satisfaction, attitude and behavioural loyalty towards service brands were confirmed. Moreover, contrary to previous findings, controlled communication elements (i.e. advertising and promotions) did not have any influence on customer satisfaction with service brands. However, the same communication elements directly and significantly shaped customers' perceptions of the various brand dimensions and their overall attitude towards the brand.     

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.     

Service quality dimensions and superior customer perceived value in retail banks: An empirical study on Mexican consumers

This study concerns the service quality topic in the retail bank sector. A sample of 209 retail bank clients was taken, measuring the performance of service quality attributes of their principle retail bank. Behavioral performance variables such as satisfaction, loyalty and customer perceived value were also measured. In a factor analyses the attributes were separated into three factors. These three independent factors explain a considerable amount of variability of a satisfaction–loyalty factor. On the other hand, they could not explain the superior perceived value; and no differences between the service quality performances of the bank brands were found. In conclusion, regardless of the degree of satisfaction and loyalty, the customer is not willing to pay more for banking services at his regular bank than he would at other brands. This implies that superior perceived value is not being achieved via service quality, which suggests a lack of differentiation between brands in this sector.     

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.     

零售业客户忠诚度与营销策略分析

客户满意度管理是零售业营销环境下提升客户价值、建立和保持客户忠诚的有力工具,而识别客户的体验需求,提高NPS记分是提高零售业客户忠诚度的先决条件。从企业战略实施层面来看,我国零售业提高客户忠诚度是企业可持续发展的核心要素,忠诚的顾客是企业最宝贵的财富。     

The Case Against Small Business Consultants:

Accounting firms are widely, but not universally, cited sources of external consulting to small businesses. The reasons for non-use of consultants provided by previous studies include demographic and attitudinal barriers. This paper explores the important role human interaction may play to form additional barriers and extends previous models to show dual evaluation loops. The model extension suggests that customer orientation training should be emphasized among employees at lower levels in large consulting firms.