Customer satisfaction and loyalty in supply chain: the role of communication

Communication between buyers and sellers is central to the supply chain philosophy. Further, the trend toward more detailed customer demands has made it even more important for firms to solicit input and feedback from their customers in order to better tailor their offerings to customer needs. Previous research suggests a strong linkage between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Highly satisfied customers are more loyal than less satisfied customers. Thus, it was hypothesized that firms proactively seeking information from customers should realize a “pay off” in terms of more satisfied and, subsequently, more loyal customers. A survey of buyers in the personal products industry was used to examine three methods of listening to customers. Frequency of vendor meetings with customers, formalized contact through the solicitation of feedback and/or conducting surveys, and personal visits by senior vendor managers were found to be related to customer satisfaction as well as customer loyalty.     

Online drivers and offline influences related to loyalty to airline websites

This paper explores users loyalty to airlines’ websites, by examining differences among users belonging to the Y, X and baby boomer generations. The results indicate that to obtain users loyalty to a company’s site, it is necessary to first, affective e-loyalty, through e-trust, which is also positively influenced by offline perceived value, e-satisfaction, and indirectly by e-quality. We also demonstrates that significant differences exist among the various generations, implying airlines need to fine-tune their online strategies retain customer loyalty.     

An investigation of service quality,customer satisfaction and loyalty in China's airline market

Customer loyalty is a source of competitive advantage and an important intangible asset to any organisations, but empirical evidence from China's airline market regarding the determinants of passenger satisfaction and loyalty is lacking. This paper investigates the service quality of four major airlines in China's domestic market and explores the links between their service quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the conditions under which airlines can retain existing passengers. In line with previous studies, service quality variables are significant factors influencing customer satisfaction levels. However, satisfactory service was not found to result in higher customer loyalty among business travellers. In comparison to Hainan Airlines, passengers who travelled with Air China, China Southern and China Eastern were more likely to switch to an alternate carrier, indicating lower levels of brand loyalty. In addition, the frequent flyer programs (FFPs) have been largely a failure for the four major airlines in terms of increasing customer loyalty, as revealed in this study. It is necessary to draw distinctions between business and leisure travellers when studying the determinants of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Ticket pricing had a positive and significant effect on passengers' overall satisfaction and in turn strengthened customer loyalty among leisure travellers, but achieved no impact on the satisfaction and loyalty of business passengers. Some demographic variables such as gender, income and education are statistically significant for one group of passengers but not for another in the probit models estimated. It is suggested that different marketing strategies may be used to target different market segments to improve customer loyalty.     

Customer satisfaction and loyalty to Alpine ski resorts: the moderating effect of lifestyle,spending and customers' skiing skills

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are key drivers of performance. However, there is increasing evidence that good attribute performance and high overall satisfaction do not always automatically lead to higher loyalty. In this paper, we put forward a study on customer satisfaction and loyalty to Alpine ski resorts. We analyse the moderating effects of three important factors in the attribute performance–overall satisfaction–loyalty relationship: lifestyle, consumer spending and customers' skiing skills in a sample of 6172 skiers. The results show that all studied variables have a moderating effect. The findings have implications on both theory and practice. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Service quality and customer satisfaction of a UAE-based airline: An empirical investigation

This paper investigates the linkages among service quality, service provider image, customer expectations, perceived value, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in a Dubai-based airline. Initially, the determinants of service quality were identified utilizing the SERVQUAL framework with some modification. Service quality was then used as an antecedent to measure customer satisfaction, a condition which can bring about brand loyalty. In a research initiative using a quantitative approach, data from 253 questionnaires was analyzed. Using structure equation modeling, the data analysis suggests that service quality, perceived value, and brand image have a positive significant impact on customer satisfaction, which can in turn lead to brand loyalty. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Love and Satisfaction Drive Persistent Stickiness: Investigating International Tourist Hotel Brands

Switching resistance loyalty manifests in persistent stickiness to the incumbent brand as the sole choice in the presence of other attractive alternatives. Empirically, it is the crucial determinant of retaining customers for long duration. However, specific drivers of such loyalty in the hospitality and tourism brand categories are still unclear. The current study, integrating the brand love and customer satisfaction paradigms, addresses this issue with a focus on international tourist hotel brands. Brand love proves to be a powerful driver of switching resistance loyalty toward the hotel brand. Noteworthy, overall customer satisfaction serves to reinforce the loyalty‐driving effect of brand love. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of service quality and price on passengers' loyalty towards low-cost airlines: The Southeast Asia perspective

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of service quality by adopting AIRQUAL model and price on passengers' loyalty through the linkage of passengers' satisfaction toward low-cost airlines from the perspective of Southeast Asia. With 200 questionnaires analyzed, the results suggest that service quality and price have a positive significant impact on passenger satisfaction, and as a result lead to passengers’ loyalty. Besides, the findings of this research also confirm the mediating role of customer satisfaction between service quality and loyalty, price and loyalty separately, which implies that customer satisfaction is a vital factor for an LCCs to survive in such a highly competitive aviation market.     

Interactions between operational and relational capabilities in fast food service delivery

The research confirms previous results in marketing, operations management, and logistics that show that both operational and relational capabilities are key drivers of customer satisfaction. Contrary to recent research on the topic, however, this paper considers not only direct effects but also interactions and potential covariates to present a more complex and rigorous investigation of the constructs. The research suggests that operational and relational capabilities do not complement and enhance each other’s impact on performance. Instead, there seems to be a strategic fit, which requires either a high–low or a low–high combination of the two capabilities to achieve superior performance. Based on resourced-based theories combined with the notion of capacity limitations from operations management, we propose a theoretical explanation of the trade-off between operational and relational capabilities in the logistics service context.     

Perceptions of premium service and superiority: Why do customers pay more for high-value-added domestic airline services in Japan?

This paper clarifies the factors influencing customers' perceptions of premium service and superiority for high-value-added domestic airline services in Japan, and explains how these perceptions impact customer loyalty.To gather data for the analysis of consumers' perceptions, a questionnaire survey of 515 respondents who use high-value-added domestic airline services was conducted. These respondents' data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.The most valuable finding is the distinction between the perceptions of premium service and superiority, both of which strongly influence customer loyalty. This finding has two important implications. First, staff correspondence has a strong influence on customer loyalty – not directly, but through customers' perceptions of premium service and superiority. Second, perceptions of premium service and superiority influence customer loyalty separately. This finding may assist in the development of innovative high-value-added services.     

Relational benefits,switching barriers and loyalty: A study of airline customers in Taiwan

A model of looking at switching barriers and customer loyalty stemming from customer relational benefits is developed. In-depth interviews with airline customers revealed that, in addition to confidence, social, and special treatment benefits originally identified in the Western cultural context, ‘respect benefits’ surfaced as an additional relational benefit type in Taiwan. The hypotheses were tested using data collected from airline relational customers. Results showed that social benefits and confidence benefits had significant and positive influences on switching barriers and certain relational benefits had a larger effect on switching barriers and customer loyalty than others.     

Driving holistic innovation to heighten hotel customer loyalty

Innovative offerings facilitate hotels to expand the segment of loyal customers, who display stronger re-patronage intention and recommendation willingness. Innovation performance is essential for enhancing hotel management performance. According to the holistic innovation paradigm, successful innovation should be holistic in nature and comprise novel, utilitarian and experiential value dimensions. Empirical findings also attest to the conduciveness of holistic innovation to heightening customer loyalty. However, the antecedents and outcome of holistic innovation are still unclear in the hotel context. The current study validates a theoretical framework via surveys administered on the chief executive officers and customers of 112 five-star hotels. As the research result suggests, ambidextrous innovation orientation and value co-creation capabilities are primary drivers of holistic innovation. In turn, the three value dimensions of holistic innovation relate positively to customer loyalty with variant effect sizes. The research result contributes to hotel management both academically and practically.     

Lowest price guarantees on airline websites: Perceived believability,perceived value,and purchase intentions

Although lowest price guarantees (LPGs) are common on airlines’ official websites, a deeper understanding of how customers evaluate these guarantees is lacking. This study examines the effects of two LPG terms—depth of refund and refund conditions—on customer perceptions and purchase intention. An experiment with a 2 × 2 factorial design was conducted with a sample of 282 adults, and structural equation modelling was used to test the model. The results show that refund depth increases customer purchase intention by enhancing perceptions of the believability and value of the LPG. Strict refund conditions enhance customer purchase intention by increasing the believability of the LPGs.     

Does service recovery affect satisfaction and customer loyalty? An empirical study of airline services

This paper investigates the relationships among service recovery, recovery satisfaction, overall customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in airline services. The perception of justice in service recovery is specifically examined. A survey of airline passengers who have experienced service failure and recovery is analyzed using structural equation models. It is found that both interactional and procedural justice have a significant effect on recovery satisfaction. Overall satisfaction mediates the relationship between recovery satisfaction and loyalty.     

Examining a hybrid model for e-satisfaction and e-loyalty to e-ticketing on airline websites

In the air transportation industry, web-based marketing has already been widely applied to service frequent customers as well as to attract new ones. The importance of attracting new customers and keeping existing ones loyal to e-ticketing on airline websites is crucial. Accordingly, this study proposes an integrated model for evaluating the effectiveness of airlines' websites from a customer point of view. This model is based on the three perspectives of the marketing mix 4Ps, E-SERVQUAL and Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory. E-marketing and E-SERVQUAL features are divided into three dimensions, specifically information, system and service disconfirmations. The methodology was applied based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and was administered to online customers who carry out e-ticketing via an airline website. The results show that customer disconfirmations have a positive significant impact on overall customer e-satisfaction. The significance of this relationship was more considerable in the service dimension of e-marketing, as well as the system dimensions of E-SERVQUAL and e-marketing. Moreover, overall e-satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between customer disconfirmations and consumer e-loyalty.     

TPL的物流服务水平与物流成本决策

物流服务水平与物流成本之间存在效益悖反,对于第三方物流,进行物流服务水平与物流成本的权衡与决策是一项重要的战略性工作。借助经济学中的弹性概念进行TPL服务-成本能力分析,用以表明不同环境下物流成本对于物流服务水平变动的敏感程度,结合竞争环境和竞争对手水平、顾客需求等相关影响因素,实现对物流服务水平与物流成本的综合决策。     

Classification and competition analysis of air cargo logistics providers: The case of Taiwan’s high-technology industry

This paper classifies air cargo logistics providers allowing analysis of high-technology manufacturers’ choices of providers. Data are collected from high-technology manufacturers in Taiwan’s science parks. Forwarder providers are put into three categories and nested logit model are applied to explore what service performance factors influence high-technology manufacturers when selecting third party logistics providers. Delivery is found to be the most important factor. It is found, for example, that two express providers with high levels of customer satisfaction and market share could compete more effectively by exercising differential strategies.     

Competing risks for train tickets – An empirical investigation of customer behavior and performance in the railway industry

Based on a comprehensive data set of German railway customers we analyze consumers’ choices and particularly subsequent changes of two-part pricing contracts (loyalty cards). In a competing risks framework, we simultaneously estimate effects on three types of contractual events: cancellations, upgrades, and downgrades. Focusing on customer relationship management (CRM) practices, we find several factors affecting these events, some of which railway companies can influence to their advantage. Intuitively, installing auto-renewal procedures for loyalty cards decreases cancellation hazards. However, automated electronic mailings (e.g., reminders and account statements) and advertising (e.g., ticket offers) can be counterproductive and increase the risk of cancellation.     

Integrating Muslim Customer Perceived Value,Satisfaction, Loyalty and Retention in the Tourism Industry: An empirical study

In recent years, customer value has been the favorable theme for numerous tourism studies and reports. However, although Muslims make up one of the largest tourist markets in the world, perceived value of tourism offering oriented toward this market has not been clearly defined. Furthermore, there is a lack of systematic empirical evidence regarding the effects of Muslim Customer Perceived Value (MCPV) on consumer satisfaction, customer loyalty and customer retention. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify the MCPV dimensions, to examine the interrelationships between MCPV, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and Muslim customer retention, and to develop and test a conceptual model of the consequences of MCPV in the tourism industry. Moreover, 13 hypotheses were developed and tested using a sample of 221 Muslim tourists. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the validity of the measures, while the structural equation modeling has been used in hypotheses testing. The strength of the relationship between the constructs indicates that features of the suggested MCPV model are crucial to achieving Muslim customer retention in the tourism industry. Findings also suggest that the availability of the suggested Islamic attributes value, along with conventional value dimensions, could satisfy Muslim tourists when they buy a tourism package. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SOCO's impact on service outcomes of tour guides: the moderating effect of customers’ shopping orientation

This research examines the effects of both sales-oriented and customer-oriented service strategies of tour guides on service outcomes: rapport, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and willingness to tip. This research also investigates how customers’ shopping orientation moderates the above relationships. A convenience sampling was conducted and 370 valid questionnaires were obtained. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings are as follows: (1) customer-oriented strategy of tour guides has a significantly positive impact on the service outcomes; (2) selling-oriented strategy of tour guides has a significantly negative impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty; and (3) shopping orientation of tour members moderates the relationships between selling orientation and service outcomes. Thus, if tour guides can provide service for customers in a suitable way, they will then improve the customers’ perception of services. These findings provide practical information for travel agencies and tour guides.     

Greening propensity and performance implications for logistics service providers

Stakeholders in the logistics industry have growing concern about the damage caused by logistics operations to the environment. Logistics service providers (LSPs) have taken steps to pursue environmental objectives by involving customers in their operations. This study defines greening propensity (GP) as “involvement of customers to perform logistics activities to achieve environmental performance”. We analyze survey data collected from the logistics industry in Hong Kong to address the following questions: What are the categories of greening capability in LSPs? What are the performance outcomes of LSPs’ greening capability? Theoretical contributions and implications of the study results are discussed.