Customer relationship dynamics: Service quality and customer loyalty in the context of varying levels of customer expertise and switching costs

As customer-organization relationships deepen, consumers increase their expertise in the firm’s product line and industry and develop increased switching costs. This study investigates the effects of customer investment expertise and perceived switching costs on the relationships between technical and functional service quality and customer loyalty. Technical service quality is hypothesized to be a more important determinant of customer loyalty than functional service quality as expertise increases. Both technical and functional service quality are hypothesized to have a reduced relationship with customer loyalty as perceived switching costs increase. Three-way interactions between the main effects of service quality, customer expertise, and perceived switching costs yield additional insight into the change in relative importance of technical and functional service quality in customers’ decision to be loyal. Six of eight hypotheses receive support. Implications are discussed for customer relationship management over the relationship life cycle. Simon J. Bell (s.bell@jims.cam.ac.uk; Ph.D., University of Melbourne) is a university lecturer in marketing at the Judge Institute of Management, the business school of the University of Cambridge. His research has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the Journal of Retailing, theJournal of Business Research, Industrial Marketing Management, andMarketing Theory, among others. His.areas of research interest include organizational learning, sales force management and internal marketing, services and relationship marketing, and corporate social responsibility. Seigyoung Auh (sauh@brocku.ca; Ph.D., University of Michigan) is an assistant professor of marketing at Brock University, Ontario, Canada. His research has been published in theJournal of Economic Psychology, theJournal of Business to Business Marketing, theJournal of Services Marketing, theJournal of Marketing Management, Industrial Marketing Management, and others. His research interests are in application of a resource-based view to marketing strategy, top management team diversity and marketing strategy, customer orientation (customer satisfaction) and loyalty, interface between marketing and entrepreneurship, and services and relationship marketing. Karen Smalley (B.Comm. Hons, University of Melbourne) is an honors graduate in marketing at the University of Melbourne.     

Consumer switching costs: A typology,antecedents, and consequences

The management of customer switching costs has been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive typology for conceptualizing, categorizing, and measuring consumers' perceptions of these costs. This research develops a switching cost typology that identifies three types of switching costs: (1) procedural switching costs, primarily involving the loss of time and effort; (2) financial switching costs, involving the loss of financially quantifiable resources; and (3) relational switching costs, involving psychological or emotional discomfort due to the loss of identity and the breaking of bonds. The research then examines the antecedents and consequences of switching costs. The results suggest that consumers' perceptions of product complexity and provider heterogeneity, their breadth of product use, and their alternative provider and switching experience drive the switching costs they perceive. Furthermore, all three switching cost types significantly influence consumers' intentions to stay with their current service provider, explaining more variance than does satisfaction. In view of the potential importance of switching costs, the impact of all strategic moves on switching costs should be considered Michael Porter (1980:122). Thomas A. Burnham (Tburnham@scu.edu) (Ph.D., University of Texas) is an assistant professor of marketing in the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. His research investigates the strategic management of consumer switching costs and the use of customer suggestions in product improvement. Prior to obtaining his doctorate, he developed strategic reports and budgets for MCI Telecommunications and consulted with the management of a cooperative in Paraguay as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Judy K. Frels (Jfrels@rhsmith.umd.edu) (Ph.D., University of Texas) is an assistant professor of marketing in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on the marketing of high-technology products, innovation adoption, and consumer switching costs. Prior to obtaining her Ph.D., she spent 10 years developing operating systems and compilers, as well as managing and marketing software and hardware products at IBM and at Tymlabs Corporation. She has consulted with firms including SAIC, Imation, Input-Output, Inc., and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Vijay Mahajan (Vmahajan@mail.utexas.edu) is John P. Harbin Centennial Chair in Business, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin. He is currently serving as dean of the Indian school of Management, Hyderabad, India. He has published extensively on innovation diffusion, new product development, and strategic marketing.     

The link between salespeople’s job satisfaction and customer satisfaction in a business-to-business context: A dyadic analysis

Although it has frequently been argued that the job satisfaction of a company’s employees is an important driver of customer satisfaction, systematic research exploring this link is scarce. The present study investigates this relationship for salespeople in a business-to-business context. The theoretical justification for a positive impact of salespeople’s job satisfaction on customer satisfaction is based on the concept of emotional contagion. The analysis is based on a dyadic data set that involves judgments provided by salespeople and their customers collected across multiple manufacturing and services industries. Results indicate the presence of a positive relationship between salespeople’s job satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the relationship between salespeople’s job satisfaction and customer satisfaction is found to be particularly strong in the case of high frequency of customer interaction, high intensity of customer integration into the value-creating process, and high product/service innovativeness.     

顾客体验对服务品牌忠诚影响的实证研究

品牌忠诚是品牌资产的重要组成部分,是战略性品牌资产。虽有研究顾客体验与服务品牌忠诚之间关系的理论演绎文献,但缺乏实证文献。本文以移动通信服务行业为研究对象,从价值——满意视角探索了顾客体验对服务品牌忠诚的影响机理。在问卷调查的基础上,运用结构方程模型方法进行实证研究,结果表明：顾客体验对服务品牌忠诚的直接影响不显著;而顾客体验通过体验价值和顾客满意对服务品牌忠诚的间接影响显著。     

Effects of loyalty programs on value perception,program loyalty,and brand loyalty

The authors investigate how reward schemes of a loyalty program influence perceived value of the program and how value perception of the loyalty program affects customer loyalty. The results show that involvement moderates the effects of loyalty programs on customer loyalty. In high-involvement situations, direct rewards are preferable to indirect rewards. In low-involvement situations, immediate rewards are more effective in building a program's value than delayed rewards. Under high-involvement conditions, value perception of the loyalty program influences brand loyalty both directly and indirectly through program loyalty. Under low-involvement conditions, there is no direct effect of value perception on brand loyalty. Youjae Yi (uoujae@snu.ac.kr) (Ph.D., Stanford University, 1987) is a professor of marketing in the College of Business Administration at Seoul National University. He was at the University of Michigan as an assistant professor, Sanford Robertson Assistant Professor, and tenured associate professor. His work has appeared in theJournal of Marketing Research, theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Applied Psychology, theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, theJournal of Consumer Psychology, theJournal of Advertising, and theJournal of Econometrics. He is currently an editor of theKorean Journal of Consumer Studies and was an editor of theSeoul Journal of Business. Hoseong Jeon (jeonho1@snu.ac.kr) is a doctoral candidate in the College of Business Administration at Seoul National University. He received his M.A. in advertising from Michigan Sate University. His current research interests include customer relationship management, advertising effects on consumer attitudes, and determinants of customer loyalty.     

顾客满意向顾客忠诚的转换机理研究综述

随着市场竞争的加剧和顾客争夺成本的提高,顾客满意向顾客忠诚的转换机理已经引起理论界和实践界的广泛关注。文章基于国外相关文献评述,对顾客满意向顾客忠诚转换过程中的影响变量进行分析和概括,总结顾客满意向顾客忠诚的转换模型及其机制,探讨转换成本对顾客满意与顾客忠诚关系的调节功能。     

旅游景区形象对顾客忠诚的影响研究

采用文献回顾和定性研究相结合的方法,提出了旅游景区形象4维度测量模型。基于此,建立了旅游景区形象各维度对顾客忠诚的作用机制模型．数据研究表明：（1）笔者开发的旅游景区形象量表具有较好的信度水平、整体拟合优度、收敛效度、判别效度,它包括风景与卫生、景区价格、景区服务、基础设施等4个结构维度;（2）旅游景区形象各维度对顾客忠诚存在不同的作用机理与影响效应．     

饭店顾客满意、顾客忠诚与经营绩效的关系研究

回顾了顾客满意、顾客忠诚、经营绩效的相关文献并提炼出测量三个变量的指标。基于服务利润链的內在原理,结合饭店企业的特点,构建了概念化模型并提出五个假设。实证研究选取三家三星级饭店进行问卷调查。对问卷的效度和信度进行检验,对顾客满意、顾客忠诚与企业经营绩效之间的关系进行了相关性分析,研究结果支持所提假设。     

信任式服务的顾客忠诚形成机制及实践启示

信任式服务因其专业性和（或）“纯服务”等鲜明特征而使之显著区别于其他类型的服务,其顾客忠诚形成机制也因此具有独特性。针对医疗服务的实证分析表明：在信任式服务中,顾客信任在顾客忠诚形成机制体中起着关键性的作用,形成“服务质量→顾客信任→感知价值→顾客满意→顾客忠诚”的逻辑链;服务互动质量和结果质量通过顾客信任对顾客感知价值和顾客满意产生影响,进而影响顾客忠诚,但服务环境质量对顾客信任和顾客忠诚没有显著影响。因此,对顾客形成机制的研究需要区分产品和服务的类型以及服务质量的类型。提供信任式服务的组织应该重视并加强对服务人员与顾客互动能力的培养,提升服务人员与顾客的服务互动质量,并切实保障和提高服务结果质量,从而增强顾客信任,提升顾客忠诚。     

国内自主品牌家用轿车的品牌形象对客户忠诚度的影响

目前,国内自主品牌家用轿车企业面临着巨大的发展机遇,但同时面对激烈的市场竞争。通过实证研究发现,品牌形象对客户满意度、感知价值和忠诚度均存在显著的积极影响,而且客户感知价值和满意度对忠诚度也存在显著的积极影响。国内自主品牌家用轿车企业在与国外的品牌竞争时不仅要注重产品质量等硬实力的提升,还应该在品牌营销能力等软实力方面下功夫,努力创造优良的4S店环境,营造客户愉悦的售前、售后服务体验。     

顾客忠诚维度的企业赢利策略研究

在一个很长的历史时期，市场份额被管理者看成是衡量一个企业能否获取高额利润的重要指标．直到20世纪80年代这一观念才开始改变。大量研究表明，市场份额和企业利润的相关度在大大降低，而顾客忠诚度则成为与企业高利润更为密切相关的因素。因此，企业要实现其利润最大化，必须重视培养顾客对企业的忠诚度。     

构建基于顾客让渡价值的CSI的比较模型

提高顾客让渡价值是提高顾客满意度的一种有效方式,但由于无法判断出顾客让渡价值中哪些因素发挥了积极作用,因而基于顾客让渡价值的顾客满意度的比较模型是分别考察顾客总价值满意度和顾客总成本满意度,并使二者之间建立起联系.该模型能够区别出顾客让渡价值中各个因素所发挥的不同作用,从而为企业提高让渡价值提供参考依据.     

旅行社顾客参与、顾客满意与顾客公民行为关系研究

以广州旅行杜顾客为对象进行问卷调查,探讨顾客参与、顾客满意与顾客公民行为之间的关系。研究结果表明,顾客参与的内容包括事前准备、信息交换、合作生产与人际互动4个维度;顾客公民行为包括顾客推荐、顾客反馈和顾客助人3个组成成分;顾客参与对顾客公民行为有显著的正向影响;顾客参与通过影响顾客满意感从而驱动顾客公民行为,其中,顾客满意感对顾客推荐有完全中介效果,对顾客反馈行为和顾客助人行为有不完全中介效应。     

转换成本在顾客满意度与忠诚度之间关系中的作用——兼宽带客户转换成本的归纳性分析

转换成本是近年来顾客满意和顾客忠诚研究的焦点问题,是解释顾客忠诚形成机理的重要因素,是帮助人们更深入理解满意度与忠诚度之间关系的重要工具.文章回顾了转换成本的内涵及其分类,论证了转换成本在顾客满意与顾客忠诚关系中的作用,以宽带服务为背景对客户感知的转换成本进行了归纳性分析,指出了基于转换成本建立顾客忠诚的对策建议.     

论顾客价值与顾客导向理论的关联性

顾客是企业经营的中心地位已成为共识,顾客价值理论也日渐受到管理者和研究者的重视.只有全面地阐释顾客价值的概念,并在此基础上分析比较顾客价值与其他顾客导向理论的关联性,才能得出结论:顾客价值与顾客满意、顾客忠诚、服务利润链和顾客关系管理是相互补充的顾客导向思想,顾客价值驱动着顾客满意和顾客忠诚,而服务利润链和顾客关系管理则为顾客价值管理提供了新思路和工具.     

基于服务公平性的顾客满意感与忠诚感关系——面向武汉酒店业的实证研究

在高度竞争的市场环境中,赢得顾客并与顾客维持长久关系是非常重要的,而这种长久关系的建立在很大程度上是以顾客满意为基础的。因此,如何提高顾客满意度、培育和维系忠诚的顾客群体是现代企业生存和发展亟待解决的重要课题。本论文提出了一个包含服务公平性、顾客感知质量、顾客感知价值、顾客满意感和顾客忠诚感概念模型及18项相关研究假设,并在武汉市20家酒店展开了问卷调查,最后采用规范的、科学的实证研究方法对此概念模型和研究假设进行了检验。     

顾客感知价值的维度及其影响的实证研究

自20世纪90年代以来,顾客感知价值研究已成为营销学者与企业经理人关注的焦点领域,被认为是竞争优势的新来源和企业持续增长的引擎。文章选择手机行业作为研究对象,探索并验证感知价值的维度,分析了各维度对消费者行为倾向的影响,结果表明顾客感知价值的维度有五个,它们对行为倾向的影响程度从大到小依次为保健价值、激励价值、情感价值、服务价值和条件价值。     

顾客满意度的价值探析

本文从满意度的最新研究进展中对满意度的价值进行探析,将顾客满意度的研究文献分为三个方面：直接体现、间接体现与影响因素研究,并据此提出提升顾客满意度的策略,为企业管理提供借鉴。     

基于顾客满意的企业社会责任与其绩效关系的实证研究

文章通过运用一个概念模型并提出一些假设：企业社会责任部分地通过顾客满意这个中间变量影响其市场价值；企业社会责任与其市场价值的关系依赖于企业产品质量或创新能力。实证研究表明。顾客满意在企业社会责任和其市场价值之间能够起到中介效应；企业能力在企业社会责任与其市场价值之间能够发挥调节效应。     

以顾客为视角的公司价值评估

选取五个国外公司，通过公司最重要的无形资产——顾客来评价公司价值。实证研究发现，顾客保持率对公司的价值影响最大。