Examination of customer-centric measures among different types of customers in the context of major Canadian ski resort

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 438-459
Author(s):  
Matti J. Haverila ◽  
Kai Christian Haverila
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Marketing Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ski Resort ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Satisfaction Model

Purpose Customer-centric measures such as customer satisfaction and repurchase intent are important indicators of performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is the strength and significance of the path coefficients in a customer satisfaction model consisting of various customer-centric measures for different types of ski resort customer (i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders) in a ski resort in Canada. Design/methodology/approach The results were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach for the four different types ski resort visitors. Findings There appeared to differences in the strength and significance in the customer satisfaction model relationships for the four types of ski resort visitors indicating that the a priori managerial classification of the ski resort visitors is warranted. Originality/value The research pinpoints differences in the strength and significance in the relationships between customer-centric measures for four different types ski resort visitors, i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders, which have significant managerial implications for the marketing practice of the ski resort.

Promoting service excellence for tourist destinations

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-454
Author(s):  
Marit Gundersen Engeset ◽  
John S. Hull ◽  
Jan Velvin
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
Ski Resort ◽  
Guest Satisfaction

Purpose This paper aims to understand the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and its impacts on the long-term sustainability of Hemsedal Ski Resort, Norway. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed method approach. Focusing on the case of Hemsedal, Norway, the authors employ survey design to measure employee service attitudes as well as guest satisfaction and loyalty. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis is used to investigate the relationships between the constructs. Findings Results from the four-year programme reveal that the correlation between employee service attitude and customer experience is strongest for behavioural loyalty which was found to have a direct and observable effect for the customer and that working to teach and train employees is important. Further, results showed that guest satisfaction with service not only influenced loyalty to the company that provided the service, but also loyalty to the destination where the company was situated. In explaining the relationships between levels of employee service attitude, customer satisfaction and community sustainability at Hemsedal ski resort, results showed that through partnership and cooperation, training and development have benefitted the individual companies, the destination and local community at large. Practical implications Results suggest that managers of tourism destinations should focus on employee motivation and training to improve their guests’ satisfaction and loyalty, their competitiveness and sustainability for the future. Originality/value The Service Excellence Project at Hemsedal, Norway demonstrates that mountain destinations can have a positive influence on their competitiveness and their sustainability by instituting a programme that works with employees, customers and businesses to promote a climate of service excellence.

Consumer perceptions and motivations in choice of minimally processed vegetables

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 970-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Nassivera ◽  
Sandro Sillani
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Minimally Processed ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Fresh Cut ◽  
Minimally Processed Vegetables

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the usefulness of integrating measures of motivations in predicting purchase intentions of fresh cut products. In order to gain this purpose the authors developed a field study that involved about 425 consumers of fresh cut vegetables products. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire data were gathered in Italy on a Likert scale. Questions focussed on intentions to purchase fresh cut lamb’s lettuce from environmental sustainable farms, simulating a fresh cut product with an Eco-label. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The SEM technique is used to develop propositions representing a theoretical approach in the context of the process for purchasing fresh cut products. With regard to distinguishing between the motives, the authors referred to the approach that sets out two different types of motive: health and green. Findings – The resulting managerial implications make it possible to assess how much the different types of motive influence the attitude and affect the choices and the behavior of the consumers. Originality/value – This implies important managerial implications for new marketing strategies for minimally processed food products, with the opportunity to take advantage of the potential adoption of an Eco-label.

“Actions speak louder than words”: an impact of service recovery antecedents on customer delight in quick-service restaurants

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Durgesh Agnihotri ◽  
Kushagra Kulshreshtha ◽  
Vikas Tripathi ◽  
Pallavi Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Role Clarity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Delight ◽  
Quick Service ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to conceptualize and analyze a framework that provides greater understanding toward the impact of service recovery antecedents such as role clarity, customer service orientation, employee empowerment and employee relational behavior on customer satisfaction and customer delight in the context of quick-service restaurants (QSRs).Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 408 participants who had experienced service recovery efforts by leading QSRs on social media. The current paper draws upon the prevailing literature to test a series of research hypotheses through structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of the study have confirmed that antecedents of service recovery are good to describe customer satisfaction and customer delight in the setting of QSRs. Besides, the study provides an understanding on how monetary compensation moderates the relationship between customer delight and customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis study carries an understanding on how frontline employees must operate in a non-conventional and innovative way to resolve customers' issues and show commitment with truthfulness to provide excellent services to make customers feel delightful.Originality/valueThis is a unique study to understand the role of service recovery antecedents to describe customer satisfaction and customer delight in the social media environment. In addition, the results support the possibilities of implementing prompt service recovery efforts using social media.

Can salesperson guilt lead to more satisfied customers? Findings from India

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 951-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin B. Gabler ◽  
Raj Agnihotri ◽  
Omar S. Itani
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prosocial Motivation ◽  
Outcome Feedback ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Guilt Proneness ◽  
Relational Orientation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate guilt proneness as a prosocial salesperson trait and its impact on outcomes important to the firm, the customer as well as the salesperson. Specifically, the authors look at how this variable relates to job effort and the indirect effects on customer satisfaction. The corollary purpose is to uncover how managers influence these constructs through positive outcome feedback. Design/methodology/approach Prosocial motivation theory grounds the conceptual model which the authors test through survey implementation. The final sample consisted of 129 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople working across multiple industries in India. Latent moderated structural equation modeling was utilized to test the proposed model. Findings The results suggest that guilt proneness positively influences the likelihood that a salesperson adopts a relational orientation, which has a direct effect on individual effort and an indirect effect on customer satisfaction. Supervisors have the ability to amplify this effort through positive outcome feedback, but only when relational orientation is low. Their support had no effect on salespeople with a high relational orientation. Originality/value The study is unique in that it combines an overlooked prosocial trait with a B2B Indian dataset. We provide value for firms because our results show that guilt-prone salespeople put more effort into their job – ”something universally desirable among sales managers” – through the development of a relational orientation. The authors also give practical implications on how to support salespeople given their level of relational orientation.

Deriving managerial implications through SERVQUAL gap elasticity in UAE banking

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 940-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukesh Kumar ◽  
K.S. Sujit ◽  
Vincent Charles
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
The Right

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose the microeconomics concept of elasticity to estimate the SERVQUAL gap elasticity to derive important insights for service providers to develop the right strategies to bridge the overall gap in service. Design/methodology/approach The dimensions of SERVQUAL adopted from Parasuraman et al. (1988) and Kumar et al. (2009) are first verified for their unidimensionality using structural equation modeling and reliability in the context of United Arab Emirates banking industry. Furthermore, the technique of dominance analysis is used to derive the relative importance of dimensions for different groups of banks. Finally, the stepwise log-linear regression models are used to estimate the gap elasticity to measure the responsiveness of the overall SERVQUAL gap to a change in customers’ perception on different dimension. Findings The results reveal that the dimension which is prioritized as the most important dimension need not to be the one to be targeted under the resource constraint to react faster to the changes of customers’ banking behavior. Originality/value This is probably the first attempt to examine the service quality through gap elasticity. This method is especially useful when the traditional approach to measure relative importance of critical factors fails to clearly discriminate between two or more dimensions, which, in turn, may lead to failure in decision making to choose the right strategies to bridge the overall gap in the service.

Comparing the service experience of satisfied and non-satisfied customers in the context of wine tasting rooms using the SERVQUAL model

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-324
Author(s):  
Matti Haverila ◽  
Kai Haverila ◽  
Mehak Arora
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Service Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Repurchase Intent

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare satisfied and non-satisfied customers in the context of wine tasting rooms using the SERVQUAL model and to examine the relationships in the model in terms of service experience to better understand customer needs. Design/methodology/approach The data used in this study were derived from a survey conducted among wineries in British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of survey results using the partial least squares structural equation modeling was undertaken. Sample size was 402. Findings The findings show that the SERVQUAL constructs that had the most impact on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction were tangibility and assurance. Somewhat surprisingly, the perceived value for money construct was not significantly related to customer satisfaction but was significantly related to repurchase intent. Furthermore, all SERVQUAL constructs, except the reliability construct, were significantly related to customer satisfaction. Originality/value This study provides an overview of how wineries can improve their services to increase the number of satisfied customers.

How does corporate association influence consumer brand loyalty? Mediating role of brand identification

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 629-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mobin Fatma ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Zillur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Identification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Corporate Associations ◽  
Corporate Ability ◽  
Managerial Implications

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of two types of corporate associations – corporate ability (CA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) – on consumer brand loyalty in retail banks in India. Design/methodology/approach A survey on 489 banking consumers was carried out. To achieve research objectives, test hypotheses and analyze data, structural equation modeling was used. Findings The findings show that CA and CSR associations were found to have positive and indirect influences on consumer brand loyalty through brand identifications. This indicates that the process of corporate association transforming into loyalty is much more complicated, and there are other factors influencing this process, making brand identification necessary for achieving customer brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications The results presented in this study have important managerial implications for banking companies in India. The findings demonstrate the importance of CA and CSR associations in the present business scenario and highlight the need to successfully implement them in management policies. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing body of literature by highlighting the influence of brand identification on brand loyalty through affective commitment and satisfaction.

Understanding salesperson intention to use AI feedback and its influence on business-to-business sales outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly R. Hall ◽  
Dana E. Harrison ◽  
Haya Ajjan ◽  
Greg W. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Performance Feedback ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adaptive Selling ◽  
Promising Area ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Business To Business

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing frontier. One promising area for AI is its potential to assist sales managers in providing salesperson feedback. Despite this promise, little work has been done within the business-to-business (B2B) sales domain to investigate the potential impact of AI feedback on critical sales outcomes. The purpose of this research is to explore these issues and respond to calls in the literature to determine how AI can enhance salesperson adaptability and performance. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from a sample of 246 B2B salespeople was used to test the conceptual model and research hypotheses. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings provide broad support for the model. An AI-feedback rich environment and salesperson feedback orientation predicted perceived accuracy of AI feedback which, in turn, strengthened intentions to use AI feedback. These favorable reactions to AI feedback positively related to adaptive selling behaviors, and adaptive selling behaviors mediated the relationships between intentions to use AI feedback and organizational commitment, as well as sales performance. Contrary to expectations, it did not mediate the relationship between intentions to use AI feedback and job satisfaction. Practical implications The managerial implications of this study lie in explaining practical considerations for the implementation and use of AI feedback in the sales context. Originality/value This study extends literature on technology adoption, performance feedback and the use of AI in the B2B sales domain. It offers practical insight for sales managers and those responsible for implementing AI solutions in sales.

Service innovation, service delivery and customer satisfaction and loyalty in the banking sector of Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1215-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kong YuSheng ◽  
Masud Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The concept of innovation is gaining ground steadily in the context of an increasingly competitive and highly volatile banking sector. The purpose of this paper is to find out the role of service innovation (SI) in the relationship between service delivery (SERVD), customer satisfaction (CSAT) and loyalty in the banking sector of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from banking and marketing literature, a conceptual framework was developed and tested using data from 450 sampled customers of commercial banks in Ghana. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The findings indicate that SI has direct influence on SERVD and CSAT. Again the findings revealed a positive relationship between SERVD, CSAT and bank customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications This study offers theoretical support for the adoption of innovative techniques in service provision and delivery. Originality/value This paper provides an initial study into innovation management in financial services context in an emerging economy.

The “service excellence chain”: an empirical investigation in the healthcare field

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1623-1663
Author(s):  
Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion ◽  
Flaminia Musella ◽  
Laura Di Pietro ◽  
Martina Toni
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Organizational Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
Synthetic Index ◽  
External Customer

PurposeThe linkage between internal and external satisfaction is an understudied topic in the service field. This study aims to address this gap by proposing an original research model, the service excellence chain (SEC), that connects the internal and external perspectives by conjoining performance-excellence models and the service-profit-chain approach. Theoretical assumptions and quantitative measures are proposed by using advanced statistical techniques.Design/methodology/approachThe SEC is investigated through an empirical study in the healthcare sector, focusing on an Italian hospital and involving two of its core units. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. First, internal and external customer satisfaction were separately tested through structural equation modeling. The linkage between internal and external satisfaction is then proposed by mathematically defining a synthetic index, the internal and external customer satisfaction index (IEGSI), modeled through Bayesian networks (BNs) and object-oriented BNs to provide an overall measure able to predict organizational improvement.FindingsThe distinct measured models show good internal validity and adequate fit both for patients' and employees' perspectives. The IEGSI allows rigorously connecting internal and external satisfaction by developing conjoint scenarios for organizational improvement.Originality/valueThis study proposes the SEC model as an innovative way to connect internal and external satisfaction. The findings can be useful both for private and public organizations and may provide several useful insights for healthcare managers as well as for policy-makers in relation to developing strategies for improving service quality.

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