Alternative measures of satisfaction and word of mouth

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Sivadas ◽  
Rupinder Paul Jindal
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Correlated Errors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Recursive System ◽  
Alternative Measures

Purpose Scholars have conceptualized and measured customer satisfaction in several different ways such as overall satisfaction and relative satisfaction. This paper aims to study if how one conceptualizes customer satisfaction matters. The authors study if key attributes of customer satisfaction differ in their impact based on how satisfaction is conceptualized. Furthermore, they examine the effects of these alternative measures of satisfaction on word of mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct three survey studies: at a single independently owned restaurant (n = 248); across restaurants using a national sample of respondents (n = 208); and across apparel retailers using a local sample of respondents (n = 214). The authors analyzed data using iterative seemingly unrelated regression and recursive system of equations with correlated errors. Findings The core offering (food quality or merchandise quality) and service influence overall satisfaction about equally; however, influence of the core offering on relative satisfaction is more than that of service. Furthermore, while overall satisfaction influences WOM, relative satisfaction does not. Thus, focusing solely on the core offering to improve relative satisfaction may not be enough. Positive WOM is generated when customers are overall satisfied with the brand which demands both a superior core offering as well as high service. Firms should aim for overall best performance rather than merely better relative performance. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to simultaneously study these two alternative measures of customer satisfaction along with their antecedents and influence on WOM.

The synergetic effect of after sales service, customer satisfaction, loyalty and repurchase intention on word of mouth

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Nasir ◽  
Mohd Adil ◽  
Aruna Dhamija
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Synergetic Effect ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Repurchase Intention ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Under a dynamic business environment that is seen today, organizations need to adopt the right blend of strategies to attract, retain and maintain customers. Extant marketing literature has shed light on some key roles that after-sale service and the larger customer support system could play in attaining the same. Specifically, this paper aims to attempt to model the linkages between after-sales service, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and word of mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 280 two-wheeler owners, who had a recent experience of after sales service at their respective authorized service centers, through purposive sampling method. Findings The findings reveal that both customer loyalty and repurchase intention significantly and positively mediate the relationship between customer satisfaction and word of mouth. This indicates that satisfied customers are more likely to be loyal to the service firms and would spontaneously engage themselves with positive word of mouth. Originality/value Despite the increasing importance of after-sales service, empirical researches on this subject have been quite limited. This study aims at filling the void in extant literature by examining the inter-relationships between after-sales service, service quality, customer satisfaction and WOM.

Modelling green customer loyalty and positive word of mouth

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Blaise Issock Issock ◽  
Mercy Mpinganjira ◽  
Mornay Roberts-Lombard
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Positive Word ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Values ◽  
Customer Trust ◽  
Positive Word Of Mouth

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of consumption values, green customer satisfaction and customer trust in energy-efficient labels on green customer loyalty and positive word of mouth (PWOM) towards energy-efficient products, and how environmental knowledge moderates these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was followed using a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 440 consumers in South Africa, who used electronic home appliances that have energy efficiency labels. A structural equation model and a multigroup analysis were used to test the hypothesised relationships. Findings The results revealed that consumption values partially influence green customer satisfaction, which, in turn, affect green customer trust and loyalty, and PWOM. Environmental knowledge only marginally moderates the relationships in the model. Practical implications Green marketing practitioners should work on improving green customer satisfaction, which is central to a sustainable green consumption lifestyle. Originality/value The theoretical contribution of this study is through the application of a multidimensional approach to testing the impact of consumption values on green customer satisfaction. Moreover, this paper provides greater clarity on the specific determinants of PWOM and examines the interplay between green customer loyalty and positive word of mouth towards green products. Furthermore, the moderating effect of environmental knowledge on the relationships in the proposed model is explained.

scholarly journals Testing complexity theory in service research

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162
Author(s):  
Catherine Prentice
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Forecasting Accuracy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Case Outcome

Purpose This study aims to draw on the complexity theory and uses a non-an asymmetrical method – fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to test the core tenets of complexity theory, namely, asymmetry, equifinality and causal complexity and valence reversals or conjunction with a focus on testing the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty. Case outcome forecasting accuracy rather than relationships are tested in asymmetric testing. Design/methodology/approach Both symmetrical (structural equation modelling or SEM) and non-symmetrical (fsQCA) methods were used to test the proposed relationships (symmetrical testing) and case outcome forecasting accuracy (asymmetric testing). The former was used as a comparison. The study setting was in Australian airports. The data were collected from departure passengers. Findings The results from SEM and fsQCA differ substantially. The former provides very simplistic findings of variable directional relationships; whereas the latter presents asymmetrical, equifinal and conjunctional relationships regarding service quality, customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. These findings support the core tenets of the complexity theory. Research limitations/implications The study findings conform to the complexity theory that indicates relationships between variables can be nonlinear and the same causes can produce different effects. The findings suggest the outcomes of interest often result from combined antecedent conditions rather than a single causal factor. The study confirms that asymmetrical thinking relies on Boolean algebra and set theory principles. Originality/value This study uses both symmetrical and asymmetrical methods to reveal the nuanced information about the relationship that has been tested primarily using symmetrical methods.

Clients and cases: ambiguity and the division of labour in professional service firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Alvehus
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Work ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Way

Purpose By drawing on a detailed case study of the work of tax consultants, the purpose of this paper is to develop a more detailed understanding of the role of ambiguity in professional work, and its relationship to the division of labour in professional service firms (PSFs). Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a three-year, longitudinal interpretive case study comprising 42 interviews, supplemented by observations and document data. Findings The research determines that processes of “obfuscation” and “privatisation” separate client work from case work. This maintains a division of labour between junior and senior professionals, which in turn facilitates financial leverage. The findings indicate that a more nuanced view on the role and origins of ambiguity is needed; particularly the role ambiguity plays in the division of labour. While inherent in professional work, ambiguity is also an effect of the way work processes are organised in order to obtain leverage. Research limitations/implications The research is based on a case study. Therefore, the paper explores its topic in empirical detail, but at the same time calls for exploring the topic in different contexts. The paper encourages further research on the role ambiguity plays being constituted by structural arrangements, and on the way the core of professionalism is inverted by the division of labour. The paper highlights the value of detailed empirical approaches for understanding professional work. Practical implications The paper draws attention to the way ambiguity becomes a part in sustaining a division of labour among professional workers, and to the importance of this in maintaining financial leverage as well as in creating a precarious work situation for junior professionals. Social implications The paper raises concerns about the way professional work is legitimated in society as opposed to how it is constructed in PSFs. Originality/value The paper challenges prevalent notions of professional work as ambiguous, offering instead a way of engaging with professional work processes in detail, theoretically and methodologically. Traditional assumptions about the division of labour and the “core” of professional work are problematized, and traditional assumptions about ambiguity as a cause of specific structural arrangements are questioned.

A longitudinal comparison of customer satisfaction and customer-company identification in a service context

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 730-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Hsin Huang ◽  
Zhao-Hong Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Relationship Dynamics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Complementary Role ◽  
Longitudinal Comparison ◽  
Company Identification ◽  
Over Time

Purpose Customer satisfaction (CS) and customer-company identification (CCI) are two important relational constructs and play a complementary role in the service-profit chain. Drawing from the theory of relationship dynamics, the purpose of this paper is to define CS velocity and CCI velocity as the rate and direction of change in CS and CCI, respectively. A comparison of the relative effects of CCI velocity and CS velocity on customer loyalty is done through a latent growth curve modeling approach. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested based on four waves of a longitudinal survey of 213 restaurant customers. Findings The results show that both CCI velocity and CS velocity have positive effects on customer loyalty. More importantly, the effects of CCI velocity on customer loyalty over time are stronger than those of CS velocity. The moderation analysis further shows that the higher the frequency of visits to the service firm, the stronger the effects of relationship velocity on customer loyalty. Practical implications The results provide new insights for service marketing managers by suggesting that, to benefit the long-term effectiveness of relationship investments, service firms should shift the priority from increasing CS to engendering CCI. Originality/value This paper contributes to the theory of relationship dynamics by conceptualizing new constructs of CS velocity and CCI velocity and by empirically comparing their relative effects on customer loyalty over time.

Identifying core determinants of tourism demand in Hong Kong inbound markets

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Agyeiwaah ◽  
Raymond Adongo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Tourism Demand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Approach ◽  
The Core ◽  
Destination Management Organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the core factors that determine tourism demand in four inbound markets of Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach – The general-to-specific approach was adopted as a step-by-step approach to identify the major determinants of tourism demand in Hong Kong. Findings – The study revealed word of mouth and income of source market are core determinants of tourism demand in all four inbound markets. Originality/value – Knowledge of core determinants of tourism demand is useful to destination management organizations and tourism business owners for strategic planning and decision making to increase total revenues.

Influence of perceived quality on customer satisfaction in different stages of services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunchang Xie ◽  
Ziqi Sun
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Formation Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preparation Stage ◽  
Credence Services ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In response to the call for research on customer experience across the customer journey, this study aims to analyze and compare the effects of perceived quality on customer satisfaction among the different stages of search, experience and credence services. Design/methodology/approach This paper constructs a formation model of customer satisfaction based on service stages. Data on perceived quality and customer satisfaction in different stages of search, experience and credence services was collected through experiments and practical survey and the model was empirically tested through multiple linear regression. Findings The results show that perceived quality in the preparation and departure stages of search and credence services has a greater influence on customer satisfaction than in the delivery stage. While compared to the preparation stage, the perceived quality in the delivery and departure stages of experience service has a greater influence on customer satisfaction. Practical implications This research will help service firms optimize the allocation of service resources according to the importance of different service stages within the three indicated service types, promoting customer satisfaction. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind to compare the effects of perceived quality on customer satisfaction among the stages of search, experience and credence services.

Impact of personal values on customer satisfaction and word of mouth for luxury hotel service consumption in Confucian culture: evidence from Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Cam Le ◽  
Vo Thi Quy ◽  
Hoang Thi Kim Quy
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Confucian Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Paradigm ◽  
Hotel Service ◽  
Luxury Hotel

Purpose This research aims to investigate the effect of personal values on customer satisfaction and whether positive experiences lead to positive word of mouth (WOM) about the luxury hotel service from the Confucian perspective. Design/methodology/approach This research developed a structural equation model for testing. Research data collected from Confucian participants who have used luxury hotel services in Vietnam, where Confucianism is the dominant cultural paradigm. Findings The results show that there is a positive relationship between Confucian customer personal values and satisfaction, as well as between customer satisfaction and positive WOM; personal values had no effect on positive WOM. Research limitations/implications This research implies that the personal values of Confucian consumers constitute the lens through which they view the world, thus the service personal values reflect their priorities on luxury hotel service consumption. A key to success for luxury hotel service providers lies in providing services that enhance Confucian customer personal values, which allow service providers to intercommunicate with the Confucian consumers’ core. Originality/value This research is significant because there is little research on personal values from the cultural mechanism of Confucian culture. This research also comes up with a richer understanding of the relationship between customer personal values and behaviors within the luxury hotel segment.

Customers’ emotion regulation strategies in service failure encounters

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 960-982 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Balaji ◽  
Sanjit Kumar Roy ◽  
Ali Quazi
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Negative Word ◽  
Perceived Injustice ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repurchase Intentions ◽  
Regulation Strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to determine the role of emotions in customer evaluation of service failures; and second, to examine how customers’ emotion regulation impacts customer satisfaction and behavioural responses (e.g. repurchase intentions and negative word-of-mouth). Design/methodology/approach A scenario-based survey was used to elicit responses in a hospitality setting. Structural equation modelling and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Results show that both positive and negative emotions mediate the relationship between perceived injustice and customer satisfaction. The emotion regulation of customers through suppression and reappraisal influences the effects of satisfaction on both negative word-of-mouth and repurchase intentions. Practical implications This study advances service managers’ understanding of customer experience during service failure by demonstrating how emotion regulation influences customer response behaviours. With a better understanding of customers’ emotion regulation strategies, managers and frontline employees can more effectively develop and execute recovery strategies which adapt to customer emotions while eliciting more satisfying outcomes. Originality/value This research is one of the first to examine the moderating role of customers’ emotion regulation strategies in determining their behavioural responses. Conducted in the hospitality services context, this study provides support for relationships among perceived injustice, customer emotions, emotion regulation, customer satisfaction, negative word-of-mouth and repurchase intentions.

In pursuit of service productivity and customer satisfaction: the role of resources

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1836-1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny (Jiyeon) Lee ◽  
Paul G. Patterson ◽  
Liem Viet Ngo
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Dyadic Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Productivity

Purpose In today’s global marketplace, the mantra of many service firms is enhanced efficiency and productivity. To increase their bottom line, firms must also expand revenue. They thus face the challenge of ways to increase revenue through customer satisfaction while also achieving productivity gains. The current study aims to offer insight into the role of various resources that encourage frontline employees (FLEs) to become engaged in the pursuit of achieving organisational goals, ultimately enhancing service productivity and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach A total of 252 customer-FLE dyadic data were collected at a medium-sized retail bank in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Findings Results show that personal (self-efficacy) and organisational resources impact FLE productivity directly and indirectly through employee engagement. Importantly, service productivity is then positively associated with customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications Extending previous investigations based on the job demands-resources model and theories of self-efficacy and conservation of resources, this study’s findings empirically support anecdotal accounts of the positive productivity–customer satisfaction relationship. Practical implications The results also highlight the importance of the management of human and organisational resources to attain this two-pronged goal. Originality value Using dyadic data (customers and FLEs) collected at a medium-sized retail bank, the authors refute the trade-off effect between attaining employee productivity and customer satisfaction in the service industry. This paper further fills research need to study how various resources available to FLEs can achieve desirable organisational outcomes in service firms – the improvement of both service productivity and customer satisfaction.

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