Antecedents and effects of customer–service employee attachments on customer–company identification and word-of-mouth: the case of Cheong in South Korea

Abstract

Among the critical areas in services research is the role played by the relationship between customers and service employees. However, the ways in which customer–service employee attachments affect customer–company relationship and corporate loyalty such as word-of-mouth is unclear. Furthermore, there is a tendency to overlook personal and relational characteristics that influence customer–service employee attachments. This study empirically examined the antecedents and consequences of customer–service employee attachments in the context of a collectivistic culture. Specifically, this research investigated the effects of relationship period, consumer relationship proneness, customer orientation and relational benefits on customer–service employee attachments by using survey data collected from beauty salon customers in South Korea. The study also empirically tested customer–service employee attachments' positive influence on customer–company identification and word-of-mouth. The results support most of our hypotheses. This study offers some meaningful insights into the roles played by customer–service employee attachment in collectivistic cultures.