As they sow, so shall they reap: customers’ influence on customer satisfaction at the customer interface

Abstract

Extant research provides valuable knowledge about how firms can satisfy their customers. However, it is unclear how customers themselves contribute to their satisfaction. From a basis in the job demands–resources model, the authors propose a customer demands–resources model. In this model, customer demands (negative customer behaviors) and customer resources (positive customer behaviors) affect customer satisfaction through frontline employees’ customer-oriented attitudes and customer-oriented behaviors. Using dyadic data from 141 frontline employees and 375 customers, this study identifies customer behaviors as an important source of customer satisfaction. Customer demands impede frontline employees’ customer-oriented attitudes and customer satisfaction through frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion, whereas customer resources indirectly increase customer satisfaction. Customer resources also buffer the negative effect of customer demands on frontline employees’ customer-oriented attitudes.