How relationship marketing, switching costs, and service quality impact customer satisfaction and loyalty in Taiwan’s airfreight forwarding industry?

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study applies the service quality–satisfaction–loyalty framework to examine the impact of relationship marketing on customer loyalty with switching cost as a moderating variable in the context of airfreight forwarders. Data were collected from a questionnaire survey and two-step structural equation modeling was subsequently performed to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that relationship marketing, switching costs, and customer satisfaction significantly increase shippers’ loyalty to airfreight forwarders. Relationship marketing is also found to have a positive impact on service quality. Moreover, the moderating effect of switching costs on the relationship between relationship marketing and customer loyalty is significant when the customer-perceived switching costs are low. Specifically, most perceived low switching cost firms are non-manufacturers, having a small size and producing machinery and metal goods. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of relationship marketing and switching costs for customer loyalty in the airfreight forwarding industry.