Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of service quality dimensions as determinants of the emotional and relational behaviours experienced by the client in bank branches in the post-crisis context experienced by Spanish financial institutions. Design/methodology/approach Data taken from a total of 1,125 customers were analysed through structural equations modelling (EQS6.1) to test the relationships of the proposed model’s variables. Findings The results support the hypotheses stated, with the exception of the influence of a service quality dimension (servicescape) on emotions during the service. In fact, the dimensions of the service quality of an intangible nature (personnel, outcome and social) are determinants of the positive emotions and relational behaviours of clients around the service provided by the branches. For its part, servicescape quality, of a more tangible nature, exerts indirect influence on the other dimensions that compose the quality of service. Practical implications This paper provides senior bank executives established evidence on the degree of influence of the different dimensions in relation to the quality of service in the bank branch. Furthermore, it emphasises the importance of emotional factors during service as essential elements in strengthening customer–staff relationships under a non-transactional dynamic. Originality/value This paper has adopted an analytical holistic, theoretical and empirical perspective on the impact of the different dimensions of service quality (servicescape, personnel, outcome and social) as well as to the emotions experienced by banking customers during services and its lasting effect on customer engagement and customer advocacy.
Highlights
The financial crisis of the early twenty-first century has negatively impacted many commercial sectors around the world, including Spain’s banking and financial industry (Monferrer et al, 2016, 2019; Estrada et al, 2018; Moliner et al, 2018, 2019)
In order to generate a broader theory, this paper proposes a model based on the reinforcement of the non-transactional emotional and relational linkages generated in the context of the branch between financial institutes and their clients, identifying and analysing the antecedent role set by the different factors that determine quality in the institute’s service provision
Trying to provide empirical support to this fundamental assumption, we propose a new block of hypotheses, which consider that the tangible elements of the service quality could reinforce the effect of the intangible elements (Monferrer et al, 2016)
Summary
The financial crisis of the early twenty-first century has negatively impacted many commercial sectors around the world, including Spain’s banking and financial industry (Monferrer et al, 2016, 2019; Estrada et al, 2018; Moliner et al, 2018, 2019). This study proposes completing the existing research around the construct of the service quality, under consideration of the direct causal effects of its different dimensions, and through the analysis of the possible existence of correlations between them based on their distinct nature, mostly tangible and intangible (Monferrer et al, 2016; Wahlberg et al, 2016) Taking all of these aspects into consideration, the aim of this work is to analyse relationships with the customers within the Spanish financial sector from a micro-economic and emotional perspective. This paper proposes a model of effects (Figure 1) which shows the role of the dimensions of service quality (servicescape, personnel, outcome and social qualities) on the emotions generated during the banking service (H1–H4) These emotions will be determinants in two key relational variables of non-transactional nature such as customer engagement (H5) and customer advocacy (H6). As reflected in hypotheses H7–H9, our model raises the existence of interrelations between the dimensions of service quality, so that the more tangible nature (outcome quality) would have positive effects on those of a more intangible nature (servicescape, personnel, outcome and social qualities)
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