Repatronage Intentions Research Articles

A building’s design quality: measuring the esoteric

Purpose Firms that serve customers in the service environment rely on a well-designed servicescape. This is particularly true in the hotel industry, where the hotel’s design is an important part of the product mix. However, despite design’s importance, there is no common instrument available to measure hotel design quality. The purpose of this paper is to present a quantitative method, the Design Quality Indicator, to measure guests’ evaluations of hotel design quality. Design/methodology/approach Nearly 5,000 guests of two full-service hotel brands were surveyed soon after a hotel stay (within two weeks of check-out). The DQI’s factor structure is tested using principle components analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to improve the reliability, validity and parsimony of the instrument. Findings The study yields a DQI instrument that is reduced from 92 to 41 measurement items, with good reliability and validity, enabling more efficient data collection and analysis. Research limitations/implications This study only examines guests’ assessments of two full-service hotel brands. The instrument can be used to explore design’s relationship with numerous outcome variables, such as satisfaction, loyalty, and repatronage intentions, as well as property performance outcomes. Practical implications The methods demonstrated can be used by hotel owners and operators to inform resource allocation decisions, particularly when planning for renovations. Originality/value This study provides a reliable, validated quantitative assessment of hotel design quality. It is also one of the few studies that elicits feedback about a guest’s actual hotel stay, rather than a hypothesized or simulated stay.

The critical role of customer forgiveness in successful service recovery

Service failures occur when the service provided is less than adequate or fails to live up to the customer's expectations. When service failures inevitably occur, providers implement recovery strategies such as apologizing, offering compensation, or allowing customers to voice their concerns. However, such strategies do not always lead to desired outcomes such as repatronage intentions, reduced negative WOM, or reconciliation. The current research explores the very rich concept of forgiveness with regard to service recovery and empirically examines the links among recovery strategies, customer forgiveness and recovery outcomes. Although differences in terms of optimal recovery strategies depend on industry type, forgiveness is demonstrated to mediate the relationship between recovery strategies and desirable outcomes, suggesting that forgiveness be included in all future models of service recovery.

Psychological Needs, Passion, and Consumer Re-Patronage Intentions to The Performing Arts

ABSTRACTDrawing predominantly from self-determination theory we utilize two constructs that are well-known in the broader social science literature but have received relatively less attention in the nonprofit consumer marketing realm. Both of these constructs, basic psychological needs and harmonious passion, have much to offer consumer researchers as numerous studies have supported the notion that BPN are innate and universal and that passion is an enduring motivational construct that is connected to an individual’s identity. Consistent with theoretical expectations the findings showed that need satisfaction predicted harmonious passion that in turn explained 50% of the variance in re-patronage intentions to classical music orchestra performances. Moreover, passion fully mediated the effects of needs on the outcome variable. These findings highlight the importance and potential of these constructs to expand and deepen theory development in the performing arts and consumer research domains. The study concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and managerial implications and recommendations for future research.

The service smile chain: linking leader emotions to customer outcomes

ABSTRACTThis study examines the emotional mechanisms that link leadership and customer outcomes. Data were collected from 359 matched supervisor-subordinate-customer triads in a chain restaurant in China. Results show that leader positive emotions are transmitted to customers via service employee positive emotions, which then increase customer re-patronage intentions. However, although leader negative emotions are positively associated with employee negative emotions, employee negative emotions are not transmitted to customers. Moreover, employees’ negative affectivity (NA) moderates the relationship between leaders’ and employees’ negative emotions, such that the relationship is stronger among high NAs. The study extends prior literature by identifying a service smile chain that links leadership and customer outcomes and by investigating the moderating role of NA in such chains. Study findings highlight the important connection between intra-organizational emotional mechanisms and customer outcomes and point to the importance of an emotionally healthy workplace to better customer service.

Examining customer‐created guilt in a service context

AbstractPrevious research in retailing contexts finds customers feel guilty after violating a social norm and that such customer‐induced guilt leads to increased repatronage intention, despite guilt being a negative emotion. However, prior research has neither identified the mechanism through which this occurs nor how relationship type may influence this process. Additionally, previous work has not considered how service providers should react when a customer experiences guilt. This paper advances research on guilt by first proposing that affective and normative commitment are intermediate e‐motivations, mediating the effect of guilt on repatronage intention, but that these e‐motivations differ depending on the strength of the customer's commercial friendship with the service provider. Second, this research investigates whether service providers, when faced with a guilty customer, should emphasize or downplay the customer's norm violation (CNV). Survey findings reveal that affective commitment fully mediates the relationship between guilt and repatronage intention for those in strong commercial friendships, whereas guilt directly affects repatronage intention for those in weak commercial friendships. Normative commitment does not play a mediating role. Additionally, experimental findings suggest that enhancing the CNV increases guilt. However, doing so also increases perceived guilt induction, which ultimately decreases repatronage intention.

Investigating the effectiveness of retailers’ mobile applications in determining customer satisfaction and repatronage intentions? A congruency perspective

With the increasing use of handheld digital devices for shopping, retailers are trying to effectively implement mobile applications. Drawing from extant literature on customer value, this research explores the factors that drive customer satisfaction with retailers’ mobile applications (mobile apps) and the subsequent effect on repatronage intentions with the retailer. Data were collected from customers who use retailer mobile apps, and PLS-SEM was used for analysis. We find that the fit between retailer brand image and the mobile application positively affects customer satisfaction with the retailer mobile app. In addition, functional value and hedonic value of retailers’ mobile applications positively influence customer satisfaction with the retailer mobile app. Finally, satisfaction with the retailer mobile app partially mediates the relationships between congruency, functional, hedonic and social values and repatronage intentions towards the retailer. Theoretically, this paper provides a better understanding of how the retail app-brand fit plays a vital role in determining satisfaction and repatronage intentions in an increasingly competitive retail app environment. From a managerial perspective, current paper emphasizes the importance of functional and hedonic values in providing the same experience at each retail touch point for companies that decide to go with omnichannel retailing.

THE STUDY OF THE ANTECEDENTS OF RETAIL SHOPPERS’ REPATRONAGE INTENTIONS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

One of important factors that determine the success of retail stores is how to make customers go to shop there, in which they have to shop there continuously. So, retailers should have to satisfy customers in order to keep customers. In this research, the researcher would like to test and describe customer satisfaction and repatronage intentions, through eight variables in Carrefour and Hypermart, and developed into seven hypotheses. This research uses 160 samples to ask their perceptions about Carrefour and Hypermart. Then, from that research, there are two hypotheses that are rejected and five hypotheses that are accepted. Perceived product quality and perceived price are considered as insignificant antecedents of customer satisfaction. However, perceived service quality, store assortment, trust and commitment are considered as significant antecedents of customers’ satisfaction, and customer satisfaction is significant antecedent of repatronage intentions.

Reminding customers to be loyal: does message framing matter?

PurposeMarketers may proactively give customers personalized notices regarding their progress toward certain rewards as a means to stimulate ongoing behaviors. This paper aims to investigate the effect on customer repatronage intention by framed messages concerning either goal-distance or consequences of an action and it also seeks to identify important variables moderating those responses.Design/methodology/approachFive between-subjects experiments examined how participants’ repatronage intentions, in response to the framing of goal-distance (Study 1a) and consequences of an action (Study 2a), varied as a function of their level of progress toward goal completion and also tested if the framing effects might be attenuated when relationship benefit was high rather than low (Studies 1b and 2b). They further adopted perceived reciprocity as an underlying mechanism for examining the interplay between these two kinds of framing in stimulating ongoing behavior (Study 3).FindingsAlthough messages which emphasized what individuals need to spend more to attain a reward (versus how short they are from earning a reward) or loss following inaction (versus gain following action) were likely to erode intention, such effects were confined to individuals with a moderate level of progress. This intention-eroding effect was further attenuated by attractive reward. The persuasive advantages of short-from-the-end framing of goal-distance over more-to-the-end counterparts were found to be diminished when paired with a loss-framed message concerning consequences of an action. Furthermore, the observed effects on intention were mediated by perceived reciprocity.Originality/valueThe studies add to the current understanding of how the way in which information is presented might enhance loyalty or fail to do so.

Influence of social capital on customer’s relationship satisfaction in the Pakistani banking industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social on relationship satisfaction, and also to investigate how relationship satisfaction is associated with negative word-of-mouth and re-patronage intentions, in service recovery.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 478 Pakistani banking industry clients, who registered a complaint to their bank recently, answered the survey. Variance-based partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis.FindingsResults demonstrate that all three facets of social capital have a significant positive impact on relationship satisfaction. However, relationship satisfaction enhances customer re-patronage intentions and restrains negative word-of-mouth intentions.Practical implicationsFindings are important for service firms, particularly for banks to adjust their service recovery strategies.Originality/valueThe paper verified the influence of structural social capital, cognitive social capital and relational social capital on relationship satisfaction and tested the influence of relationship satisfaction on negative word-of-mouth and re-patronage intentions.

Dragging Market Mavens to Promote Apps Repatronage Intention: The Forgotten Market Segment

ABSTRACTWhile diffusers of market information, their level of involvements and experiences in the marketplace are essential to a market segment, a few empirical research have examined the role of market mavens in promoting Apps retail channel repatronage intention. The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural relationship between flow experience, immersive satisfaction (affective), experiential satisfaction (cognitive), market maven tendency, and Apps repatronage intention (ARI). A total of 407 valid online questionnaires were collected to conduct the statistical analyses using partial least square path modeling approach. The results imply that flow experience, immersive and experiential satisfaction are several determinants of market mavens in promoting Apps retail stores. Practically, the results imply that consumers with a high level of perceived flow experience, immersive and experiential satisfaction exhibit higher tendency of involvement, diffuse more Apps market information and further show a high level of ARI. Theoretically, this study uncovers the experience, satisfaction, market mavenism, and repatronage linkages, and proposes a set of key determinants to explain ARI in an E-retailing environment. The implications and limitations are discussed.

Revisiting the supermarket in-store customer shopping experience

Marketing academics and practitioners agree on customer experience as a means for differentiation. The customer experience is challenging for retailers because it is influenced by elements which the retailer can control and elements which are beyond their control. This paper deals with the in-store customer shopping experience of a supermarket and found that merchandise assortment, interaction with staff and the internal shop environment and customers’ in-shop emotions have a strong positive and significant relationship with cumulative customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction has a strong positive relationship with repatronage intentions. A comparison of the current study's findings with those of two similar earlier studies yielded considerable differences. The major contributions of this study are firstly the identification of differences over time of the elements of an in-store customer shopping experience in a supermarket and the role of positive emotions that are caused by supermarket shopping environments.

Satisfaction, loyalty and repatronage intentions: Role of hedonic shopping values

Today the Indian traditional retail shopper visiting various hypermarkets formats for purchasing and enjoying their valuable time with their family members and friends, as these formats offer hedonic shopping values. Therefore, this research paper focused on hypermarket shoppers of central India and the main objective of this study is to identify the role of hedonic shopping values on creation of satisfaction, loyalty and repatronage intentions with the help of proposed research framework based on 329 responses. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) is use to analyze and validate the proposed research framework. The result supports the relationship between hedonic shopping values with customer satisfaction, loyalty and repatronage intentions. The study also demonstrate the moderating role of gender on these relationship, which shows that both male and female consumer have different level of shopping behavior when it comes to see the influence of hedonic shopping values. Therefore, this research paper would help hypermarket retailers to design their retail store environment more attractively to maintain the optimum customer satisfaction level that enhance the loyalty and repatronage intentions in the customer in this current competitive retail scenario.

Unlocking behaviors of long-term service consumers: the role of action inertia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of word-of-mouth (WOM) in long-term service settings. Specifically, the authors examine the moderating role of action inertia in the relationships between satisfaction and repatronage intention, satisfaction and WOM, and repatronage intention and WOM.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model was empirically tested using survey data from 1,385 telecommunications service subscribers. The data were analyzed using partial least squares path modeling.FindingsResults suggest that a positive link between repatronage intention and WOM, hereto a neglected relationship in the marketing literature, in contrast to previous literature, the behaviors of long-term customers are not predictable, and action inertia strengthens satisfaction – WOM and repatronage intention – WOM links and weakens satisfaction – repatronage intention link.Research limitations/implicationsThis study examines customers of a utilitarian service. To further determine the potential of the model, it is desirable to explore the validity of the model in other service settings, particularly those with high hedonic values.Practical implicationsThe study provides valuable insights into repatronage intention – WOM link, with particular emphasis on the measurement and analysis of action inertia. This is important in understanding and evaluating inertia influences and identification of the drivers of WOM. These insights can be used by managers to better allocate their resources when investing in customer loyalty-building exercises and in generating WOM.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature in three main ways. First, it examines the nuances of customer loyalty in continuous service contexts. Second, the study empirically tests the role of repatronage intention as an antecedent of WOM. Third, the study introduces and tests the moderating role of action inertia on positive WOM.

Effect of Price Image on Post-purchase Satisfaction and Repatronage Intention: Mediating Role of Price Fairness

Purpose - Consumers heuristically have a specific stereotype on the price level of individual retail format because each format provides them with a...

Analyzing perceived healthcare service quality on patient related outcomes

Purpose Through the lens of a total quality management approach, this paper aims to examine the effects of health-care service quality on patient satisfaction, repatronage intention (RI) and positive word-of mouth (PWOM) at a public hospital specialized in women and children’s diseases. The contribution is to measure and compare patient expectations and perceptions related to the public health service quality. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was distributed to in-patients who stayed at a public training and research hospital for at least three days. To analyze the relationship between variables, multiple regression analysis was used. To test the difference between expected and perceived service quality, the paired-sample t-test was used. Findings The findings provided empirical evidence that perceived service quality significantly influenced patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM. The “responsiveness and reliability” factor was found to be the most influential on patient RI and PWOM. The “tangibility” dimension had the strongest influence on patient satisfaction. Practical implications The results reveal that a reliable and responsive service, empathic personnel behaviors and appropriate tangibles are the outstanding factors for high levels of patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM. Originality/value Although the concepts of perceived service quality, patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM are explored frequently in service literature, there are few researches that focus on specialized health services for women and children’s diseases. By evaluating the service quality, it is hoped to provide an insight to health-care managers about the service quality dimensions and their relationship with patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM, specifically based on women patients.

Asymmetric effects of customer emotions on satisfaction and loyalty in a utilitarian service context

This paper investigates the relative effects of customer positive versus negative emotions on satisfaction and loyalty in a utilitarian service setting. In-depth interviews with 20 call-center customers identify emotions and appraisals related to the customer service experience. Regression analysis of subsequent quantitative survey results from 1440 customers of a call-center shows that positive emotions influence satisfaction more strongly than negative emotions. In contrast, negative emotions influence recommendation intentions more strongly than positive emotions in line with prospect theory. However, for ‘higher risk’ repatronage the prospect of losses from switching reduces the effect of negative emotions resulting in a symmetric effect of positive and negative emotions on repatronage intentions.

Innovative marketing in professional baseball teams

ABSTRACTThis study proposes comprehensive customer experience and team performance models in response to a lack of studies regarding service quality and performance in professional sports. Past studies have overlooked the effects of customer experience and customer-perceived board performance on team performance and loyalty behavior. The present study was conducted to provide a reference for the innovative marketing of professional sports teams. The study results reveal that both customer experience and team identification correlate positively with fan loyalty, and on-field and customer-perceived board performance positively moderated the effects of customer experience and team identification on repatronage intention. However, the moderating effects of on-field and customer-perceived board performance on word of mouth is nonsignificant. Professional sports teams must consider factors that are important to fans apart from winning and losing, and they must develop marketing strategies that attract new customers instead of relying solely on existing customers for team promotion.

Big data initiatives in retail environments: Linking service process perceptions to shopping outcomes

Given the enormous amount of data created through customers’ transactions in retail stores, it comes as no surprise that retailers are actively seeking initiatives to leverage big data and offer their customers superior services that provide mutual, previously unattainable benefits. Nonetheless, fulfilment of such a strategic aim requires customers to adopt and embrace emerging technology-driven services. Exploring customers’ perceptions of such big data initiatives in retail environments, we develop a model examining the effects of technology enablers and privacy concerns on critical shopping outcomes including repatronage intentions, store image, and intention to use medium in the context of recently identified service configurations. We conduct an exploratory study to understand customers’ reactions toward emerging shopping scenarios and to enhance our survey instrument and then conduct an online survey (n = 442) to test our model. We found that customers’ usefulness perceptions of emerging services positively affected their intentions to use medium, and that their privacy concerns about the amounts of personal information, being collected through emerging services, negatively affected their repatronage intentions and store image. We discuss the implications of our work for research and practice.

A contingency model of client repatronage in a financial auditing services context

Purpose This study aims to examine the extent to which switching costs moderates the impact of trust, value and attractiveness of alternatives on client repatronage intentions. Design/methodology/approach The study combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies to create a cross-sectional survey covering four geographic regions in Thailand. Adopting a contingency perspective, the authors examine the moderating impact of two switching costs (economic and security) on the association among trust, value, attractiveness of alternatives and repatronage intentions. Findings A study of 519 small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clients of audit firms confirms the main effects of trust, value and alternative attractiveness on client retention; some but not all linkages are moderated by the costs of switching. Researchlimitations/implications This article focuses on one specific segment (SMEs) and one category of professional services. It would be worthwhile to extend the findings to larger firms and other professional services. Originality/value The study contributes to the understanding of relationship continuance among professional services clients by shifting the focus to when and in which contingency conditions trust, value and attractiveness of alternatives have greater or lesser impacts on repatronage intentions.

Service guarantee as a recovery strategy

Purpose – When a service fails, the guarantee policy of the firm can be employed as a recovery strategy. The terms of the guarantee determine the amount of payout and the ease of invoking the policy. The guarantee terms can, therefore, influence customer perceptions of recovery fairness and inferences about the firm’s intentions to provide fair recovery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of guarantee terms on customer perceptions of justice, motive inferences, and repatronage intentions. Design/methodology/approach – A between-subjects experiment was conducted in parcel delivery services. Findings – Customer perceptions of justice vary across guarantee payout levels. Payout in the form of a discount does not restore justice perceptions, and leads to inferences that the firm offered the guarantee to maximize its profits. Conversely, full refund restores justice. Full refund plus discount is perceived as undeserved, and does not enhance justice perceptions. A moderately easy-to-invoke guarantee is perceived as fair, when it includes full refund. Inferences of negative firm’s motives, however, diminish perceived fairness of easy-to-invoke guarantees. Research limitations/implications – Future research could examine the interaction of guarantee scope with payout and ease of invocation, and how types of motives differentially impact justice perceptions. Practical implications – Full refund can enhance justice perceptions, whereas discount is perceived as unfair. Firms should offer full refund as guarantee payout, but refrain from offering a discount. Flexibility should be embedded in guarantee invocation procedures. Originality/value – This study demonstrates that service guarantees employed as recovery strategies signal justice and the firm’s motives.