Michael A. Jones

Switching barriers and repurchase intentions in services

Abstract The current study moves beyond satisfaction and proposes that switching barriers are important factors impacting a customer’s decision to remain with a service provider. Switching barriers make customer defection difficult or costly and include interpersonal relationships, perceived switching costs, and the attractiveness of alternatives. We propose and find support for a contingency model between core-service satisfaction and switching barriers. The results indicate that the influence of core-service satisfaction on repurchase intentions decreases under conditions of high switching barriers. Although switching barriers had no influence on repurchase intentions when satisfaction was high, switching barriers positively influenced repurchase intentions when satisfaction was low. Implications of the results are discussed.

Why customers stay: measuring the underlying dimensions of services switching costs and managing their differential strategic outcomes

Abstract Although switching costs are increasingly finding their way into models of customer loyalty, a lack of consistency and clarity exists regarding the appropriate conceptualization and measurement of this critical strategic construct. To address this deficiency, the following six dimensions of switching costs were proposed: (1) lost performance costs; (2) uncertainty costs; (3) pre-switching search and evaluation costs; (4) post-switching behavioral and cognitive costs; (5) setup costs; and (6) sunk costs. Support for these six dimensions was obtained across two studies and two service industries (banks and hairstylists). The multidimensional scale (24 items) evidenced reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. In addition, individual dimensions related to various constructs in predictable and sometimes differential ways. For example, while all switching cost dimensions were positively and significantly associated with repurchase intentions in the overall sample, the association was strongest with lost performance costs. Industry differences also emerged both in the mean level of perceptions across switching cost dimensions, as well as in the strength of relationships between switching costs and outcomes such as repurchase intentions. For example, perceptions of setup costs and pre-switching search and evaluation costs were higher for hairstylists than banks and were also more strongly associated with repurchase intentions for hairstylists than banks. Strategic implications and areas for future research are discussed.

Transaction‐specific satisfaction and overall satisfaction: an empirical analysis

The distinction between transaction‐specific satisfaction and overall satisfaction has received little empirical attention in the satisfaction and services literature. Furthermore, a review of the extant literature provides mixed conceptual evidence concerning the relationships among transaction‐specific satisfaction, overall satisfaction, and repurchase intentions. This study empirically investigates transaction‐specific satisfaction, overall satisfaction and repurchase intentions, and finds that the two types of satisfaction can be distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the findings from this study suggest that overall satisfaction has a direct influence on repurchase intentions as well as a moderating influence on the transaction‐specific satisfaction/repurchase intentions relationship. When overall satisfaction is high, transaction‐specific satisfaction has little impact on repurchase intentions, but when overall satisfaction is low, transaction‐specific satisfaction has a positive influence on repurchase intentions.

The impact of service failure severity on service recovery evaluations andpost‐recovery relationships

Previous research has found that interactional justice and distributive justice are critical factors influencing customer satisfaction after a service recovery. In addition, previous service recovery research has found that satisfaction is an important determinant of key outcome variables such as trust, commitment, and negative word‐of‐mouth. The current study extends previous research by investigating the role of service failure severity within the existing framework of service recovery research. The results indicate that service failure severity has a significant influence on satisfaction, trust, commitment, and negative word‐of‐mouth. The results also provide partial support for a moderating influence of service failure severity. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.

The Positive and Negative Effects of Switching Costs on Relational Outcomes

Research increasingly suggests the importance of switching costs in customer retention strategies. However, research on the downstream effects of different types of switching costs is lacking. This study seeks to address this issue by proposing and testing a framework for examining the alternative routes through which different types of switching costs (i.e., procedural, social, and lost benefits) operate in affecting relational outcomes. Consistent with our hypotheses, social switching costs, and lost benefits costs appear to bolster affective commitment, which subsequently increases positive emotions and repurchase intentions and decreases negative word of mouth. Furthermore, and again consistent with our hypotheses, procedural switching costs appear to bolster calculative commitment, which subsequently increases repurchase intentions in some instances but also increases negative emotions and negative word of mouth. Overall, this studys findings suggest that service firms should use caution when utilizing procedural switching costs as a retention strategy.

Entertaining Shopping Experiences: An Exploratory Investigation

Abstract Previous research has provided much evidence to support the notion that shopping can be entertaining. In addition, many retailers are continually seeking new ways to entertain their customers. Although several studies have identified the existence of entertaining shopping experiences, few studies have investigated the factors important to the creation of these experiences. Using the critical incident technique, 724 incidents were collected and two broad groups including nine unique factors were found to be characteristic of entertaining shopping experiences. The two broad groups were retailer factors and customer factors. Retailer factors include selection, prices, store environment, and salespeople, while customer factors include social, task, time, involvement, and financial resources. Interestingly, customer factors were mentioned more often than retail factors in respondents’ descriptions of entertaining shopping experiences.

Development and Validation of the Impulse Buying Tendency Scale

Previous research suggests that individuals vary in their proclivity to purchase products on impulse. This paper presents the results of four studies (Study 1, n = 212; Study 2, n = 152; Study 3, n = 124; and Study 4, n = 550) designed to develop and validate the Impulse Buying Tendency Scale. Data from the first three studies indicate that the scale is unidimensional and internally consistent. The third study provides evidence supporting convergent validity and discriminant validity and the fourth of predictive validity.

The effects of locational convenience on customer repurchase intentions across service types

Location has long been touted as an important competitive factor in retailing and services. However, since convenient, high‐traffic locations are costly, an examination of conditions under which locational convenience is more important and those in which it is less important is critical. Supplements the logic of prior research to examine the importance of location as a function of both customer satisfaction with the core service and service type. Finds that a convenient location is critical in more standardized, less personalized services when satisfaction falters, but is not important for less standardized, more personalized services regardless of satisfaction levels. Thus, a convenient location can act as a barrier to defection in more standardized, less personal services such as banks, making it an important strategic factor in minimizing defection when satisfaction with the core service drops. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, locational convenience appears less important to repurchase intenti...

Customer Orientation and Performance in Small Firms: Examining the Moderating Influence of Risk‐Taking, Innovativeness, and Opportunity Focus

Customer orientation is considered to be an essential element for small firm success despite relatively little empirical evidence to support such a claim. This research examines the customer orientation–performance relationship among 180 small firms, and the moderating influence of risk‐taking, innovativeness, and opportunity focus on that relationship. Results support the overall positive influence of customer orientation on performance and indicate that the influence is stronger as risk‐taking, innovativeness, and opportunity focus increase. Interestingly, customer orientation does not positively influence small firm performance under low levels of risk‐taking, innovativeness, and opportunity focus.

Exploring consumers’ attitude towards relationship marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ overall attitude toward relationship marketing and to determine the influence of consumers’ overall attitude on consumers’ intentions and behaviors. Many services companies practice relationship marketing and customer relationship management. Although the benefits and drawbacks of relationship marketing for consumers have been established, little is known about whether consumers have a relatively positive or negative attitude toward relationship marketing practices. Design/methodology/approach – This research investigates consumers’ attitudes toward relationship marketing using a national survey of 245 consumers and a survey of 417 consumers living in the southern region of the USA. Findings – Although approximately 70 per cent of our national consumer sample had a somewhat positive attitude toward relationship marketing, about 30 per cent had a somewhat negative or neutral attitude. Furthermore, approximately 39 per cent of consumers in the stu...