Effects of Customer Beliefs on Relationship Marketing Tactics and Customer Attitude on Switching Intention in a Competitive Service Industry

This article identifies the marketing variables that best predict customer switching attitude and intention using Theory of Reasoned Action and relationship marketing theory. 172 customers from the UK deregulated utility service industry completed a questionnaire that provides the empirical data for the analysis using structural equation modeling. Prediction was improved by including specific beliefs on the importance of the various relationship marketing tactics and incorporating past switching behaviour as co-predictors of switching intention. The findings provided useful academic insights and have several managerial implications for the service providers in retaining existing customers and acquiring new customers.

Citation:

Yow Peng Leong and Qing Wang (2006) ,"Effects of Customer Beliefs on Relationship Marketing Tactics and Customer Attitude on Switching Intention in a Competitive Service Industry", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 7, eds. Margaret Craig Lees, Teresa Davis, and Gary Gregory, Sydney, Australia : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 294-304.