Article1992

The importance of customer satisfaction in explaining brand and dealer loyalty

José M. M. Bloemer · Jos G. A. M. Lemmink

155 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Marketing Management

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Customer Service Quality and Loyalty Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification

Abstract

The positive influence of customer satisfaction on brand and dealer loyalty is often taken for granted. In this study we attempted to prove whether this relationship really exists. In order to do so we examined the case of an automobile‐dealer network. Three different types of customer satisfaction were distinguished: (a) satisfaction with the car; (b) satisfaction with the sales service and (c) satisfaction with the after‐sales service. It was expected that all three types of satisfaction would have an influence on brand loyalty as well as on dealer loyalty. More specifically, it was expected that satisfaction with the car would be the major determinant of brand loyalty and that satisfaction with the service (both sales‐ and after‐sales service) would be the major determinant of dealer loyalty. Furthermore, a study of the literature revealed that dealer loyalty might also significantly affect brand loyalty. In the empirical part of the study, customers (n = 416) of different automobile‐dealers of the same brand were asked to fill in a mailed questionnaire. The three different types of customer satisfaction and the intention to buy the same brand of car again, as well as the intention to buy from the same dealer again were measured. The customers were also asked why they would buy the same brand (again) or from the same dealer. In general, the analyses of the results revealed that: customer satisfaction with the car, as well as dealer loyalty are major determinants of brand loyalty; customer satisfaction with the sales service as well as with the after‐sales service are major determinants of dealer loyalty and dealer loyalty is an intervening variable in the relation between satisfaction and brand loyalty. Furthermore, it was found that the strength of the relationship between different types of satisfaction and loyalty indicators differs markedly between various market segments (private/business use of car and new/used car buyers). Several marketing implications are presented. A distinction may be made between the implications for the manufacturer of the physical product and the automobile dealer rendering the service.

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References

1986Servqual : a multiple-item scale for measuring customer perceptions of service quality 1989Linking service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intention.1983A Longitudinal Assessment of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction: The Dynamic Aspect of the Cognitive Process 1966Consumer Buying Intentions and Purchase Probability: An Experiment in Survey Design 1973Multivariate Analysis of Brand Loyalty for Major Household Appliances 1983A Longitudinal Assessment of Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction: The Dynamic Aspect of the Cognitive Process 1978Building Implementable Marketing Models 1970Correlates of Brand Loyalty: Some Positive Results

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