Inter-customer helping behaviors: a virtuous cycle or unwanted intrusion?

ABSTRACT

The current research investigates a specific type of customer engagement behavior (CEB), inter-customer helping. Specifically, the current research investigates (1) the antecedents (e.g. how receiving voluntary vs. solicited help from other customers affects customer satisfaction), (2) the processes (e.g. affective and cognitive paths to customer satisfaction), (3) the outcomes (e.g. whether increased satisfaction leads to higher willingness to help others in need), and (4) the boundary condition (e.g. when receiving help would increase customer satisfaction) of inter-customer helping. The results from two studies demonstrate that receiving voluntary (vs. solicited) help increases customer satisfaction through positive interaction affect and enhanced perceived service climate. The results also show that increased customer satisfaction leads to increased willingness to help others. Finally, the results demonstrate that perceived importance of competence moderates the effect of receiving help on customer satisfaction. Overall, the current research contributes to the service literature through suggesting new links between CEB and customer satisfaction.

摘要

本研究调查了特定类型的顾客参与行为，即顾客间的帮助。具体而言，目前的研究调查了（1）前因（例如，如何接受其他顾客的自愿或客观帮助影响客户满意度），（2）过程（例如, 情感和认知途径），（3）结果（例如, 增加的满意度是否会导致更高的帮助他人的意愿），以及（4）顾客间帮助的边界条件（例如, 接受帮助会提高客户满意度）。两项研究的结果表明，通过积极的互动影响和增强的感知服务氛围，接受自愿（或恳求）帮助增加了顾客满意度。 结果还表明，提高客户满意度会增加帮助他人的意愿。最后，结果表明，认知能力的重要性会缓和接受帮助对客户满意度的影响。 总体而言，目前的研究通过建议客户参与行为与客户满意度之间的新关联来为服务文献做出贡献。

KEYWORDS:

• Customer engagement behavior
• customer-to-customer interactions
• inter-customer helping
• customer satisfaction

关键词:

• 顾客参与行为
• 顾客与顾客的互动
• 顾客间帮助
• 顾客满意度

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.