Service Encounter Communication, Altruistic Value, and Customer Satisfaction: A Study of Overseas Tourists Buying Transportation Services in Shanghai

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to analyze to what extent the service encounter communication (SEC) influences perceived altruistic value (AV) and customer satisfaction (CS). In addition, it explores the moderating role of gender between SEC, AV, and CS. The empirical setting was transportation services. Data were collected from 165 international tourists visiting Shanghai and analyzed through PLS-SEM. The findings demonstrate a direct and indirect impact of service encounter communication on customer satisfaction and a direct effect on altruistic value. Consequently, gender only moderates the relationship between SEC and CS. Thereby, to enhance customer satisfaction with transportation services, it is necessary to deliver effective communication during a service encounter and promote aspects related to perceived altruistic value.

摘要

本研究试图分析 服务接触沟通（SEC）在多大程度上影响感知利他价值（AV）和顾客满意（CS）。此外，它还探讨了SEC、AV和CS之间的性别调节作用。实证研究的结果是运输服务。对165名来上海旅游的国际游客进行了数据采集，并通过PLS-SEM进行了分析。研究结果表明服务接触沟通对顾客满意有直接和间接的影响，对利他价值有直接影响。因此，性别只缓和了SEC和CS之间的关系。因此，为了提高客户对运输服务的满意度，有必要在服务接触期间提供有效的沟通，并促进与感知的利他价值相关的方面。

KEYWORDS:

• Service encounter communication
• altruistic value
• customer satisfaction
• transportation services
• international tourists
• Shanghai

关键词:

• 服务接触沟通；利他价值；顾客满意；运输服务；国际旅游者；上海

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. http://info.smartpls.com/index.php?id=documentation-pls-multigroup-analysis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lilian Consuelo Mustelier-Puig

Lilian Consuelo Mustelier-Puig is a PhD scholar at Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, Donghua University, China. She has also been a Professor at the University of Havana, Cuba. She is interested in tourism research, consumer behavior, service marketing, information behavior, sociolinguistics and statistical methods. Email: [email protected]

Amna Anjum

Amna Anjum is a PhD scholar at Glorious Sun School of Business and Management, Donghua University, China. She has experience both in educational and corporate sector and has served in the areas of telecoms, education, banking, consultancy, chamber of commerce. Her area of interest is Business Management, Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior. Email: [email protected]

Xu Ming

Xu Ming is the director of the Department of Tourism Management and Innovation at Glorious Sun School of Business and Management in Donghua University, China. He also serves as a professor in Shanghai Advanced Finance Institute, Panyapiwat Institute of Management Thailand, and Novi Sad University Serbia. He works as a consultant in the fields of service and tourism management. Email: [email protected]