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Relationships between service quality and behavioral outcomes: A study of private bank customers in Germany

Ugur Yavas (East Tennesse State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA)
Martin Benkenstein (Professor of Marketing, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany)
Uwe Stuhldreier (Market Strategies and Target Group Management, Dresdner Bank AG, Frankfurt, Germany)

International Journal of Bank Marketing

ISSN: 0265-2323

Article publication date: 1 March 2004

6456

Abstract

This study examines the nature of relationships between service quality, background characteristics, and satisfaction and selected behavioral outcomes by using retail banking in Germany as its setting. Study results show that service quality is at the root of customer satisfaction and is linked to such behavioral outcomes as word of mouth, complaint, recommending and switching. However, different aspects of service quality and different consumer characteristics seem to be associated with different outcomes. For instance, the results suggest that tangible elements of service quality and being a female are more closely associated with positive word of mouth and commitment. On the other hand, “timeliness” aspects of service delivery are more closely related to customer satisfaction, and complaint and switching behaviors. Implications of these results to induce greater customer satisfaction, to attain higher levels of favorable outcomes and/or to alleviate negative outcomes are discussed.

Keywords

Citation

Yavas, U., Benkenstein, M. and Stuhldreier, U. (2004), "Relationships between service quality and behavioral outcomes: A study of private bank customers in Germany", International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 144-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/02652320410521737

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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