TY - JOUR AB - Examines the effect of the quality of a salesperson’s relationship with a customer on the likelihood of retaining that customer’s business. Assesses the effects of high/low‐quality buyer‐salesperson relationships on obtaining referrals and recommendations from a customer. Results indicate that buyers who rated the quality of their relationship with their salesperson as above average were more likely to remain. In addition, above average buyer‐salesperson relationships were more likely to generate recommendations and referrals from customers. Suggests that a salesperson’s efforts to build relationships are rewarded by greater customer retention and increased business through referrals and recommendations. VL - 12 IS - 3/4 SN - 0885-8624 DO - 10.1108/08858629710188072 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/08858629710188072 AU - Boles James S. AU - Barksdale Hiram C. AU - Johnson Julie T. PY - 1997 Y1 - 1997/01/01 TI - Business relationships: an examination of the effects of buyer‐salesperson relationships on customer retention and willingness to refer and recommend T2 - Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing PB - MCB UP Ltd SP - 253 EP - 264 Y2 - 2024/03/29 ER -