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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 2 October 2019

Ja-Shen Chen, Hung-Tai Tsou, Cindy Yunhsin Chou and Ciou-Hua Ciou

Drawing on the extant multichannel service quality literature and customer needs regarding the experiential value of online and offline shopping, the purpose of this paper is to…

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Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the extant multichannel service quality literature and customer needs regarding the experiential value of online and offline shopping, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among multichannel service delivery quality (MSDQ), customer experiences, continued engagement intentions and customer involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model with five hypotheses was proposed. Data were collected from 911 Taiwanese consumers who had a minimum of two years of multichannel shopping experience. The consumers were asked to complete a survey about their experience with MSDQ. Structural equation modelling was adopted to analyse the data.

Findings

The results of the analysis suggest that MSDQ positively impacts customer experiences, which in turn influence their continued engagement intentions. Furthermore, the analysis found that customer involvement positively moderates the effects of MSDQ on customer experiences.

Research limitations/implications

This study adopts the customer experience view to examine the effect of a holistic MSDQ design (including information transparency and accessibility and channel integration) on continued engagement intentions. By integrating a different conceptual lens, this study investigates the relationships among multichannel service quality, customer experiences and customer involvement, which adds alternative insights to the existing findings.

Practical implications

Managers must provide approaches to enhance the customer experiential values of utilitarianism, aesthetic appeal and playfulness; facilitate the information flow to be transparent and easily accessible; and provide different degrees of service based on customers’ experiences with their multichannel services to satisfy all consumers’ shopping needs.

Originality/value

The literature has focussed primarily on service providers’ technology capabilities and resources to design multichannel delivery systems. However, this study develops an MSDQ model and investigates its effects on customers’ experiences and continued engagement intentions.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2012

Yi‐Ching Hsieh, Jinshyang Roan, Anurag Pant, Jung‐Kuei Hsieh, Wen‐Ying Chen, Monle Lee and Hung‐Chang Chiu

The purpose of this paper is to explore how multichannel customers evaluate overall satisfaction across distribution channels and what the antecedents are of such satisfaction.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how multichannel customers evaluate overall satisfaction across distribution channels and what the antecedents are of such satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of bank customers in Taiwan was conducted. The total number of valid questionnaires was 479. Reliability and validity were tested. Maximum likelihood procedure of LISREL 8.8 was used to test the hypothesized structural equation model.

Findings

The findings indicate that the overall satisfaction in the multichannel environment is a critical determinant of customer retention and participation. The present study also develops the antecedents of multichannel satisfaction. In the multichannel environment, perceived multichannel service quality is positively related to satisfaction, while perceived channel switching difficulty is negatively related to satisfaction.

Originality/value

The present study employs the stimulus‐organism‐response (S‐O‐R) paradigm and the channel loyalty framework to better model customers' response to marketing activities in the multichannel distribution system.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 March 2011

Bart Larivière, Lerzan Aksoy, Bruce Cooil and Timothy L. Keiningham

This research aims to investigate the moderating influence of both multichannel and multicompany usage on the impact that customer satisfaction has on share of wallet (SOW).

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Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to investigate the moderating influence of both multichannel and multicompany usage on the impact that customer satisfaction has on share of wallet (SOW).

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in the analyses were collected as part of both survey and transactional data of 802 households of a large financial services provider. Within class regression models were employed to test the moderating effects of different segments that were identified based on multichannel‐multicompany customer differences.

Findings

The findings confirm that using multiple channels has an overall positive moderating impact on the satisfaction‐SOW link and that customer satisfaction matters more when the customer adopts multiple channels; online channel usage in addition to offline usage. Furthermore, this effect is even more pronounced for customers that transact with multiple providers. That is, the group of customers that use both the company's and competitors' offline and online channels reveal a higher satisfaction‐SOW association than the group of customers that only adopted the offline channel with the company and competitor.

Originality/value

This study broadens the understanding of multichannel behavior by comparing single (offline) and multiple channels (offline and online) for customers of multiple companies (two competitors).

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2020

Elena Patten, Wilson Ozuem and Kerry Howell

Consumer purchasing behaviour has changed substantially in the light of recent developments in E-commerce. So-called “multichannel customers” tend to switch retail channels during…

1788

Abstract

Purpose

Consumer purchasing behaviour has changed substantially in the light of recent developments in E-commerce. So-called “multichannel customers” tend to switch retail channels during the purchasing process. In order to address changing consumer behaviour, multichannel fashion retailing companies must continue to learn how to provide excellent service to such customers. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the interpretation of multichannel service quality by explaining it from the perspective of the so-called “multichannel customers”.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on social influence theory, this paper aims to investigate these issues from the perspective of multichannel customers. In contrast with dualist and objectivist studies, this paper uses a constructivist epistemology and ethnographic methodology. Such an approach is associated with an interpretivist ontological worldview, which postulates the existence of “multiple realities”. The sample size for this research consisted of 34 in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups comprising 10 focus group participants.

Findings

The data analysis fundamentally found that multichannel customers tended to continually adjust choices regarding retailer and retail ckhannel when making purchases. The perspective of this paper is different from mainstream positivist service quality research which sees service quality as static, objectively measurable and dualistic. As an alternative, this paper acknowledges service quality as a dynamic, subjective and pluralistic phenomenon.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the interpretation of multichannel service quality with a new concept that explains the phenomenon from the perspective of customers and thus considers it necessary for multichannel retailers to adopt strategies relating to customers’ changing behaviour.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2022

Kedwadee Sombultawee and Thanchanok Tansakul

The purpose of this paper is to investigate cognitive and affective customer service in Thailand's maltichannel retail environment. The research used the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate cognitive and affective customer service in Thailand's maltichannel retail environment. The research used the stimulus–organism–response model of consumer behaviour. The study's theoretical framework incorporated the multichannel service quality framework (Sousa and Voss, 2006) and a decomposed measure of customer experience, including cognitive and affective customer experience (Gao et al., 2021). Outcomes investigated included repurchase intention and word-of-mouth intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey of Thai consumers (aged 18 and over) who had purchased from multichannel retailers at least one time in the past year (n = 502) was conducted. Data were collected online and analysed using a structural equation modelling approach.

Findings

Significant factors in cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience included breadth of channel choice, transparency of channel, content consistency and process consistency. Effects differed in strength on these effects. Cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience influenced repurchase intention and word-of-mouth intention, with a stronger effect from affective customer experience.

Originality/value

This research presents an integrative model for customer experience in multichannel marketing, incorporating a well-established model of multichannel service quality and a decomposed measure of customer experience. It also illustrates the difference between cognitive customer experience and affective customer experience, which have different effect sizes from antecedents and different effects on outcome variables. This finding is a significant theoretical advancement.

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2021

Feng Yang, Wei Wang and Xiabing Zheng

The purpose of this paper is to establish a stylized model to solve the pricing strategy, resource allocation and consumer surplus problems of multichannel healthcare services.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a stylized model to solve the pricing strategy, resource allocation and consumer surplus problems of multichannel healthcare services.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers a two-stage decision model with different levels of consumers’ knowledge. Faced with physical problems, knowledgeable consumers can solve their problems by seeking online healthcare channels, while unknowledgeable consumers need to make a two-stage decision to try to solve their problems.

Findings

The effective diagnosis rate and the proportion of knowledgeable consumers positively impact the optimal pricing in online and offline channels. In addition, a higher proportion of knowledgeable consumers does not result in higher demand in the online and offline channels. Moreover, if service providers lower their prices a small amount, they will lose some profit, but the consumer surplus will be higher, which will encourage more consumers to access healthcare services.

Research limitations/implications

Knowledge levels are simplified into two categories. Also, the authors assume the resources of online and offline healthcare services are comparable.

Originality/value

This paper incorporates the knowledge level and misdiagnosis rate into the model framework to study the most effective pricing strategy for multichannel healthcare services.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 January 2021

Mónika Anetta Alt, Zsuzsa Săplăcan, Botond Benedek and Bálint Zsolt Nagy

Digital technology is revolutionizing insurance distribution allowing the insurer companies to reach customers via multichannel. The aim of this study is to segment potential…

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Abstract

Purpose

Digital technology is revolutionizing insurance distribution allowing the insurer companies to reach customers via multichannel. The aim of this study is to segment potential customers of life insurance based on their information search, purchasing channels and personal characteristics in the digital environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses cross-sectional research survey. In total, 422 questionnaires were collected through a convenience sample of the Romanian population. The data was segmented based on consumer information touchpoints (online vs offline), purchase channel preference (offline by a professional vs online by a standardized platform) and personal characteristics (age, marital status and children).

Findings

The channel segmentation analysis revealed that information channel preferences are the most important clustering variables, followed by purchase channel preferences, marital status, having children and age. Four distinct segments were identified: young fully offliners (23.7%), mature fully offliners (31.5%), committed online searchers (23.2%) and cross-channel onliners (21.6%).

Practical implications

Insurance companies should adapt their communication and distribution strategy based on multichannel segmentation and should focus on digital touchpoints with costumers.

Originality/value

Firstly, the paper reveals multichannel and hybrid segmentation for life insurance. Secondly, it extends the already studied retail channels with search engines and companies' websites. Thirdly, it extends the behavioural variables for channel segmentation with technology acceptance behaviour, attitude towards life insurance, knowledge about life insurance, attitude towards personal selling and quality appraisal of online information sources.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 49 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

Jin-Feng Wu and Ya Ping Chang

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of multichannel integration quality in enhancing online perceived value and online purchase intention via the online store…

7529

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of multichannel integration quality in enhancing online perceived value and online purchase intention via the online store operated by a land-based retailer.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a research model based on the “quality-value-purchase” chain, with four dimensions of multichannel integration quality as antecedents and three dimensions of online perceived value as mediators of online purchase intention. Empirical data were collected from 390 multichannel shoppers and structured equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

Among the four multichannel integration quality dimensions, transparency of service configuration, process consistency and business ties positively affect online purchase intention through online perceived value, whereas the effects of information consistency are not significant; process consistency exerts a stronger influence on online perceived value than business ties; the effect of online convenience on online purchase intention is weaker than that of online monetary savings and online hedonic value.

Research limitations/implications

The study identifies the theoretical principles of the relationships among multichannel integration quality, online perceived value and online perceived value in multichannel context. Based on these theoretical principles, this study will help researchers to better understand consumers’ online purchase intention and the creation of online perceived value in the integrated multichannel context.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can provide retailers with useful strategies to increase online purchase intention depending on improvement of multichannel integration quality and online perceived value.

Originality/value

This study provides a first study to empirically assess various types of online perceived value attached to multidimensional properties of multichannel integration quality and the corresponding effects on online purchase intention. Overall, the results offer insights of how land-based retailers could manage their online performance by integrating multiple channels and improving online perceived value.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2011

Chien‐Hsiang Liao, Hsiuju Rebecca Yen and Eldon Y. Li

Based on prior studies, the performance of customer relationships depends highly on the characteristics of the e‐service. However, the strength of this association can be impacted…

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Abstract

Purpose

Based on prior studies, the performance of customer relationships depends highly on the characteristics of the e‐service. However, the strength of this association can be impacted when businesses employ multichannel services (e.g. offering online and offline services). With multichannel services, any inconsistency in perceived quality across channels may result in customer distrust toward a service provider. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of inconsistent quality on the association between e‐service quality and customer relationships in a university context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a web survey and 318 respondents who have both physical and e‐service experiences were collected. The inconsistent quality across channels was divided into three groups by k‐means clustering approach. Next, the hypothesized associations were analyzed using regression analysis based on three groups.

Findings

The results show that inconsistent quality has different impacts on the association between e‐service quality and customer relationships across the three groups. Especially in the positive disconfirmation group, the investment in e‐services will be in vain because certain e‐service sub‐constructs lose their impact on customer relationships.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide implications for improving customer relationships under different cross‐channel quality inconsistency conditions for managers.

Originality/value

This study extends the concept of expectancy disconfirmation theory to the multichannel service context and pioneers the exploration of the moderating effect of cross‐channel quality inconsistency in customer relationships, contributing to the understanding of the literature about the impacts of inconsistent quality on customer relationships.

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2006

Loïc Plé

The purpose of this research is to explore the combining of marketing and organizational literature. This paper seeks to evaluate the relationships between multichannel

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the combining of marketing and organizational literature. This paper seeks to evaluate the relationships between multichannel coordination and customer participation, as seen through the lens of potential customer opportunism. It aims at showing the impact of this opportunism on the organizational design of multiple channels structures.

Design/methodology/approach

The research reports on an exploratory case study in a French retail bank. A total of 25 in‐depth interviews were conducted, and the use of other sources enabled data triangulation.

Findings

The results show first that an increase in the number of distribution channels is liable to favor customer opportunistic behavior. To counter this, the bank mainly relies on impersonal coordination modes. An emerging result highlights the role of the customer as a “perceptual filter” between the different channels of employees.

Research limitations/implications

Customer opportunism is studied via channels employees perceptions. An investigation using a customer survey may help to better understand this construct, e.g. to identify its antecedents, and to measure it precisely. Moreover, further qualitative and/or quantitative studies with larger sample sizes are needed to try and generalize these results.

Practical implications

It is recommended not to forget that customers can facilitate or hinder multichannel coordination. Retail banks have the power to use them conveniently, provided that they are fully conscious of the scope of the “partial employee” role played by the customer.

Originality/value

This paper broadens understanding of how multichannel distribution structures are coordinated, and in a way belies traditional organizational design literature. The emerging result gives birth to the concept of “reversed interactive marketing”, which has interesting theoretical and practical repercussions.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

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