Satisfaction with interpersonal and internet interactions in Thai corporate banking: an exploratory study

This research explores bank and corporate customer views on customer satisfaction with interpersonal and internet channels in Thailand, and examines the concept of integration to blend the two channels rather than operating them as separate alternatives. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with top management of five leading commercial banks, which have implemented internet banking, and with financial officers of 14 large corporate customers of these banks. Corporate customers still prefer personal contact most of the time, although they find the internet channel useful for some things. Sources of satisfaction with interpersonal service interactions are broad. Satisfaction drivers on the internet are relatively narrow, but sources of dissatisfaction on the internet are quite extensive. Integrating interpersonal and internet channels more strongly would be a quite attractive new option to suit their businesses. Thai banks, however, do not seem to be aware of customer views favouring integration.

[1]  M. Speece,et al.  Technology Integration: Perceptions of Sales Force Automation in Thailand's Life Assurance Industry , 2004 .

[2]  Mark Durkin,et al.  Reflections on bank–customer interactions in the new millennium , 2000 .

[3]  Michael A. Jones,et al.  Transaction‐specific satisfaction and overall satisfaction: an empirical analysis , 2000 .

[4]  G. Svensson.  New aspects of research into service encounters and service quality , 2006 .

[5]  Mary Jo Bitner,et al.  Self-Service Technologies: Understanding Customer Satisfaction with Technology-Based Service Encounters , 2000 .

[6]  Mary Jo Bitner,et al.  Critical Service Encounters: The Employee's Viewpoint , 1994 .

[7]  Aodheen O'Donnell,et al.  Corporate banking in the UK: personal vs remote interaction , 2002 .

[8]  Rajesh Sethi,et al.  The role of interpersonal liking in building trust in long-term channel relationships , 2001 .

[9]  Mark Speece,et al.  Perceptions of relationship marketing among account managers of commercial banks in a Chinese environment , 2000 .

[10]  Lawrence A. Crosby,et al.  Relationship Quality in Services Selling: An Interpersonal Influence Perspective: , 1990 .

[11]  Siriluck Rotchanakitumnuai,et al.  The impact of web-based service on switching cost: evidence from Thai internet banking , 2005, ICEC '05.

[12]  M. Speece,et al.  Corporate Customer Perspectives on Business Value of Thai Internet Banking Services , 2004 .

[13]  Mary Jo Bitner,et al.  The Service Encounter: Diagnosing Favorable and Unfavorable Incidents: , 1990 .

[14]  R. Järvinen,et al.  Options of strategic decision making in services , 2003 .

[15]  C. Perry,et al.  Convergent interviewing to build a theory in under‐researched areas: principles and an example investigation of Internet usage in inter‐firm relationships , 2003 .

[16]  R. Fisk,et al.  Improving satisfaction with bank service offerings: measuring the contribution of each delivery channel , 2003 .

[17]  N. J. Black,et al.  Modelling consumer choice of distribution channels: an illustration from financial services , 2002 .

[18]  C. Perry,et al.  Comprehensive criteria to judge validity and reliability of qualitative research within the realism paradigm , 2000 .

[19]  Steven R. Gordon,et al.  The impact of information technology on customer and supplier relationships in the financial services , 2002 .

[20]  J. Cunningham,et al.  The diffusion of Internet banking among Singapore consumers , 2003 .

[21]  Richard A. Spreng,et al.  A Reexamination of the Determinants of Consumer Satisfaction , 1996 .

[22]  Susan Spiggle.  Analysis and Interpretation of Qualitative Data in Consumer Research , 1994 .

[23]  Pare Guy,et al.  ENHANCING THE RIGOR OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: APPLICATION OF A CASE METHODOLOGY TO BUILD THEORIES OF IT IMPLEMENTATION , 2002 .

[24]  Mark Speece,et al.  Satisfaction drivers for Internet service technology among stock brokerage customers in Thailand , 2002 .

[25]  D. Pujari.  Self‐service with a smile?: Self‐service technology (SST) encounters among Canadian business‐to‐business , 2004 .

[26]  P. Evans,et al.  Strategy and the new economics of information. , 1997, Harvard business review.

[27]  Adrienne Curry,et al.  The relative importance of technology in enhancing customer relationships in banking – a Scottish perspective , 2004 .

[28]  M. Speece,et al.  Barriers to Internet banking adoption: a qualitative study among corporate customers in Thailand , 2003 .

[29]  F. F. Reichheld,et al.  Zero defections: quality comes to services. , 1990, Harvard business review.

[30]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  Technology Readiness Index (Tri) , 2000 .

[31]  M. Speece,et al.  Qualitative Exploratory Research on Customer Acceptance of Technology in Financial Services , 2004 .

[32]  Michael A. McCollough,et al.  An Empirical Investigation of Customer Satisfaction after Service Failure and Recovery , 2000 .