HOW EMPLOYEE TRUSTWORTHY BEHAVIORS INTERACT TO EMOTIONALLY BOND SERVICE CUSTOMERS

ABSTRACT  Customer relationship management (CRM) vendors have created hardware and software solutions which allow firms to better capture information and activities that help manage the firm-customer relationship. However, there is growing recognition that CRM involves more than the implementation of sophisticated technology and also requires a deeper understanding of firm processes and capabilities. The present study contributes to relational marketing research by exploring the integration of subprocesses critical to high quality business-to-business relationships. Specifically, we examine the interaction of front-line employee behaviors that influence customer satisfaction and affective commitment. Survey data from 103 business bank customers was analyzed with hierarchical regression analysis. Results find that the perception of employee benevolence interacts with perceptions associated with employee problem solving to moderate the relationship between employee problem solving and bank customer satisfaction. Specifically, when perceived employee benevolence is high, employee problem solving has a strong positive effect on bank customer satisfaction. Further, consistent with predictions, customer satisfaction mediates the effect of employee behavior on bank customer affective commitment. Conceptual and managerial implications for strategically bonding customers are discussed.