Switching Cost

We consider a scheduling problem in which a bounded number of jobs can be processed simultaneously by a single machine. The input is a set of n jobs J = {J 1 , . . . , J n }. Each job, J j , is associated with an interval [s j , c j ] along which it should be processed. Also given is the parallelism parameter g ≥ 1, which is the maximal number of jobs that can be processed simultaneously by a single machine. Each machine operates along a contiguous time interval, called its busy interval, which contains all the intervals corresponding to the jobs it processes. The goal is to assign the jobs to machines such that the total busy time of the machines is minimized.

Given that e-tailing service failure is inevitable, a better understanding of how service failure and recovery affect customer loyalty represents an important topic for academics and practitioners. This study explores the relationship of service failure severity, service recovery justice (i.e., interactional justice, procedural justice, and distributive justice), and perceived switching costs with customer loyalty; as well, the moderating relationship of service recovery justice and perceived switching costs on the link between service failure severity and customer loyalty in the context of e-tailing are investigated. Data collected from 221 useful respondents are tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results indicate that service failure severity, interactional justice, procedural justice and perceived switching costs have a significant relationship with customer loyalty, and that interactional justice can mitigate the negative relationship between service failure severity and customer loyalty. These findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications in terms of e-tailing service failure and recovery.

The management of customer switching costs has been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive typology for conceptualizing, categorizing, and measuring consumers' perceptions of these costs. This research develops a switching cost typology that identifies three types of switching costs: (1) procedural switching costs, primarily involving the loss of time and effort; (2) financial switching costs, involving the loss of financially quantifiable resources; and (3) relational switching costs, involving psychological or emotional discomfort due to the loss of identity and the breaking of bonds. The research then examines the antecedents and consequences of switching costs. The results suggest that consumers' perceptions of product complexity and provider heterogeneity, their breadth of product use, and their alternative provider and switching experience drive the switching costs they perceive. Furthermore, all three switching cost types significantly influence consumers' intentions to stay with their current service provider, explaining more variance than does satisfaction.

We present a finite control set model predictive controller for closed loop control of an active front-end rectifier. Our method operates in discrete-time and does not require additional modulators. The key novelty of the control algorithm presented lies in the way dynamic references are handled. The control strategy is capable of providing suitable references for the source active power and the rectified voltage, without requiring additional control loops. Experimental results show that fast and accurate tracking of dynamic DC-voltage and reactive power references can be achieved, while respecting restrictions on maximum power levels of the rectifier.

The conventional wisdom in economic theory holds that switching costs make markets less competitive. This paper challenges this claim. We formulate an empirically realistic model of dynamic price competition that allows for differentiated products and imperfect lock-in. We calibrate this model with data from frequently purchased packaged goods markets. These data are ideal in the sense that they have the necessary variation to separately identify switching costs from consumer heterogeneity. Equally important, consumers exhibit inertia in their brand choices, a form of psychological switching cost. This makes our results applicable to the broad range of products that are distinctly identified (i.e., branded) rather than just to those products for which there is a product adoption cost or explicit switching fee. In our simulations, prices are as much as 18 per cent lower with than without switching costs. More importantly, we do not observe equilibrium prices increasing even in the presence of switching costs that are of the same order of magnitude as product price.

Customer retention is an important element of any banking strategy in today’s increasingly competitive environment. This study examined the impact of retention factors that influence consumers ’ decisions to stay with Ghana Commercial Bank within the Agona Swedru Municipal area. The descriptive survey design was used for the research. Simple random sampling and self administered questionnaires were utilised to obtained data from 480 customers of the bank. Correlation and regression techniques were used to examine the relationships between customer satisfaction, service quality, customer trust, customer commitment, switching barrier factors and customer retention. The results revealed that on the whole, switching barrier emerged as the most significant factor influencing customer retention. This was followed by customer commitment and customer trust. The study recommends that management of the bank should pay attention to customer commitment by investing more into customer relationsh...

Stressful life situations can impair or facilitate various cognitive functions. In the present study, the effect of examination stress on students was examined using two executive function tasks, task-switching and the Stroop task, in a between-subject crossover design. Students showed increased anxiety in the 2 week period prior to exams compared to the beginning of the semester, manifested as higher scores on the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale and a shift to more sympathetic activation when heart rate variability was assessed. During the stressful period, the switching cost was reduced on a spatial task-switching paradigm and reaction times in the Stroop task were faster. This is the first study to show stress-induced facilitation of performance on these executive function tasks.

The task-switching paradigm is being increasingly used as a tool for studying cognitive control and task coordination. Different procedural variations have been developed. They have in common that a comparison is made between transitions in which the previous task is repeated and transitions that involve a change toward another task. In general, a performance switch cost is observed such that switching to a new task results in a slower and more error-prone execution of the task. The present article reviews the theoretical explanations of the switch cost and the findings collected in support of those explanations. Resolution and protection from interference by previous events explain part of the switching cost, but processes related to task setting and task preparation also play a prominent role, as testified by faster execution and lower switch costs when the preparation time is longer. The authors discuss the evidence in favor of each of these sets of accounts and raise a number of questions that situate task switching in a broader context of cognitive control processes. The role of several aspects of the task set, including task variations, task-set overlap, and task-set structure, is addressed, as is the role of knowledge about probability of task changes and about the structure of task sequences.

Although switching costs are increasingly finding their way into models of customer loyalty, a lack of consistency and clarity exists regarding the appropriate conceptualization and measurement of this critical strategic construct. To address this deficiency, the following six dimensions of switching costs were proposed: (1) lost performance costs; (2) uncertainty costs; (3) pre-switching search and evaluation costs; (4) post-switching behavioral and cognitive costs; (5) setup costs; and (6) sunk costs. Support for these six dimensions was obtained across two studies and two service industries (banks and hairstylists). The multidimensional scale (24 items) evidenced reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. In addition, individual dimensions related to various constructs in predictable and sometimes differential ways. For example, while all switching cost dimensions were positively and significantly associated with repurchase intentions in the overall sample, the association was strongest with lost performance costs. Industry differences also emerged both in the mean level of perceptions across switching cost dimensions, as well as in the strength of relationships between switching costs and outcomes such as repurchase intentions. For example, perceptions of setup costs and pre-switching search and evaluation costs were higher for hairstylists than banks and were also more strongly associated with repurchase intentions for hairstylists than banks. Strategic implications and areas for future research are discussed. D

The current study moves beyond satisfaction and proposes that switching barriers are important factors impacting a customer's decision to remain with a service provider. Switching barriers make customer defection difficult or costly and include interpersonal relationships, perceived switching costs, and the attractiveness of alternatives. We propose and find support for a contingency model between core-service satisfaction and switching barriers. The results indicate that the influence of core-service satisfaction on repurchase intentions decreases under conditions of high switching barriers. Although switching barriers had no influence on repurchase intentions when satisfaction was high, switching barriers positively influenced repurchase intentions when satisfaction was low. Implications of the results are discussed.

Taking an operational perspective on the relations between employee loyalty and business performance, we examine the relationships among employee loyalty, service quality, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and firm profitability, and the contextual factors influencing these relationships. We developed a research model grounded in the service-profit chain notion of and empirically tested the model by conducting a survey of 210 high-contact service shops in Hong Kong. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we observed that employee loyalty is significantly related to service quality, which in turn impacts customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, ultimately leading to firm profitability in high-contact service industries. Using multiple-group analysis of SEM, we found that the effect of employee loyalty on firm profitability through service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is robust under different scenarios of employeecustomer contact level, market competitiveness, and switching cost in the sampled shops. This finding supports the generalizability of the observed relationships in various operating contexts.

Oliver (1997) suggests a four-stage loyalty model proposing that loyalty consists of belief, affect, intentions, and action. Although this model has recently been subject to empirical examination, the issue of moderator variables has been largely neglected. This article fills that void by analyzing the moderating effects of switching barriers, using a sample of 589 customers of a large doit-yourself (DIY) retailer. The results suggest that these moderators exert an influence on the development of the different stages of the loyalty sequence. Specifically, switching costs, social benefits, and the attractiveness of alternatives are found to be important moderators of the links in the four-stage loyalty model.

This paper studies the location choices of Japanese manufacturing and service firms in Europe between 1970 and 1995. We examine whether the presence of Japanese manufacturing (service) firms attracts other Japanese manufacturers (service providers), whether there exist inter-industry linkages between the two sectors, and how such intra-and inter-industry agglomeration effects have evolved over time. We find evidence of circular causation: in the 1970's the presence of Japanese manufacturing FDI in a particular location attracted other Japanese investors in both manufacturing and services. This effect was completely reversed in the 1980's and the first half of the 1990's. In this period, it was the presence of Japanese service companies that attracted manufacturing.

Purpose -To investigate the determinants of behavioural brand loyalty amongst dissatisfied customers in the business-to-business (B2B) services sector. Design/methodology/approach -A qualitative study was conducted, with 28 personal interviews undertaken with managers who are involved in the choice of service providers. The respondents belonged to 24 organisations located in Australia. Template analysis and eyeballing were techniques used to analyse the data collected. Findings -Assessment of the reasons why dissatisfied customers stayed with the service providers resulted in six categories. The categories were found to be, in order of decreasing frequency, impact of alternative providers, switching costs (18), others (17), inertia (14), investment in relationships (13), and service recovery (13). The results not only confirmed factors found in the literature, but also uncovered eleven other factors. Research limitations/implications -The sample size, whilst appropriate for qualitative research, should be considered adequate only for exploratory analysis and a further quantitative study is needed to validate the study. Practical implications -This study is important for those firms who have many prospective switchers because it is important to understand why these customers stay, and to what extent such firms can discourage such customers from leaving in both positive and negative ways. For those service firms that are attempting to attract these prospective switchers, an understanding of why they do not switch is important, as it will enable them to develop strategies to overcome these switching barriers and gain market share. Originality/value -This research is the first study to investigate in a single model a range of barriers to switching in a B2B services context. The results that confirmed categories found in the literature also discovered eleven other factors not evident in the extant literature.

Using two languages on an everyday basis appears to have a positive effect on general-purpose executive control in bilinguals. However, the neural correlates of this effect remain poorly understood. To investigate the brain bases of the bilingual advantage in executive control, we tested 21 Spanish monolinguals and 19 Spanish-Catalan early bilinguals in a non-verbal task-switching paradigm. As expected based on previous experiments on non-verbal task switching, we found activation in the right inferior frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate of monolingual participants. While bilingual participants showed a reduced switching cost, they activated the left inferior frontal cortex and the left striatum, a pattern of activation consistent with networks thought to underlie language control. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that bilinguals' early training in switching back and forth between their languages leads to the recruitment of brain regions involved in language control when performing non-linguistic cognitive tasks.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework of the factors that potentially influence dissatisfied customers to continue purchasing from their existing service provider in the business-to-business (B2B) services sector. Design/methodology/approach -This review paper synthesises the findings from previous studies on switching barriers, and relationship variables, dependence, and calculative commitment. Findings -Five major factors deter customers from switching to an alternative service provider: switching costs; interpersonal relationships; the attractiveness of alternatives; service recovery; and inertia. These factors are mediated by dependence and calculative commitment. Originality/value -This is the first comprehensive study of the factors that potentially influence dissatisfied customers to remain behaviourally loyal to a service provider in the B2B services sector. This important study has significance for marketers in developing strategies for customer retention and service recovery.

Fokus penelitian ini adalah menganalisis loyalitas konsumen internet service provider dengan menggunakan mobile access dengan mengambil studi kasus pada pelanggan internet broadband di Jabodetabek. Variabel yang digunakan untuk mengukur loyalitas adalah variabel kepuasan pelanggan, service quality, switching cost, persepsi harga dan corporate image. Metode analisis data pada penelitian ini adalah metode survey dengan menganalisis data utama yang bersumber dari kuesioner yang disebarkan kepada 200 pelanggan internet broadband dari pelanggan konsumen internet service provider yang menggunakan mobile wireless access. Teknik sampel yang digunakan adalah judgment sampling dengan sampling error sebesar 5% dan tingkat kepercayaan sebesar 10%. Hasil Penelitian ini adalah variabel kepuasan pelanggan dan variabel switching cost yang mempengaruhi secara signifikan variabel loyalitas. Sedangkan variabel service quality secara signifikan mempengaruhi variabel kepuasan pelanggan dan variabel corporate image. Kata-kata kunci : kepuasan pelanggan, service quality, switching cost, persepsi harga, corporate image.

Although researchers and managers pay increasing attention to customer value, satisfaction, loyalty, and switching costs, not much is known about their interrelationships. Prior research has examined the relationships within subsets of these constructs, mainly in the business-toconsumer (B2C) environment. The authors extend prior research by developing a conceptual framework linking all of these constructs in a business-to-business (B2B) service setting. On the basis of the cognition-affect-behavior model, the authors hypothesize that customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between customer value and customer loyalty, and that customer satisfaction and loyalty have significant reciprocal effects on each other. Furthermore, the potential interaction effect of satisfaction and switching costs, and the quadratic effect of satisfaction, on loyalty are explored. The authors test the hypotheses on data obtained from a courier service provider in a B2B context. The results support most of the hypotheses and, in particular, confirm the mediating role of customer satisfaction.

We study whether bank ownership is related to bank efficiency in Russia. We find that foreign banks are more efficient than domestic private banks and -surprisingly -that domestic private banks are not more efficient than domestic public banks. These results are not driven by the choice of the production process, the bank's environment, the management's risk preferences, the bank's activity mix, size or the econometric approach. The evidence in fact suggests that domestic public banks are more efficient than domestic private banks and that the efficiency gap between these two types of banks is not lower after the introduction of deposit insurance in 2004. This may be due to increased switching costs or to the moral hazard effects of deposit insurance. The policy conclusion is that the efficiency of the Russian banking system may benefit more from increased levels of competition and higher access of foreign banks than from bank privatization.

This paper examines the consequences of introducing mobile number portability (MNP). We show that if the sole effect of introducing MNP is the abolishment of switching costs, MNP unambiguously benefits mobile customers. However, if MNP also causes consumer ignorance, as telephone numbers no longer identify networks, mobile operators will increase termination charges, with ambiguous net effect on the surplus of mobile customers. We examine how extensions such as MNP based on call-forwarding, termination fee regulation, and alternative means of carrier identification affect these findings and discuss policy implications.

This study extends the body of literature concerning service switching, complaint handling, dependence and commitment by investigating why dissatisfied B2B customers do not switch service providers. Specifically, it develops and tests a social exchange-based model examining how dissatisfied, but behaviourally loyal, customers act in terms of their repurchase intentions. A conceptual model, specifying a set of hypothesised relationships between dimensions of switching costs, interpersonal relationships, dimensions of complaint handling, satisfaction with complaint handling, attractiveness of alternatives, dependence, calculative commitment and repurchase intentions, was examined using AMOS 17.0 on a sample of 376 business directors/managers from responding organisations. The results show that satisfaction with complaint handling, benefit-loss costs, dependence and calculative commitment significantly increase customers' repurchase intentions. The findings also indicate that dependence, interpersonal relationships and specific types of switching costs influence customers' calculative commitment, and the latter influences intentions to repurchase services. The study builds on the Investment Model by including justice components, and examines the effects of different types of antecedents on calculative commitment that have previously not been examined.

In the present study, we examined whether there is a symmetrical masked translation priming effect for non-cognate words in a group of highly proficient (nativelike) Basque-Spanish simultaneous bilinguals using event-related brain potentials.

This paper contributes towards a conceptual understanding of the role of the different aspects of relational benefits (confidence, social and economic benefits) and switching costs (evaluation, learning, and setup costs) in the context of Internet-based electronic markets. Hypotheses and directions for future empirical research are presented.

& Using event-related potentials (ERPs), we investigated the neural response associated with preparing to switch from one task to another. We used a cued task-switching paradigm in which the interval between the cue and the imperative stimulus was varied. The difference between response time (RT) to trials on which the task switched and trials on which the task repeated (switch cost) decreased as the interval between cue and target (CTI) was increased, demonstrating that subjects used the CTI to prepare for the forthcoming task. However, the RT on repeated-task trials in blocks during which the task could switch (mixed-task blocks) were never as short as RTs during single-task blocks (mixing cost). This replicates previous research. The ERPs in response to the cue were compared across three conditions: single-task trials, switch trials, and repeat trials. ERP topographic differences were found between single-task trials and mixed-task (switch and repeat) trials at $160 and $310 msec after the cue, indicative of changes in the underlying neural generator configuration as a basis for the mixing cost. In contrast, there were no topographic differences evident between switch and repeat trials during the CTI. Rather, the response of statistically indistinguishable generator configurations was stronger at $310 msec on switch than on repeat trials. By separating differences in ERP topography from differences in response strength, these results suggest that a reappraisal of previous research is appropriate. &

This research focuses attention upon three related issues: the persistence of technological progress over time, multiple adoption decisions over a long horizon, and the impact of production based learning on those decisions. We develop a simple economic model for a single product producing firm incorporating continuous technological progress, linear product demand, linear switching costs, and experience based cost reductions. A dynamic programming framework is used to evaluate cases where either one or an unlimited number of adoptions are allowed over an infinite horizon. Both structural and numerical results are presented. Fundamental results serve to explain several counter-intuitive dynamics. In the single adoption case, faster rates of technological progress, as well as growing markets, or a steeply sloping demand curve, serve to delay adoption while an increased ability to learn may accelerate it. When multiple adoptions are allowed, the adoption of any particular technology presents a ''window of opportunity'' in which future investment will be warranted. If, for whatever reason, this window has passed, then maintaining the older technology becomes more attractive than adoption. Thus, seemingly outdated technologies may remain embedded in some settings.

The present study examined age differences in executive functioning, using an externally cued task-switching paradigm. Two components of task switching were assessed: the ability to maintain and select among task sets (general switch costs) and the ability to switch between task sets (specific switch costs). In contrast to previous findings, we found large age-related differences in specific switch costs, especially when the number of potentially relevant task sets is increased from two to four. Age-related differences in general switch costs were absent when external task cues subserved executive processing in task switching. Generally, the findings suggest that age-related impairments in task-switching components vary as a function of task uncertainty, such as the presence of environmental prompts to behavior. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)

Customer retention is an important element of any banking strategy in today’s increasingly competitive environment. This study examined the impact of retention factors that influence consumers ’ decisions to stay with Ghana Commercial Bank within the Agona Swedru Municipal area. The descriptive survey design was used for the research. Simple random sampling and self administered questionnaires were utilised to obtained data from 480 customers of the bank. Correlation and regression techniques were used to examine the relationships between customer satisfaction, service quality, customer trust, customer commitment, switching barrier factors and customer retention. The results revealed that on the whole, switching barrier emerged as the most significant factor influencing customer retention. This was followed by customer commitment and customer trust. The study recommends that management of the bank should pay attention to customer commitment by investing more into customer relationsh...

This paper generalizes the standard habit formation model to an environment in which agents form habits over individual varieties of goods as opposed to over a composite consumption good. We refer to this preference specification as 'deep habit formation.' Under deep habits, the demand function faced by individual producers depends on past sales. This feature is typically assumed ad-hoc in customer market and brand switching cost models. A central result of the paper is that deep habits give rise to countercyclical markups, which is in line with the empirical evidence. This result is important because ad-hoc formulations of customer-market and switching-cost models have been criticized for implying procyclical and hence counterfactual markup movements. Under deep habits, consumption and wages respond procyclically to government spending shocks. The paper provides econometric estimates of the parameters pertaining to the deep habit model. JEL Classification: D10, D12, D42, E30.

T he ability to retain and lock in customers in the face of competition is a major concern for online businesses, especially those that invest heavily in advertising and customer acquisition. In this paper, we develop and implement an approach for measuring the magnitudes of switching costs and brand loyalty for online service providers based on the random utility modeling framework. We then examine how systems usage, service design, and other firmand individual-level factors affect switching and retention. Using data on the online brokerage industry, we find significant variation (as much as a factor of two) in measured switching costs. We find that customer demographic characteristics have little effect on switching, but that systems usage measures and systems quality are associated with reduced switching. We also find that firm characteristics such as product line breadth and quality reduce switching and may also reduce customer attrition. Overall, we conclude that online brokerage firms appear to have different abilities in retaining customers and have considerable control over their switching costs. (Switching Cost; Electronic Markets; Customer Retention)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to measure consumer‐based brand equity in the supermarket industry and to identify the strategy drivers associated with levels of brand equity for consumers' typically patronized supermarkets.Design/methodology/approachA nine state survey of consumers was conducted to provide brand equity ratings of 22 national, regional, and specialty supermarket brands.FindingsFactor analysis yields two brand equity outcome dimensions and eight brand equity drivers. A large proportion of consumers clearly have strong feelings about the supermarkets they patronize, and that effort expended in keeping customers, service level, and product quality and assortment appear to be basic requirements for achieving high levels of consumer‐based brand equity. The top supermarket brands typically score highly on at least one other key driver of equity. Supermarket brands that use formal loyalty programs to drive patronage in general have lower levels of customer‐based br...

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to measure consumer-based brand equity in the supermarket industry and to identify the strategy drivers associated with levels of brand equity for consumers' typically patronized supermarkets. Design/methodology/approach-A nine state survey of consumers was conducted to provide brand equity ratings of 22 national, regional, and specialty supermarket brands. Findings-Factor analysis yields two brand equity outcome dimensions and eight brand equity drivers. A large proportion of consumers clearly have strong feelings about the supermarkets they patronize, and that effort expended in keeping customers, service level, and product quality and assortment appear to be basic requirements for achieving high levels of consumer-based brand equity. The top supermarket brands typically score highly on at least one other key driver of equity. Supermarket brands that use formal loyalty programs to drive patronage in general have lower levels of customer-based brand equity. Research limitations/implications-Selection of designated supermarkets was limited by spatial distribution in the geographic area. The sample is more affluent and educated than the general US population. Practical implications-As retailers search for ways to compete more effectively for consumer dollars and loyalty, they need to explore in more detail the customer-based brand equity and the drivers of customer equity associated with their retail brands. Originality/value-This paper is the first to link consumer-based brand equity and the supermarket branding efforts that drive it for specific retail brands. In an industry with numerous choices in nearly all market areas and low switching costs, successful branding can translate into emotional commitment, shopping loyalty, and even person-to-person promotion of the brand to others.

This paper explains why some employees who favor unionization fail to join, and why others who wish to abandon union membership continue paying dues. Our explanation is based on a model where employees incur switching (search) costs when attempting to abandon (acquire) union membership. Empirical analysis for Britain confirms one of the main predictions from the switching-cost-model that segmentation in the market for unionization persists even when mandatory membership provisions are eliminated and economy-wide density falls. The importance of these and other empirical findings for both theory and policy are discussed. JEL Classification: J31, J50, J51

Nowadays, protecting market share against rival firms is more important than ever due to the decline in market growth rate and the increase in the competition. The main requirement for protecting market share is to create loyal customers. Switching costs are one of the strategies for reaching this goal. Switching costs are important factors in terms of both banks and

The competitive market environment has evolved from a physical market environment (PME) to an Internetenabled market environment (IME) encompassing the physical and electronic marketplaces. At the same time, an increasing number of information products are available in both analog and digital forms. For information products in digital form, the IME also serves as a distribution channel. Such developments raise questions concerning the extent to which extant perspectives on first-mover advantage developed in the context of the PME hold in the IME, generally, and for information products specifically. We address this issue by developing a conceptual framework that focuses on selected sources of first-mover advantage delineated in the extant literature and advance propositions concerning sources that will have a greater or lower effect in the IME relative to the PME. A central message for firstmovers in the IME that emerges from our conceptual analysis is to focus on achieving superior positions in resources that would enable them to get close to the customers fast, create switching costs, and retain them though ongoing investments in multi-faceted innovations. A second message that emerges for first-movers in the IME is they must take note of and make strategic adjustments for the poten-tially diminished significance of some traditional sources of first-mover advantage. These sources include spatial preemption, preemptive investment in capacity, and consumers' choice behavior under conditions of uncertainty about product quality. We discuss the implications for further conceptual and empirical work in this area of increasing significance.

To date, little empirical study has tested the effects of service encounter performance, satisfaction, trust, commitment, and switching costs on word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions in a single framework. To fill this gap, this study attempted to investigate the roles that these variables play in determining WOM intentions of customers in a full-service restaurant by considering monetary and nonmonetary switching costs as moderators in WOM intentions, along with satisfaction, trust, and commitment. The results of the structural equation modeling showed that encounter performance, satisfaction, trust, and commitment had essential roles in generating WOM intentions, whereas satisfaction, trust, and commitment were found to act as partial or complete mediators in the proposed framework. Last, the tests verified the moderating effects of monetary and nonmonetary switching costs on the bonds linking encounter performance and satisfaction to WOM intentions. However, the paths from trust and commitment to WOM intentions were not moderated by switching costs. A key finding was that the perception of high switching costs may diminish customers' intent to share word of mouth. Rather than attempt to create high switching costs, however, restaurateurs may improve WOM and reduce defections by paying careful attention to service excellence and meeting guests' needs and desires.

On the basis of empirical research carried out in the retail banking market, this paper proposes a structural equations model enabling us to reach the conclusions that satisfaction together with personal switching costs are antecedents leading directly to customer loyalty, with the former ...

The purpose of this paper is twofold. Firstly it attempts to explore the effect of brand image on customer loyalty through service delivery and customer satisfaction. Secondly it explores as to how switching cost as a moderator affects the association between these two variables. Data were collected from those customers of four major organized super markets in India who have been associated with retailers for past 4 years or more, in the month of October and November, 2019 which incidentally is the biggest festive season of India. Results reveal that brand image affects customer loyalty with and without the intervention of customer satisfaction and service delivery. Further the results reveal that the propensity to switch to another retailer is indirectly proportional to switching cost.