Depósi o de in es igación de la Uni e sidad de Se illa
h ps://idus.us.es/
“This is an Accep ed Manusc ip o an a icle published by Taylo & F ancis in
Se ices Ma ke ing Qua e ly on 2014, a ailable a :
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/15332969.2014.946880.”
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
Re ail Se ices Su i al in an Economic C isis Con ex
The ou is ic indus y g ew 3% in 2012, globally c ea ing 101.2 million jobs and he
g ow h o ecas s o 2013 con inue being posi i e in e ms o he indus y’s con ibu ion o
he GDP (3.1%) and e en mo e so in he long e m (in 2023 he o ecas is ha ou ism will
be 10% o GDP) (WTTC, 2013). Tou ism is, hen, an indus y wi h a capaci y o gene a ing
employmen and incomes all o e he wo ld, as well as os e ing he dis ibu ion o weal h.
T a el agencies, which play a undamen al ole wi hin he ou is ic dis ibu ion sec o ,
a ange he anspo , accommoda ion and ood and be e ages se ices o a elle s
(Eu os a , 2012) in a e ail business which sells a mix u e o a el and leisu e p oduc s o
consume s - bo h indi iduals and businesses.
T a el agencies - whose dis inc i e cha ac e is ic is he se ice o assessmen which
hey o e he cus ome - a e acing a apidly-changing en i onmen wi h an inc ease o
compe i i eness due o he appea ance and expansion o online a el agencies, in eg a ion
p ocesses– bo h e ical and ho izon al – as well as Eu ope’s economic c isis. In a si ua ion
like his, gi en he economic ad an ages o e aining exis ing cus ome s as opposed o
sea ching o po en ial cus ome s, o es ablish and nou ish a pe manen ela ionship wi h
clien s can become he key ha ma ks he di e ence be ween he su i al o he
disappea ance o hese companies. The e o e, he e is an inc easingly g ea e need o a el
agencies o analyse he ma ke om he pe spec i e o cus ome s o design a se ice which is
capable o sa is ying hese cus ome s’ expec a ions and needs.
Loyal y is he mos demanded ou come om an app op ia e managemen o
ela ionships wi h cus ome s. I s p eceden s in consume ma ke s ha e been sca cely analysed
by he scien i ic li e a u e (Vesel and Zabka , 2010) because mos esea ch in cus ome
ela ionships has been ca ied ou in he business- o-business sphe e (A hanasopoulu, 2009).
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
This has le he consume ma ke s la gely unexplo ed. Fu he mo e, ano he ou come o he
ela ionship quali y (RQ) is also wo hy o a en ion: pu chase in en ion, a s ong p oxy o
making an ac ual pu chase (Hong and Cho, 2011).
Wha s ands ou in con as o he impo ance o he ou is ic indus y is he scan
esea ch published abou his indus y and he ole ha a el agencies play in he
comme cialisa ion o i s p oduc s and se ices. In he Cus ome Rela ionship Managemen
(CRM) a ea he e a e s ill sphe es in which i is necessa y o ca y ou a g ea e esea ch
e o o unmis akably es ablish, in all he domains, he co espondence be ween he
ela ionship which i ms se up wi h hei cus ome s and he esul s expec ed. Rela i ely li le
esea ch has been done on he CRM ou comes om he cus ome ’s poin o iew and mos o
his esea ch has been conduc ed using a quali a i e app oach (Si a aks, K ai i and Tang,
2011). So, he e is a lack o esea ch abou CRM, RQ: wo c ucial ou comes in he ou is ic
sec o in gene al and in he e ail sec o in pa icula .
On he o he hand, i is in e es ing o conside he quali y o he ela ionship in he
ou is ic con ex due o i s po en ial capaci y o ein o ce he cus ome s’ loyal y- an e ec ha
has al eady been e i ied o angible goods in di e en indus ies (Chiu, 2009). Bu in he
case o ou is ic p oduc s his could play a di e en ole. I is necessa y o ackle his, gi en
ha i s in angibili y makes i di icul o e alua e he quali y be o e, du ing and a e
consump ion.
This esea ch analyses, om he cus ome s’ pe spec i e, he ela ionship be ween he
CRM, RQ and wo impo an esul s (loyal y and pu chase in en ion) in e ail a el agencies.
The aim is a be e unde s anding o he ac o s which lead o he long- e m success o he
ela ionships be ween cus ome s and se ice i ms. The esul s o his s udy will be use ul o
academicians and p ac i ione s. F om he heo e ical poin o iew a sphe e in he li e a u e
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
which has been sca cely analysed is ackled: e aile s in he ou ism sec o . This is impo an
i we ake in o accoun ha wi hin a e ail con ex , i migh seem less ob ious ha e ail
cus ome s can ac ually o m a genuine o quali y ela ionship wi h hei e aile . F om a
p ac ical poin o iew, he esul s o his esea ch will allow e aile s o iden i y ma ke ing
s a egies on how o os e posi i e ela ionships wi hin which hei cus ome s emain in he
ansac ions willingly because hey pe cei e some ob ious bene i .
Cus ome Rela ionship Managemen and Rela ionship Quali y
Cus ome Rela ionship Managemen (CRM) can be de ined as a s a egic ision o he
i m owa d he managemen o he ela ionships wi h he cus ome s ia a se o ma ke ing
plans, ac i i ies and ac ions, along wi h sophis ica ed applica ions wi h p o essional suppo
o a ac , mo i a e and imp o e he ela ionships wi h cu en and po en ial cus ome s,
gene a ing bene i s bo h o he i m and o he cus ome s (Alsmadi and Alnawas, 2011).
CRM is a undamen al condi ion o main ain a en ion cen ed on cus ome s’ needs as
an elemen which can allow a compe i i e s a egy o success o be achie ed (Wu and Li,
2011). I also e ains cus ome s and ein o ces con inuous epu chasing pa e ns (Cas ellanos-
Ve dugo, O iedo-Ga cía, Roldán and Vee ape mal, 2009). CRM is use ul because i a ou s
he educ ion o he cos s o achie ing cus ome s, lowe s he cos s o selling/p omo ing he
se ice and he se ice ime, imp o es he cus ome ’s sa is ac ion , c ea es a sus ainable
compe i i e ad an age, inc eases he numbe o consume s and he e en ion a e, helps he
ga he ing o da a which con ibu e o measu ing he cus ome alue and inc eases he
cus ome loyal y due o a mo e pe sonal and e icien se ice.
The posi i e expe iences in he buye -selle ela ionship induce he main aining o a
cons i u ed ela ionship. The posi i e e ec s o CRM come om an imp o emen o he
ela ionship quali y (RQ) wi h he cus ome s wi h whom he long- e m ela ionships o
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
loyal y es ablished allow he imp o emen o p o i s. Thus, he ela ionship wi h cus ome s
becomes an impo an in angible asse (Wu and Li, 2011).
RQ is a gene al e alua ion o he s eng h o he ela ionship and he deg ee o which
his ul ills he needs and expec a ions o he pa ies in ol ed, based on a his o y o
encoun e s which ha e been a success o a ailu e (Chiu, 2009). RQ is de ined as he deg ee
o sui abili y o a ela ionship o sa is y he cus ome ’s needs associa ed wi h his ela ionship
(Hennig-Thu au and Klee, 1997). When he e is a s ong RQ, his indica es ha he pas
beha iou o he supplie has sa is ied he cus ome , ha he la e us s u u e pe o mance
and wishes o main ain he ela ionship.
In se ices con ex s, cus ome s a e aced wi h high deg ees o unce ain y, pe cei ed
as a consequence o ac o s such as he in angibili y, complexi y o he lack o amilia i y
wi h he se ice. This can be educed ia RQ. In consume ma ke s i is accep ed ha RQ is a
cons uc made up o cus ome sa is ac ion wi h he se ice p o ided, hei us in he se ice
supplie and he commi men o he cus ome s o he ela ionship es ablished wi h he
se ices i m (A hanasopoulou, 2009; Si a aks e al., 2011; Vesel and Zabka , 2010; Walsh
Hennig-Thu au, Sassenbe g and Bo nemann e al., 2010).
Sa is ac ion is a global e alua ion based on he buying and global consump ion
expe ience wi h a speci ic supplie (De Canniè e, De Pelsmacke , and Geuens, 2010), an
a ec i e esponse o he consume s who ind he in e ac ions o be sa is ac o y and
s imula ing. This condi ions he cus ome ’s decision o main ain he ela ionship wi h he
se ice supplie o no because wi hou cus ome sa is ac ion he ela ionship will no
con inue. Cus ome sa is ac ion is an essen ial componen o RQ, a key de e minan (Wu and
Li, 2011), which is loca ed a he hea o he exchange ela ionship (Vesel and Zabka ,

5
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
2010). This b oad eeling is in luenced by he se ice quali y, he p oduc quali y, he p ice
and bo h pe sonal and con ex ual ac o s (Liu, Guo, and Lee, 2011).
T us in he eliabili y and in eg i y o he se ice supplie is also conside ed o be a
undamen al componen o achie e success in he ela ionship. I s impo ance s ems om i s
capaci y o in luence in he o ganisa ions’ e iciency and e ec i eness, hanks o he us
be ween he pa ies educing he ansac ion isks and cos s. When a cus ome us s an
o ganisa ion - ha is, us s his o ganisa ion’s p oduc /se ice quali y - a long- e m loyal y is
achie ed and he ela ionships be ween bo h pa ies a e s eng hened. As us p oceeds om
p e ious posi i e expe iences wi h he se ice supplie , he consume will end o main ain
he ela ionship. T us plays an impo an ole in people’s pu chasing beha iou be o e and
a e he pu chase (Liu e al., 2011).
Commi men is ela ed o he cus ome ’s wish o con inue and ein o ce he
ela ionship and i is he di e en ia ing elemen o a success ul ela ionship (Wu and Li,
2011). Commi men is de ined as a long-las ing wish o main ain a aluable ela ionship (De
Canniè e e al., 2010) and ep esen s he highes le el o ela ional bonding, shown by s ong
eelings o union and obliga ion wi h he se ices o ganisa ion (Lin and Wu, 2011).
Commi men can lead o sho - e m sac i ices in o de o enjoy long- e m bene i s (Au ie
and N’Goala, 2009). Commi men by bo h pa ies is a po en indica o o he ela ionship’s
quali y (Ou, Shih, Chen, and Wang, 2011; Si a aks e al., 2011). This is e y use ul o
de e mine he p obabili y o he cus ome ’s loyal y.
The esul s o Wu and Li (2011) in he hospi ali y sec o , in line wi h hose o Chang
and Ku (2009) in di e en sec o s, indica e ha when cus ome s show a high le el o
awa eness o he ho el’s CRM ac ions, he RQ ecognised will be be e and he RQ e ec
can be imp o ed by implemen ing CRM. All his leads us o p opose ha he CRM ac ions
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
pe cei ed by he cus ome s con ibu e o imp o ing he quali y o he ela ionship which hey
es ablish wi h he i m. We hus o mula e he ollowing hypo hesis:
H1. When cus ome s ecognise CRM ac ions ca ied ou by he i m, hey will ha e a mo e
posi i e pe cep ion o RQ.
Loyal y and Pu chase In en ion as Rela ionship Quali y Ou comes
The RQ model o e s a heo e ical amewo k ha ela es se ice ela ionships o
o ganisa ion ou comes in which he cus ome ’s aluing o he in e pe sonal ela ionships wi h
he con ac pe sonnel has an impo an impac on he con inued use o he se ice by his
cus ome . The quali y o he ela ionship plays an ou s anding ole in he success o
ela ionships ma ke ing (Hennig-Thu au, 2000; Hennig-Thu au e al., 2002) and in he
cus ome ’s loyal y (Walsh e al., 2010), as well as ha ing an in luence on he cus ome s’
u u e beha iou in en ions (Ga ba ino and Johnson, 1999).
Two o he mo e impo an consequences o he ela ionship es ablished wi h he
se ice supplie a e pu chase in en ion and cus ome loyal y (Kim, Lee, and Yoo, 2006). As
his wo k analyses RQ om he cus ome ’s pe spec i e, i is app op ia e o use in he esea ch
how he RQ a ec s bo h a iables.
The cus ome s’ loyal y is hei in en ion o emain wi h an o ganisa ion, “a deeply
held commi men o ebuy o epa onise a p e e ed p oduc o se ice consis en ly in he
u u e, he eby causing epe i i e same b and o same b and-se pu chasing, despi e
si ua ional ac o s ha may cause swi ching beha io ” (Oli e , 1999, p. 34). I he e o e
ep esen s he cus ome ’s commi men o buy mo e and in a mo e a ied way om he
o ganisa ion and help i o, whene e possible, achie e success ( h ough, o example, wo d
o mou h). The g owing compe i i eness in he se ices indus y has made i ms become e y
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
conce ned in main aining long- e m ela ionships wi h hei cu en cus ome s (Jamil and
A ya y, 2010).
Resea ch in di e en a eas has empi ically es ablished he ela ion be ween RQ and
i s componen s and cus ome loyal y (Si a aks e al., 2011), al hough di e ences ha e been
iden i ied based on he ype o ho el es ablishmen (Wu and Li, 2011) o ype o se ice
conside ed (Walsh e al., 2010). As a whole, he esul s o p e ious esea ch (Si a aks e al.,
2011; Walsh e al., 2010) indica e ha high le els o RQ (o i s componen s) gene a e loyal y.
This leads us o o mula e he second hypo hesis.
H2. When cus ome s pe cei e ha hey ha e a posi i e RQ wi h he se ice supplie ,
hey will es ablish a ela ionship o loyal y wi h hem.
Pu chase in en ion e e s o he deg ee o pe cep ual con ic ion o a cus ome o
epu chase a pa icula p oduc /se ice o o epu chase any p oduc /se ice om a pa icula
o ganisa ion (Rajaobelina and Be ge on, 2009). I is a ques ion, hen, o a possibili y o a
u u e pu chase. This is a use ul indica o o es ima e he consume ’s beha iou . When
consume s ha e a posi i e pu chase in en ion hey a e d i en o inally ca y ou a pu chase
h ough he o ming o a commi men wi h he b and. In inancial se ices, Wong e al.
(2007) s a e ha he bes p edic o o he likelihood o a cus ome seeking u u e con ac wi h
a inancial se ices p o ide is he quali y o he ela ionship o da e. Rajaobelina and
Be ge on (2009) ound a posi i e ela ion be ween RQ and pu chase in en ion.
In ecen esea ch, De Canniè e e al. (2010) s a ed ha a be e RQ led o a s onge
pu chase in en ion o cus ome s wi h a weake ela ion wi h he e aile , whe eas a s onge
in en ion led o a i me pu chase beha iou o cus ome s wi h a s onge ela ion wi h he
e aile . We p opose as a hypo hesis:
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
H3. When cus ome s pe cei e ha hey ha e a posi i e RQ wi h he se ice supplie ,
hey will main ain a pu chase in en ion wi h his supplie .
Some p e ious s udies ha e analysed he impac o consume s’ a i udes on hei
buying beha iou (Allen e al., 1992; Wes b ook and Oli e , 1991). I seems plausible ha
cus ome loyal y o a e aile - a posi i e long e m a i ude (Espejel, Fandos, and Fla ián ,
2007) - would ha e a posi i e in luence on he consume ’s p edisposi ion o epea he
pu chase wi h ha speci ic e aile . Espejel e al. (2007; 2008) and Fandos and Fla ián (2006)
ha e es ablished a posi i e and signi ican e ec o loyal y on pu chase in en ion in ood
p oduc s wi h a p o ec ed designa ion o o igin (PDO). In a di e en a ea, e-ma ke places,
he e is also e idence o a posi i e ela ionship be ween loyal y and pu chase in en ion (Hong
and Cho, 2011). In he banking sec o i has been ound ha cus ome loyal y has a posi i e
in luence on c oss-buying in en ion (Tung and Ca lson, 2013). Souiden and Pons (2009)
showed a di ec posi i e impac o loyal y on pu chase in en ion in he case o ehicle use s
and Kim e al. (2011) in he online shopping o ou ism p oduc s and se ices. Ne e heless,
o he bes o ou knowledge, his ela ionship has no been checked ou in e ail a el
agencies.
H4. Cus ome loyal y has a posi i e impac on pu chase in en ion.
The ela ionship be ween he hypo heses o his esea ch is shown in Figu e 1.
--Inse igu e 1 abou he e—
Me hodology
To measu e he ela ionship be ween he cons uc s p oposed in he hypo heses
(CRM, RQ, loyal y and pu chase in en ion), a se o i ems alida ed in p e ious esea ch was
gene a ed ( Liu e al., 2011; Walsh e al., 2010; Wu and Li, 2011). F om his ini ial se o
i ems, a e ining p ocess o he sales ook place in wo phases. Face alidi y was e i ied
15
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
pe cei ed by he a el agencies’ cus ome s is in luenced by he CRM ac ions, a el agencies
mus make an e o o ein o ce hei ac ions in his a ea as hey will ha e an impac on an
imp o emen o he RQ. Al hough i is ue ha , o be ca ied ou , CRM ac ions mus be
suppo ed by a s ong echnological ounda ion - which means ha selec ing he echnology is
an impo an ac o -, o he elemen s, such as a igo ous analysis o he CRM ac ions, an
in e nal eo ganisa ion and lea ning a e he mos impo an de e minan s o success in he
implemen a ion o a CRM s a egy.
The ole ha con ac pe sonnel play in he cus ome ’s e alua ion o RQ is c ucial, as
is he main aining o he ela ionship in he long- e m once he ansac ion has been
concluded. The con ac pe sonnel a e he ehicle o undamen al communica ion wi h he
cus ome s and a e, indeed, he way in which he o ganisa ion shows i s business o ien a ion
owa d he cus ome s. I he a el agencies seek he loyal y o hei cus ome s h ough he
RQ hey es ablish wi h hem, his will hen become a decisi e ac o p o iding he con ac
pe sonnel wi h he lea ning and he ools necessa y o achie e sa is ac ion, us and
commi men , as well as de eloping a CRM s a egy.
F om he poin o iew o he RQ be ween he a el agencies and hei cus ome s, he
esul s ha e con i med ha i is made up o sa is ac ion, us and commi men . P e ious
esea ch has shown he impo ance o us in employees o us in he a el agency, as he
in e ac ion wi h he employees allows he e alua ing o hei compe i i eness and good
in en ions (Vázquez-Casielles e al., 2005).
In he e ail con ex , i could seem less e iden ha cus ome s gene a e an RQ wi h he
supplie , hus p oposing he challenge o how o c ea e ci cums ances which lead o
es ablishing posi i e ela ionships ha b ing abou he cus ome s emaining wi h his e aile
because hey pe cei e some bene i . In he case o a el agencies, i can be di icul o se up

16
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
commi ed ela ionships wi h hei cus ome s, con a y o se ices in he sphe e o indus ial
ma ke ing. This is because he se ices o a el agencies a e e y dependen on c edibili y
and cus ome s canno easily e alua e he esul o he se ice p o ision un il some ime a e
he da e o he ansac ion. The asymme y o he in o ma ion (Howden and P essey, 2008)
hinde s he cus ome ’s objec i e aluing o he se ice’s quali y (Johnson and G ayson,
2005). In gene al, ou is ic se ices a e suppo ed o a g ea ex en by c edibili y (Spielmann
e al., 2012) and, speci ically, by he a el agency-cus ome ela ionship. Hence, he se ice
p o ide mus be awa e o he impo ance o pe sonal in e ac ion in he cus ome ’s
pe cep ion.
To se up s ong communica ion lines wi h cus ome s (Al-Hawa i, 2011; Walsh e al.,
2010) abou aspec s such as hei sa is ac ion wi h he se ice, he punc uali y o he se ice,
a en ion o incon eniences du ing he enjoymen o he aca ions, e c., will con ibu e o
inc easing he commi men o he ela ionship es ablished wi h he a el agency. Moline e
al. (2007a, 2007b) ecommend ha ca e be aken wi h bo h emo ional aspec s - ela ed o he
enjoymen o he p oduc and he ime cus ome s spend in he agency du ing he pu chase
decision p ocess - and cogni i e aspec s, such as he p ice o he pe sonnel’s p o essionalism.
Howe e , online a el agencies canno o e con ac pe sonnel able o de elop RQ wi h he
cus ome s. I s impac on desi able ou comes o he agencies (loyal y and pu chase in en ion)
ha e been co obo a ed in his esea ch. Due o a el sales equi ing in ense collabo a i e
in e ac ion be ween he a el agen and he cus ome , many cus ome s a ach high
impo ance o he agen ’s ecommenda ions when booking hei a el plans. I e aile a el
agencies wish o achie e RQ ou comes, hey should concen a e hei e o s on selec ing,
mo i a ing and aining hei con ac pe sonnel. An impo an elemen in he social
in e ac ion be ween employee and cus ome is empa hy. This plays wo simul aneous oles: i
17
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
os e s success ul in e ac ions (symbiosis) and mi iga es he e ec s o nega i e expe iences in
se ice in e ac ion ( o gi eness) (Wieseke, Geigenmüle , and K aus, 2012).
The esea ch esul s make clea he possibili y o a el agencies ca ying ou CRM
wi h hei cus ome s. This imp o es he RQ ha hey es ablish wi h hem and esul s in,
inally, loyal y, and pu chase in en ion. Howe e , his is no an obs acle o using he
possibili ies ha In e ne o e s. Fo example, a co po a i e web page which se es as a
complemen o he a el agency’s ac i i y o assessing, in o de o imp o e sa is ac ion, o
ein o ce he commi men wi h he cus ome s and o inc ease hei us in he a el agency,
using he ne o p o ide alue o he cus ome in all he a el cycle - be o e, du ing and a e
i and no only when booking and pu chasing. In his way a esponse would be gi en o a pa
o he inc easingly mo e digi al, echni ied demand which chooses he pu chasing channel
based on he des ina ion o expe ience desi ed. To compe e wi h pu ely online agencies –
which base hei s a egy on low p ices – is no possible o o line e ail agencies, bu o
combine bo h o ms o ac ion is. This could gi e hem a compe i i e ad an age compa ed o
pu ely online a el agencies. New media p o ide ample oppo uni ies o g ow h h ough
new adap a i e s a egies (Hennig-Thu au e al., 2010).
Al hough his esea ch ills a esea ch gap – as empi ical esea ch abou he
pe cep ions cus ome s ha e o hei a el agency and how hey espond o he ac ions
unde aken by he a el agency is scan – i has some limi a ions, such as i s ans e sali y. I
would he e o e be e y in e es ing o ackle he analysis o he ela ionships p oposed om a
longi udinal pe spec i e as well as in o he esea ch con ex s. Mo eo e , ad ancing a s ep
u he , new esea ch mus es ablish he ela ionship be ween RQ ou comes and a eal epea
pu chase beha iou in e ail en i onmen s (De Canniè e e al., 2010). This has no been done
in he case o ou is ic p oduc s/se ices.
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Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
Las ly, he esea ch has aken place in a e ail se ing. This is a speci ic con ex , and
di e en ela ionships migh eme ge in o he con ex s, such as he ole ha RQ has o loses in
online a el agencies. This is because i he cus ome o his ype o a el agencies is
exclusi ely mo i a ed by a aining he lowes p ice, he ole pe o med by he RQ in his ype
o a el agencies could e en disappea .
19
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
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24
Running head: RETAIL SERVICES SURVIVAL IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTEXT
Table 1. Analysis and i ems o he e ined measu emen scales / A e age/ S anda d
de ia ion (SD)/s anda dised loads
Sacles/i ems
A e age
SD
Es . loadings
CRM – adap ed om Wu and Li (2011). C onbach’s α = 0.872
The agency’s opening hou s sa is y my demands as a cus ome
4.04
0.874
0.757
The agency p o ides an app op ia e in o ma ion and booking
se ice
4.02
0.981
0.753
The agency is conce ned abou i s cus ome s’ needs
3.76
1.070
0.812
The agency esponds o he opinions o i s cus ome s
2.84
1.355
0.822
Rela ionship Quali y (RQ)
Sa is ac ion – adap ed om Moline e al. (2007), Walsh e al.
(2010) and Wu and Li (2011). C onbach’s α = 0.881
The su oundings o he agency sa is ies me
3.76
0.947
0.784
The se ice a i ude o he agency’s employees sa is ies me
3.79
0.976
0.795
The p o essional knowledge o he i m’s employees sa is ies me
3.71
0.984
0.828
The agency has ne e annoyed me
3.68
0.955
0.820
My expe iences wi h he agency a e excellen
3.71
0.994
0.777
My expec a ions ha e always been sa is ied
3.77
0.963
0.787
T us – adap ed om Moline e al. (2007), Liu e al. (2011),
Walsh e al. (2010) and Wu and Li (2011). C onbach’s α = 0.879
The se ice supplied by he agency is us wo hy
3.85
0.886
0.814
The in o ma ion supplied by he agency is accu a e
3.80
0.921
0.746
The agency ea s i s cus ome s hones ly
3.86
0.896
0.780
You can us in he a el agency ul illing i s p omises
3.79
0.923
0.783
I ha e always had posi i e expe iences
3.77
0.945
0.738
The agency is able o supply i s cus ome s wi h wha hey a e
looking o
3.83
0.907
0.722
I ha e always been able o coun on hei suppo and help
3.60
1.007
0.784
They ha e been conce ned abou my wellbeing a all imes
3.39
1.004
0.711
I ully us his a el agency
3.58
1.013
0.818
Commi men – adap ed om Moline e al. (2007), Walsh e al.
(2010) and Wu and Li (2011). C onbach’s α = 0.801
I am e y commi ed o agency X
2.52
1.204
0.900
Agency X means a lo o me
2.36
1.154
0.896
I he agency we e o disappea , i would mean a g ea loss o me
2.29
1.150
0.799
Pu chasing in en ion- adap ed om Wu and Li (2011), Walsh e
al. (2010) C onbach’s α = 0.853
In he u u e, I will epea my pu chase o p oduc s/se ices in
his a el agency
3.38
0.982
0.785
I would consume a new p oduc o he agency i he agency
sugges ed his o me
3.04
0.969
0.771
I main ain a posi i e a i ude owa d he agency
3.49
0.951
0.779
My nex pu chase o a el/ icke s will be in his agency
3.15
1.022
0.737
Loyal y – adap ed om Liu e al. (2011). C onbach’s α = 0.871
I mean o emain wi h his a el agency
3.27
1.019
0.900
I mean o ecommend his agency o o he s
3.45
1.015
0.776
I am a loyal cus ome o his a el agency *
3.02
1.153
0.765
Sou ce: Own elabo a ion. *New i em