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The influence of relationship marketing investments on customer gratitude in retailing

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  • Huang, Min-Hsin

Abstract

Customer gratitude represents the emotional core of reciprocity and plays a key force in developing and maintaining successful seller–buyer relational exchanges. Based upon personal interviews with 239 members of loyalty card programs of a department chain store, this study shows that alternative relationship marketing investments (i.e., direct mail, tangible rewards, interpersonal communication, and preferential treatment) have a differential influence on customers' gratitude and consequently behavioral loyalty. More specifically, results of this study indicate that preferential treatment is the most effective relationship marketing tactic to enhance customer gratitude, followed by interpersonal communication and tangible rewards, respectively. Management implications for retailers to increase customers' gratitude are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Min-Hsin, 2015. "The influence of relationship marketing investments on customer gratitude in retailing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1318-1323.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:6:p:1318-1323
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.12.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Pilar Fernández‐Ferrín & Sandra Castro‐González & Belén Bande, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility, emotions, and consumer loyalty in the food retail context: Exploring the moderating effect of regional identity," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 648-666, March.
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    9. Chang, Woojung & Song, Ji Hee & Lee, Sungho, 2020. "Observation of other's preferential treatment as a constructive catalyst for improved repatronize intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    10. Obeng, Efua & Nakhata, Chinintorn & Kuo, Hsiao-Ching, 2019. "“Paying it forward: The reciprocal effect of superior service on charity at checkout”," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 250-260.
    11. Mpinganjira, Mercy & Maduku, Daniel K., 2019. "Ethics of mobile behavioral advertising: Antecedents and outcomes of perceived ethical value of advertised brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 464-478.
    12. Bi, Qingqing, 2019. "Cultivating loyal customers through online customer communities: A psychological contract perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 34-44.
    13. Lee, Hyunjung Crystal & Chugani, Sunaina & Namkoong, Jae-Eun, 2022. "The role of entitlement and perceived resources in gratitude’s effect on materialism: Longitudinal and situational effects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 993-1003.
    14. Simon, Françoise & Tossan, Vesselina, 2018. "Does brand-consumer social sharing matter? A relational framework of customer engagement to brand-hosted social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 175-184.
    15. Wilhelmus Hary Susilo & Yan Pieter Mulia Hutabarat & Otto Bustani, 2019. "The Pursuit for Brand Usage Intent: Insight in Higher Education which Used the Compatible Computer," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 125-132.
    16. Maraj Rahman Sofi & Iqbal Ahmad Hakim, 2018. "Customer Relationship Management as Tool to Enhance Competitive Effectiveness: Model Revisited," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 7(3), pages 201-215, September.
    17. Aldhamiri, Ali & Carlson, Jamie & Vilches-Montero, Sonia & Rahman, Syed Mahmudur & Gudergan, Siegfried P., 2024. "What drives higher active customer engagement in luxury brands’ social media? Measurement and contingencies," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. Fiona Cownie, 2017. "Gratitude and its drivers within higher education," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(2), pages 290-308, July.
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    20. Gilboa, Shaked & Seger-Guttmann, Tali & Mimran, Ofir, 2019. "The unique role of relationship marketing in small businesses’ customer experience," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 152-164.

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