Tell me what your customer does online, and I'll tell you how strong your relationship is : how customer digital engagement behaviors signal relationship quality

This research examines how digital engagement behaviors signals Relationship Quality (RQ) between companies and customers. Traditionally, RQ is measured through customer surveys capturing satisfaction, trust, and commitment, but these methods often face reliability and response rate issues. Leveraging customer engagement data, we determine which behaviors best signal RQ. Using a sample of 863 consumers, we find that digital purchasing, word of mouth, and feedback are strongly linked to high RQ. Loyalty and feedback behaviors are accessible and effective indicators for assessing relationships. Our contributions advocate for including transactional behaviors as RQ signals and establish that feedback behaviors are as promising as word of mouth and purchasing. We provide practical insights for prioritizing data collection, emphasizing that certain behaviors are more linked to high RQ. This research shows how digital behaviors can help companies foster strong customer relationships.