Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in the logistics industry : a case study of ABC Express Worldwide (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Abstract

Today, customer satisfaction is a key driver of many favorable intentions and behaviors linked to increased profits, lower operating expenditures, and business success, making it the focal point of business operations. To achieve high level of customer satisfaction, perceived value has been introduced as a mean of creating a competitive edge over the competitors by incorporat~ng customers' needs and wants into strategic practices. The objectives of this research were to identify the key value dimensions consisting of service quality, price and time & effort that act as the significant antecedents of customer satisfaction, and also to trace the resulting consequences of satisfaction in the forms of intentions to repurchase and to engage in positive referrals towards the firm as reflections for customer retention and new business acquisition. The research samples were 403 medium-sized customers of ABC Co., Ltd. from total population of 2,818 customers. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a mean for data collection. The data was gathered via phone interviews and emails during January 15, 2012 to February 29, 2012. SPSS was applied to analyze the relationships among the hypothesized variables. The findings suggested four dimensions of service quality (availability, reliability, completeness, and professionalism) and monetary price to be significant predictors of customer satisfaction. In addition, the sig- nificant influences of customer satisfaction on repurchase intention and word-of-mouth have been confirmed. The research results have provided implications for service providers to understand and deliver the right value to the customers, and then become successful as existing customers could be retained and new business opportunities could be attracted.