网上顾客转换成本的影响因素及其结果的实证研究

An Empirical Study on Consumer Switching Costs Online: Antecedents and Consequence

研究表明,顾客转换成本已成为影响顾客忠诚的另一重要因素,尤其在信息技术环境下,顾客转换成本更显重要。本研究首先建立网上顾客转换成本、影响因素与其结果的结构模型,然后根据此模型对我国网上顾客的转换成本影响因素,以及转换成本与顾客忠诚之间的关系进行实证分析,结果发现,不同因素在顾客转换成本的影响上存在差异性,顾客转换成本不同类别对顾客忠诚意向的影响程度也不相同。最后,根据这些研究结果向企业提出顾客忠诚管理的策略性建议。

In the marketing literature, customer satisfaction as the primary tool for managing customer loyalty has received enough attention. Firms have viewed customer satisfaction measures as standard for management. While evidences showed that 65% -85% of customers who acclaimed they were very satisfied with the products or services of providers would switch to another provider, which means very satisfied customers may also ＂leave＂. So marketers must fully understand the various drivers of customer loyalty. Consumer switching costs thus as another important factor which impacting on customer loyalty causes more and more attention by marketing scholars. Specially, in the Information Technology area, the role of consumer switching costs is more important. Previous studies showed that over 50% of customers only visited the site twice then switched to another site. On the basis of literature review, the research defined three types of consumer 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 （3） relational switching costs, involving psychological or emotional discomfort due to the loss of identity and breaking of bonds. The research then examines the antecedents and consequences of switching costs online with Chinese consumer. The results suggest that consumers＇ perceptions of product complexity and care online drive the switching costs they perceive. Consumers＇ perceptions of convenience online and their breadth of product use positively affect relational switching costs. Consumers＇ alternative provider experience negatively affects procedural switching costs. Furthermore, procedural switching costs and relational switching costs significantly influence consumers＇ intension to stay with their current service provider, while our hypothesis on the effects of financial switching costs was not supported.