Does relationship quality matter in service relationship?/ Sanjit Kumar Roy

Attracting and retaining customers is a crucial issue for service firms. This research explores how relationship quality influences behavioural, attitudinal loyalty and customers' advocacy intentions in service relationships. In this study we propose relationship quality to be a second-order construct consisting of trust, satisfaction, customer advocacy, perceived service quality and perceived service fairness. In a digitally enabled era giving greater freedom for consumers to express their views, these dimensions are very much to the fore. Data were collected from mobile phone service customers using a survey. Data were analysed using higher order confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. We found support for the higher-order conceptualization of relationship quality with five first-order components: i.e. customer advocacy; service quality; trust; satisfaction; and perceived service fairness. Findings of the study will go a long way in helping service providers in building trust and loyalty among customers and fuelling customer's advocacy intentions.