How situational circumstances modify the effects of frontline employees’ competences on customer satisfaction with the store

Lucia-Palacios, Laura (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Pérez-López, Raúl (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Polo-Redondo, Yolanda (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: This article aims to analyze whether the effectiveness of frontline employees'' competences (task and interaction) at managing customer satisfaction with the store differ depending on situational circumstances, specifically, on type of query (consultation vs. assistance) and store crowding. A qualitative study was used to investigate the importance of these two situational circumstances in sales encounters. Subsequently, the hypotheses were tested by a quantitative study based on a survey of 575 customers about their shopping experience. The findings indicate that the effect of frontline employees’ task competence on customer satisfaction increases when the store is crowded, while the effect of interaction competence is stronger in relation to consultation queries than to assistance queries. Important theoretical and practical implications for frontline employees and store managers are outlined.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101905

Año: 2020

Publicado en: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 52 (2020), 101905 [11 pp.]
ISSN: 0969-6989

Factor impacto JCR: 7.135 (2020)

Categ. JCR: BUSINESS rank: 32 / 153 = 0.209 (2020) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.568 - Marketing (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN-FEDER/ECO2017-83993-P
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/ECO2014-54760

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Comerci.Investig.Mercados (Dpto. Direc.Mark.Inves.Mercad.)