Beyond boundaries: a multidisciplinary approach to understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavior in services

What the paper says

Abstract This article investigates the complex relationship between customer satisfaction and behavior in services, aiming to provide actionable insights for managers seeking to leverage satisfaction for improved business outcomes. The link between satisfaction and behavior is characterized by anomalies and complexities, such as satisfied customers switching brands, a disproportionate effect of low levels of dissatisfaction on behavior, non-linearity, asymmetry, and zones of low behavioral response. While these insights have significantly advanced scholarly discourse, they are often difficult to apply in practice, as they tend to focus narrowly on specific aspects—such as non-linearity or the role of emotions—or prioritize satisfaction over dissatisfaction, leaving managers without a holistic framework to navigate these dynamics. This study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of how varying satisfaction levels, from extreme dissatisfaction to extreme satisfaction, influence customer buying behavior. Using a longitudinal case study of a Fortune 500 financial services company, and adopting a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the above-mentioned findings with insights from behavioral economics, neuroscience and brand equity, this article proposes a preliminary integrative model of the satisfaction-behavior curve that explains its non-linearity and asymmetry, as well as the cognitive and emotional factors that drive its inflection points. Managerial implications include prioritizing actions that move customers beyond the “indifference zone”; addressing promptly and proactively even minor dissatisfaction episodes; closely monitoring defection rates and their underlying causes. As these early findings are based on a single case study in an industry characterized by high involvement, future research should validate the proposed curve across industries and contexts, and considering moderating variables like culture, competition, and market maturity.