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Cited by 4,898Customer Service Quality and LoyaltyConsumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and IdentificationConsumer Market Behavior and Pricing

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Whence Consumer Loyalty?

Oliver, Richard L.·1999·Journal of Marketing
DOI 10.1177/00222429990634s105
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Abstract

Both practitioners and academics understand that consumer loyalty and satisfaction are linked inextricably. They also understand that this relation is asymmetric. Although loyal consumers are most typically satisfied, satisfaction does not universally translate into loyalty. To explain the satisfaction–loyalty conundrum, the author investigates what aspect of the consumer satisfaction response has implications for loyalty and what portion of the loyalty response is due to this satisfaction component. The analysis concludes that satisfaction is a necessary step in loyalty formation but becomes less significant as loyalty begins to set through other mechanisms. These mechanisms, omitted from consideration in current models, include the roles of personal determinism (“fortitude”) and social bonding at the institutional and personal level. When these additional factors are brought into account, ultimate loyalty emerges as a combination of perceived product superiority, personal fortitude, social bonding, and their synergistic effects. As each fails to be attained or is unattainable by individual firms that serve consumer markets, the potential for loyalty erodes. A disquieting conclusion from this analysis is that loyalty cannot be achieved or pursued as a reasonable goal by many providers because of the nature of the product category or consumer disinterest. For some firms, satisfaction is the only feasible goal for which they should strive; thus, satisfaction remains a worthy pursuit among the consumer marketing community. The disparity between the pursuit of satisfaction versus loyalty, as well as the fundamental content of the loyalty response, poses several investigative directions for the next wave of postconsumption research.

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Crossref · 10.1177/00222429990634s105

Cites

28 of 28 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Citations

Cites

Show all 27 references

Research works printed but not linked: 14

  1. DemingW. Edwards (1986), Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Advanced Engineering Study.
  2. DowlingGrahame R. and UnclesMark (1997), “Do Customer Loyalty Programs Really Work?” Sloan Management Review, 38 (Summer), 71–82.
  3. FornellClaes and WernerfeltBirger (1987), “Defensive Marketing Strategy by Customer Complaint Management,” Journal of Marketing Research, 24 (November), 337–46.
  4. 10.1177/002224299505900303 · DOI
  5. HigginsKevin T. (1997), “Coming of Age: Despite Growing Pains, Customer Satisfaction Measurement Continues to Evolve,” Marketing News, 31 (October 27), 1, 12.
  6. JacobyJacob and ChestnutRobert W. (1978), Brand Loyalty. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
  7. 10.1177/002224299505900206 · DOI · Paper page
  8. 10.1177/002224299205600306 · DOI
  9. ReichheldFrederick F. (1996), The Loyalty Effect. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
  10. ReichheldFrederick F. and SasserW. Earl (1990), “Zero Defections: Quality Comes to Services,” Harvard Business Review, 68 (September/October), 105–11.
  11. 10.1177/002224299706100305 · DOI
  12. StewartThomas A. (1997), “A Satisfied Customer Isn't Enough,” Fortune, 136 (July 21), 112–13.
  13. TseDavid K. and WiltonPeter C. (1988), “Models of Consumer Satisfaction Formation: An Extension,” Journal of Marketing Research, 25 (May), 204–12.
  14. WylieKenneth (1993), “Customer Satisfaction Blooms: Rivalry at Top Grows,” Advertising Age, (October 18), S1–S5.

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Metadata

Authors
Oliver, R. L.
Affiliations
Vanderbilt University (US)
Corresponding author
Oliver, Richard L.
Venue
Journal of Marketing
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1999-10
Volume
63
Issue
4_suppl1
Pages
33-44
ISSN
  • 0022-2429 (ISSN-L)
  • 1547-7185
DOI
10.1177/00222429990634s105
OpenAlex
W4240915221
Cited by
4,898
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 364 · 2025: 345 · 2024: 350 · 2023: 539 · 2022: 444 · 2021: 491 · 2020: 441 · 2019: 373 · 2018: 264 · 2017: 189 · 2016: 184 · 2015: 174 · 2014: 168 · 2013: 106 · 2012: 96
FWCI
6.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Journal of Marketing (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Customer Service Quality and Loyalty
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
Keywords
customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, satisfaction-loyalty relationship, loyalty formation, social bonding

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