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The effect of relational constructs on customer referrals and number of services purchased from a multiservice provider: Does age of relationship matter?

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Abstract

The authors examine the effect of relational constructs (e.g., satisfaction, trust, and affective and calculative commitment) on customer referrals and the number of services purchased, as well as the moderating effect of age of the relationship on these relationships. The research reported, based on data obtained from a large sample of customers of an insurance company, combines archival and survey data. The results provide evidence that supports the moderating effect of relationship age on the relationship between satisfaction, affective and calculative commitment, and the number of services purchased.

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Peter C. Verhoef is a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Department of Marketing and Organization in the School of Economics at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. He is also a member of the Erasmus Research Institute in Management (ERIM). In 2001, he received his Ph.D. in marketing from Erasmus University. In his dissertation, he investigated how companies can affect the lifetime value of customers. His research interests include customer relationship management, waiting times, and private labels. His work has been or will be published in theJournal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Retailing, Decision Support Systems, and various other journals.

Philip Hans Franses is a professor of applied econometrics at the Econometric Institute and a professor of marketing research in the Department of Marketing and Organization, both at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. His research interests include applied econometrics, marketing, empirical finance, political science, and environmetrics. He publishes on these topics in various journals.

Janny C. Hoekstra is a professor in direct marketing at the University of Groningen. Her research interests include the development of the marketing concept, market orientation, customer lifetime value, direct marketing, and e-commerce. She has published papers in theJournal of Retailing, Industrial Marketing Management, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Direct Marketing, andJournal of Market-Focused Management, among others.

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Verhoef, P.C., Franses, P.H. & Hoekstra, J.C. The effect of relational constructs on customer referrals and number of services purchased from a multiservice provider: Does age of relationship matter?. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 30, 202–216 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070302303002

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