Why satisfied buyers might not be (attitudinally or behaviorally) loyal

2025

Closed access Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.1108/ijqss-03-2025-0057
Data confidence 70 medium
How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to identify reasons why some buyers may be satisfied, but not necessarily loyal, in terms of attitude and/or behavior. The two measures of loyalty are examined in combination and separately. Design/methodology/approach The study obtains survey data on customer satisfaction and loyalty together with a range of other variables that plausibly influence the extent to which buyers are satisfied but not highly loyal. The context of the study is casual dining in Kuwait. Findings Satisfaction is associated with higher levels of customer loyalty. However, lower levels of brand familiarity, as well as higher levels of customer category experience, are related to a larger proportion of customers who are satisfied with a brand but not highly loyal toward it. Research limitations/implications The study first identifies a range of variables that are associated with higher or lower behavioral or attitudinal loyalty and then examines which of them help explain why some buyers are satisfied but not highly loyal. Practical implications The study highlights that many factors other than satisfaction may determine loyalty. Furthermore, some of these factors have an association with loyalty either in terms of attitude, or behavior, but not both. Originality/value This study makes a highly original contribution by examining factors that influence both behavioral and attitudinal loyalty separately, as well as combined.