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The impact of perceived service provider empathy on customer loyalty: Some observations from the health and fitness sector

Marandi, Ebi; Harris, John

Authors

Ebi Marandi

John Harris



Abstract

The leisure product is often dependent on the person delivering the service. The research presented here sought to better understand how important the empathy component is in that personal delivery of a service. Health and fitness clubs, faced by high rates of customer attrition, traditionally promote themselves on the basis of either price or facilities, but are these two tools the only ones that the marketing of the clubs should be limited to? For this study, the impact of service provider empathy, as perceived by health and fitness club members, was examined in an attempt to better understand the impact of the concept on customer loyalty. The findings indicate that for those with a low level of self-responsibility for getting the most out of the service experience, those without previous experience of gyms and those with heightened self-consciousness, empathy is an important factor impacting upon their anxiety levels as well as on their loyalty to a club. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

Citation

Marandi, E., & Harris, J. (2010). The impact of perceived service provider empathy on customer loyalty: Some observations from the health and fitness sector. Managing Leisure, 15(3), 214-227. https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2010.483832

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jul 1, 2010
Journal Managing Leisure
Print ISSN 1360-6719
Electronic ISSN 1466-450X
Publisher Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 15
Issue 3
Pages 214-227
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2010.483832
Keywords service provider, empathy
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/977653
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13606719.2010.483832




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