Relational bonds, customer engagement, and service quality

Relational bonds represent a vital concept in relational marketing. Past research indicates that it can increase customer satisfaction and foster WOM. Although relational bonds have been shown to provide a long-lasting competitive advantage, the theoretical mechanisms underlying these relationships are less clear. This study investigates the relationships among relational bonds, customer engagement, service quality, satisfaction and WOM. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to customers who received aesthetic medicine services from a large medical center in Taiwan. The survey yielded 500 usable responses, with a response rate of 98.61%. The partial least squares method was utilized to obtain parameter estimates and test proposed hypotheses. Measurement accuracy was assured given satisfactory reliability and convergent/discriminant validity assessments, and all hypotheses were supported. The results indicate that relational bonds affect the extent of customer engagement, which in turn influences service quality. Service quality also leads to customer satisfaction and WOM.