Exploring Relationship Marketing Tactics & Customer Loyalty: Issues in the Malaysian Mobile Telecommunication Sector

Abstract

Most of today’s business firms are facing numerous challenges in sustaining customer loyalty due to a ferocious competitive environment. This study explores issues on relationship marketing and customer loyalty within the mobile telecommunications sector. In-depth interviews with targeted respondents were conducted to understand their initial perceptions on relationship marketing tactics issues and its influence on customer loyalty. Specifically, the study aims to acquire deeper insights into the motivational drives behind customer loyalty amongst different classes of mobile phone users. Qualitative data were collected using a digital voice tape-recorder, while the transcribing and coding processes were carried out using qualitative software called ATLAS.TI version 7.0. Based on thematic analyses, the findings have identified several themes such as trust, branding, alternative attractiveness, emotions, service quality, price perception, switching barriers, and commitment. Further results revealed suggestions on how to strengthen customer loyalty behaviour in the mobile telecommunications market

The Role Of Consumer Satisfaction, Involvement, And Engagement On Consumer Loyalty In The Telecommunication Industry Among Nigerian University Students

“…Users of telecommunications networks acquire a fondness for their brands, think about their brands, and show loyalty behaviours and intentions toward their brands through satisfaction with these networks. The positive relationship between consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty is supported in the studies on the consumer loyalty (Dewi et al, 2021;Sudari et al, 2019;Yeohan, 2019), and on other service industries (Hasfar et al, 2020;Putit & Abdullah, 2019;Syahputra & Murwatiningsih, 2019;Wulur, Militina & Achmad, 2020).…”

“…According to Dewi et al, (2021), there was a positive correlation between the two ideas, with an improvement in customer satisfaction likely leading to an increase in customer loyalty. When Putit and Abdullah (2019) conducted research on Malaysia's telecommunications industry, they found that customer satisfaction can mediate between (value, service quality, positive brand image, price perception and switching cost) on the one hand as well as customer loyalty among Swedish mobile telecommunication subscribers on the other. Overall, consumers satisfaction and loyalty were found to be directly correlated.…”