The antecedents of customer experience in retail banking

Abstract

Customer experience in retail banking has become a key source of differentiation. Increased competition in the financial services industry and the global financial crisis caused financial institutions to find themselves in a difficult operating environment. A sustainable competitive advantage in the current environment cannot be achieved only through excellent service delivery, service quality and prices, but through the creation of memorable customer experiences. The current study expands on the conceptual framework for the creation of customer experience proposed by Verhoef, Lemon, Parasuraman, Roggeveen, Leonard and Schlesinger (2009). In this paper the nature and extent to which the determinants discussed by Verhoef et al. impact on the customer experience is assessed. Using a quantitative method, a survey questionnaire measuring customers’ perceptions about their experiences with the retail banking firms, was distributed to 1043 employees of the air transportation company. The study finds that the past experiences, brand and prices impacts more on customer experience than other determinants identified. The study also evaluates the impact of transformation and Black Economic Empowerment on customer experience. Copyright