Abstract:

Based on the attribution theory, this study focus on regular customers to investigate the mechanism of retention willingness of regular customers with different nature. And by using independent T-test, multiple regression and multiple delta analysis, the effects of customer heterogeneity on regular customer value are compared. Several important implications are got through empirical analysis. Firstly, the theoretical model, which is reconstructed from the perspective of attribution theory, has stronger explanatory power. The result shows that the win-backed customer value is higher and fluctuates less than ordinary regular customer value. Secondly, with respect to regular customers, the quality of enterprise-customer relationship, such as customer trust and customer commitment can moderate the effect of customer satisfaction on customer retention willingness. And the types of customer trust differ their moderating power of effects of customer satisfaction on customer retention willingness, demonstrating cognitive trust’s moderating power is higher than that of emotional trust. Thirdly, the inner path relationship strength of customer retention willingness is significantly different under the mechanism of win-back customer heterogeneity. And the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer trust, between customer trust and customer commitment, between customer satisfaction and customer commitment, and between customer commitment and customer retention willingness of win-back customer is more robust than that of ordinary regular customers. Furthermore, this research can raise several practical implications for enterprises to promote customers’ retention rate.

Key words: Regular Customers, Customers&rsquo, Emotional Trust, Customers&rsquo, Cognitive Trust, Customer Commitment, Customer Retention Willingness