Literature review on Customer Loyalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literature review on Customer Loyalty - Essay Example According to Oliver (1999), consumer loyalty and satisfaction are linked because satisfaction is an essential step in the formation of loyalty although it becomes less significant as loyalty undergoes other mechanisms. Oliver (1999) shows that although there are concerns on satisfaction, satisfaction propels loyalty illustrated through evaluation of various factors like social norms and self-identity. The study evaluates the two frameworks and their variability on customer loyalty in order to understand the various factors that influence customer loyalty from the two perspectives. According to Dick and Basu (1994), the core aim of marketing is often perceived in terms of development, maintenance, or even enhancement of customer loyalty toward products or services. In their approach, Dick and Basu consider various concepts regarding customer loyalty like attitude considerations and loyalty based on purchase. Therefore, in their framework, Dick and Basu conceptualize loyalty in terms of relationship between relative attitude targeting an entity and the patronage behaviour. According to Dick and Basu (1994), attitude acts as an appraisal function since it is associated with favourable behaviour even though having a favourable attitude toward a brand does not guarantee multiple purchases of the brand. Nevertheless, Dick and Basu (1994), show that low relative attitude accompanied by low repeat patronage indicates the lack of loyalty. However, relative attitude regarding loyalty suggests the possibility of attaining loyalty at both high and low levels of strength in attitude given that the consumers recognize significant differences among the competing brands. Dick and Basu (1994) indicate cognitive antecedents capable of propelling relative attitude in customer loyalty and they include accessibility, confidence, centrality, and clarity. Accessibility refers to the ease of retrieving