Identifying the Key Drivers of Customer Satisfaction and Repurchase Intentions: An Empirical Investigation of Japanese B2B Services

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to report the results of a study that examines the drivers of customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions among Business-to-Business (B2B) service customers in Japan. The article offers both a conceptual and practical review of the literature surrounding service performance, customer satisfaction, and repurchase intentions in B2B services. Using a sample of 700 managers in Japan and a structural equation modelling approach, several significant drivers of customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions were found from both the supplier's product and service delivery performance. We found that the service delivery dimensions of account rep and technician performance, as well as product perceptions, were strongly related to customer satisfaction, which, in turn, was strongly related to repurchase intentions. Price perceptions were not related to satisfaction but were related to repurchase dimensions. The results have implications for both academic research and managers who are interested in managing the customer interface more effectively in Japanese B2B services.