Does consumer satisfaction really matter? An examination of its impact on consumer loyalty

Many firms are now pursuing consumer loyalty,which is being fostered by satisfying their consumers in classical marketing textbooks, and many loyalty programs are designed with the basis of improving consumer satisfaction.However,evidence shows that satisfaction would not necessarily lead to loyalty.Hence the relationship between these two variables needs an empirical examination.The authors first explore the nature of satisfaction and loyalty theoretically,and classify them into different satisfaction levels and loyalty categories,after that the relationship between them is investigated using corresponding analysis.The results show that satisfaction is a precondition of loyalty,but there is not a linear nature between them.Implications are made for firms developing loyalty programs: first,they should distinguish between different kinds of loyalty and take different strategies.Second,they should pursue highly satisfied customers instead of only satisfied customers.Third,firms also should provide other facilities to loyalty consumers after satisfying them.