A percepção de clientes universitários sobre o relacionamento com suas operadoras de telefonia móvel

ABSTRACTNowadays, relationship with customers presents a strategic level that can generate sustainable competitive advantages for companies. Given the strong competitive environment, mobile operating companies increasingly seek relationships with their costumers that can lead them to sustainable competitive advantages. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify the nature of the existing relations between the dimensions of relationship marketing in the view of university students regarding their mobile operating companies. The analyzed dimensions were trust, satisfaction, relationship termination cost and loyalty. A survey was conducted with 262 students from a higher education institute from Santa Maria/RS. The relationships between the dimensions were evaluated through SEM estimated by partial least squares (PLS). The results suggest that trust in efficiency and satisfaction have a positive impact on the loyalty level of mobile operating companies’ customers. On the other hand, the cost of termination of the relationship affects in a negative way the loyalty level of mobile operating companies’ customers. This fact demonstrates that customers become more loyal to operating companies who leave them “free” to switch mobile operator when they see fit. It was also observed that trust in negotiation and in efficiency have a positive impact on the relationship termination cost