It takes two to tango: The role of customer empathy and resources to improve the efficacy of frontline employee empathy

Liem Viet Ngo, Thi Nguyet Que Nguyen, Nam The Tran and Widya Paramita

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2020, vol. 56, issue C

Abstract: This study investigates the link between employee empathy and customer satisfaction. Building on social exchange theory, we develop a model of employee-customer empathy. We focus on the central role of customer-oriented behaviour in explaining the empathy-satisfaction relationship, predicting that employee empathy positively influences customer-oriented behaviour, which in turn enhances customer-satisfaction. We also examine the moderating roles of customer empathy, as well as of customer resources. Results of a dyadic-survey study of 211 pairs of frontline employees and their customers support the proposed moderated -mediation model. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: Employee empathy; Customer empathy; Customer-oriented behaviour; Customer resources; Customer satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:56:y:2020:i:c:s096969891930949x

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102141

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