An exploratory study on the role of emotions in service satisfaction and loyalty behaviours

Abstract

The role of emotions in the satisfaction formation process has been the focus of a growing literature; however their effect on satisfaction and loyalty behaviours remains unclear, especially in the context of extended services with a high level of emotional content. In this project, we divide the service experience into several phases, and we consider peak events and the duration of the stay. At each phase of the service, emotions and the expectations disconfirmation model are taken into account. With the help of an international holiday resort company, we conducted a survey in a beach resort in Southeast Asia. Statistical analysis resulted in the following findings: (i) negative emotions decrease satisfaction and loyalty, while positive emotions have no causal effect on satisfaction and loyalty, (ii) the duration of the experience has a moderating effect on the impact of emotions, (iii) previous stages of service impact subsequent ones.