Service quality, trust, commitment and service differentiation in business relationships

Abstract

Purpose – While service quality, trust and commitment are frequently cited as critical to achieving important firm outcomes, the role of service differentiation in this framework is largely unknown. Yet, differentiation is important because a firm's distinctiveness is linked to client/perceived value, competitive advantage, and a target market focus. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of service differentiation in business/to/business relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses were tested using a sample of business clients from a large European financial services firm. The senior primary contact in each client firm was contacted by phone/e/mail to arrange for..