The effects of perceived value dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty: a comparison between traditional banks and fintechs

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to verify the influence of perceived value dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the banking sector, comparing these relationships between traditional banks and fintechs. Also, it was verified whether satisfaction mediates the relationships between the dimensions of perceived value and customer loyalty to traditional banks and fintechs, comparing them.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through two online questionnaires with 792 total respondents, 411 from traditional banks and 381 from fintechs. For data analysis, the authors used the Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and PLS-SEM multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA).FindingsThe influence of customer satisfaction on loyalty tends to be greater in traditional banks than in fintechs; the effect of reliability on satisfaction tends to be greater in fintechs than in traditional banks and the effect of price on satisfaction tends to be greater in traditional banks than in fintechs. Indirectly, empathy, price and competence influence loyalty through satisfaction, and in all these relationships, the strength of the effect is significantly greater in traditional banks when compared to fintechs.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings, on the one hand, indicate that banks' investments in customer satisfaction, empathy, price and competence tend to generate positive results by expanding customer loyalty in addition to the return on similar investments made by fintechs. On the other hand, when fintechs invest in reliability, they tend to capture better results in increasing customer satisfaction compared to traditional banks.Originality/valueThe comparison of the effect of the dimensions of perceived value on satisfaction and loyalty between traditional banks and fintechs stands out, which is a novelty in the literature. This comparison can support strategies that aim to strengthen relationships with customers and increase the recurrence of business, both for traditional banks and fintechs.