Customer switching process in service industries : an exploration study

Although the causes of a customer’s switching decision have been investigated along with some studies into specific aspects of customers’ post-switching behaviours, there is a paucity of research specifically into the switching process, the phase between the customer’s decision to switch service providers and the establishment of a relationship with a new provider. To address this gap in the switching process literature, a small exploratory study was conducted to establish the nature of the activities that switching customers engage in after their decision to switch providers. A convenience sampling technique selected switching customers who were brought together in four focus groups. Focus group participants were asked to talk about the activities they engaged in after making a recent decision to switch to a current service provider. The participants’ self-reports of the process between their switching decision and engaging a new provider were tape recorded, transcribed and then analysed. The data analysis findings provided evidence that supported the four research propositions developed from a review of the switching domain literature and pertinent consumer behaviour and economics literature.