The Role of Service Quality and Customer Relationship Management in Enhancing Loyalty and Reducing Brand Switching in the Sports Equipment Industry
Keywords:
service quality, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), customer loyalty, brand switching, sports equipment industry, Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM)Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the role of service quality and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in strengthening loyalty and reducing brand switching in Iran’s sports equipment industry. Given the intense competition and high similarity of products in this sector, organizations need to focus on complementary services and effective communication strategies to retain customers. This research is applied in purpose and employs a mixed-method design (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, a meta-synthesis approach was used to systematically review the literature, leading to the identification of 37 key indicators categorized into 10 factors and three main dimensions: product and service quality, relationship marketing and CRM, and socio-economic factors. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from 72 experts in the sports equipment industry and analyzed using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) to determine the causal relationships among the identified factors. The findings indicated that service quality—particularly after-sales services and prompt responsiveness—is the strongest factor in retaining customers. Moreover, digital CRM and personalized communication play a key role in fostering trust and customer commitment. Scenario analysis results revealed that the simultaneous improvement of service quality and CRM development can prevent up to 45% of customer brand switching. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that under the volatile economic conditions of Iran, only organizations adopting a comprehensive approach—focusing not only on product quality but also on customer experience, trust-building, and long-term relationships—are likely to succeed. This research fills a gap in domestic studies on the sports equipment sector and can serve as a practical guide for managers seeking to increase customer loyalty and reduce brand switching rates.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Zahra Zarafshan (Author); Ali Pirzad; Seyed Najmeddin Mousavi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
