This research examines how positive Customer-to-Customer (C-to-C) interactions affect customers' perceived roles in service environments, and the effect such role perceptions have on willingness to participate in service processes, perceived quality, and satisfaction. Further, the study examines the moderation effects of interactional justice on relationships between C-to-C and role clarity and role conflict. 427 customers of a Korean hospital were surveyed. Results indicate customer role perceptions mediate C-to-C interactions and customer participation, while customer perceptions of service provider interactional justice affect the relationship between C-to-C interaction and role variables by weakening the positive effect of C-to-C interaction on role clarity. Customer role perceptions directly and indirectly affect customer satisfaction through participation and perceived quality, respectively.
For over 20 years, customer interactions within service settings has been noted in the literature as an important aspect of the service experience and a driver of a customer's feelings of satisfaction and loyalty with service firms (Bitner, Booms, & Tetreault, 1990). Langeard, Bateson, Lovelock, and Eiglier (1981) model service delivery as a system of customer interactions in service encounters. In such encounters, interactions potentially occur in three key areas: 1) between customers and service personnel, 2) between customers and service environments, and 3) among customers (Wu, 2008). A majority of previous service research concentrates on understanding both interactions between service providers and customers or customers and service environments because such interactions are potentially controllable by firms. However, researchers have focused less attention on customer-to-customer (C-to-C) interactions, especially empirically (Rosenbaum, 2008).
The lack of empirical analysis of C-to-C interactions is unfortunate, given that customers may patronize service firms such as hair salons or coffee shops in part because of other customers who congregate there (Rosenbaum, 2008). Moore, Moore, and Capella (2005) argue such interpersonal encounters in service environments affect firm evaluations and influence patronage. Thus, it is important for service firms to pay attention to the role of C-to-C interactions and how they affect important outcomes. For example, C-to-C interactions may promote brand knowledge or user identity (Muñiz & Schau, 2005), value creation perceptions (Gruen, Osmonbekov, & Czaplewski, 2007), or service satisfaction (Martin, 1996).
The purpose of this research is to develop a deeper understanding about the role played by customers when interacting with other customers in service exchange contexts. Specifically, the study examines why positive C-to-C interaction is important, when customers may rely on interactions with other customers, and what process might trigger customer willingness to participate in service delivery.
Role theory is applied to clarify patterns of social exchange that might develop among customers in service contexts. As role theory has been used to understand the employee–customer interaction, it seems an appropriate framework to examine C-to-C interactions (Parker & Ward, 2000). Further, work by both McGrath and Otnes, 1995 and Wu, 2008 has applied role theory to a C-to-C context. In the present context, role theory is presented as a research framework for understanding C-to-C interactions and how these interactions affect customer perceptions of their role in service delivery. The moderating effects of interactional justice are then explained in the relationship between positive C-to-C interaction and role. Finally, both direct and indirect relationships between role perceptions and customer satisfaction are investigated.
