The effect of the elements of integrated service management model on the level of customer loyalty of Iran Insurance Company (case study: Iran Insurance Company, Gilan Province)

Academic Thesis for Master's degree (M.A

Field of Business Administration

International Orientation

Academic Year

92-91

Abstract

Increasing competition, especially in the service sector, has caused more attention to maintaining and maintaining current customers and efforts to attract new customers. Intensification of competition has made it more difficult to retain customers. Meanwhile, the issue of loyalty The customer and the factors affecting it are of double importance. Today's organizations are trying to identify and manage effective methods and patterns to satisfy customers' expectations and achieve long-term, profitable relationships. In this research, the factors affecting the level of loyalty of Iranian insurance customers have been measured using the integrated service management model It is a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population consists of Iranian insurance customers in Gilan province. A five-point Likert questionnaire was used to collect the information. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, of which 393 questionnaires were returned and the questionnaire return rate is 78%. After collecting the data, we used descriptive statistics methods such as frequency tables and graphs for the demographic information section and to test the research hypotheses in the inferential statistics section, we used the Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. SPSS 18 software was used to analyze the data. The results of the research are that the elements (product, price and other costs, physical evidence, time and place, process, productivity and quality, human resources, promotion and customer training) of the integrated service management model have an effect on the level of loyalty of Iranian insurance company customers. The element of manpower has the greatest effect, and the element of price and other costs, and the element of time and place have the least effect.

Key words: consistent service management model, loyalty, customer, attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, insurance

Chapter 1

-1) Introduction

Today, a global trend towards loyalty marketing has emerged. is Many companies in most industries study, evaluate and implement loyalty strategies and programs aimed at cultivating strong relationships with customers. The reasons for this emphasis on loyalty are various. Undoubtedly, the proliferation and fragmentation of media types has made it more difficult to reach new customers and attract them, which encourages companies to work harder to retain existing customers. In addition to the problems related to reaching customers through the media, today's customers are very busy, as a result of which they have less time and enthusiasm to use and interpret all the messages they receive. (Duffy, 1998) Research has also shown that relatively large investments are needed to attract new customers for a brand, compared to retaining existing customers. This research has shown that acquiring a new customer costs 6 to 8 times more than retaining an existing customer. (Khorshidi and Kardegar, 2008)

In the current period, customer commitment has found a special place and customer growth and communication  Being effective with him makes the customers of an organization to be colleagues inside and supporters and supporters outside the organization. Therefore, only customers who have a sense of belonging and are profitable and long-lived are considered capital for organizations. Nevertheless, one of the main and fundamental trends in this field has been the growth of the service phenomenon. Because customers, the most important  They are the pillars of the survival of different production and service units, responding to the needs of customers according to their interests and demands is a significant issue in the marketing programs of organizations. Accurately knowing these factors and determining the effectiveness of each of them is very important in helping managers to make the right decision.On the other hand, organizational resources are limited, and if the management seeks to design programs to retain its customers, it must allocate these limited resources according to the factors affecting loyalty and the importance of each of these factors. (Khorshidi and Kardegar, 2018)

The growth and development of insurance as one of the indicators of the development of societies is strongly influenced by insurance policyholders, and the preservation and survival of insurance companies depends on the loyalty of policyholders of those companies. Service quality and loyalty are essential for the insurer. (Moradi et al., 2013)

Given the extraordinary importance of the customer in service industries, especially insurance, and the number and nature of companies providing services to policyholders in the country's market, this article identifies and prioritizes the factors affecting the loyalty of Iranian insurance company customers by using the integrated service management model. It has made the managers of this industry think of a solution for a lasting presence in the business arena. Therefore, they have to find ways to gain customer loyalty. The way to achieve this goal is to improve the quality of insurance services. Improving the quality of the organization's services leads to an increase in customer loyalty (Abbasi and Salehi, 2019). Keeping good customers is more beneficial than constantly trying to replace a customer who has left the company.

The word loyalty brings to mind concepts such as love or affection, truth and honesty, or commitment (Khorshidi and Kardegar, 2008). Loyalty is the extent to which customers want to maintain their relationship with a supplier, and it usually comes from how much customers believe that the value they receive from this supplier is greater than others. Loyalty happens when customers feel completely that the organization in question can meet their needs in the best possible way, so that competing organizations are legitimately removed from the set of customers' considerations and buy exclusively from the organization (Moradi et al., 2018). Increasing customer loyalty reduces marketing costs and increases customer demand (Aaker & Jacobsob, 1994). Various thinkers have provided several definitions for loyalty, which is acceptable considering the multidimensional and complex concept of loyalty (Soderlund, 2006). The most famous acceptable definition of loyalty goes back to the definition of Jacoby and Keynes [1] in 1973, in which loyalty is defined as brand bias and a behavioral response over time in which a person prefers a particular brand over other brands and decides about it as a psychological commitment (McMullan & Ilmore, 2008).

In most definitions of loyalty, 2 approaches are seen: Attitudinal approach: Emotions Different in the person creates a sense of belonging to the organization, services and goods, this feeling determines the degree of customer loyalty, which is completely cognitive. Attitudinal loyalty scales include positive word-of-mouth advertising, willingness to recommend and encourage others to use goods and services.

2. Behavioral approach: the customer's desire to repeatedly purchase services and products of the service provider and maintain a relationship with the provider of goods and services (Qarache and Daboyan, 2013).   

One of the most important characteristics of successful global companies is the accurate knowledge of customers, the proper definition of the target market, the ability to motivate employees to improve quality and care for customers. Producing and providing high quality services at reasonable prices plays an important role in service industries.