Industrial Marketing Management 40 (2011) 219–230

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Industrial Marketing Management

Customer value anticipation, customer satisfaction and loyalty:
An empirical examination
Daniel J. Flint a,⁎, Christopher P. Blocker b, Philip J. Boutin Jr. a a b

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 22 October 2009
Received in revised form 30 January 2010
Accepted 27 May 2010
Available online 31 July 2010
Keywords:
Customer value anticipation
Service dominant logic
Customer loyalty
Customer satisfaction
Customer value

a b s t r a c t
A service-dominant logic by definition is inherently customer oriented and relational, reflecting deeper and more complex connections between suppliers and customers. The service mindset driving increased collaboration enables suppliers to have deeper insights to what customers' value. Customer value perceptions are dynamic, sometimes in constant flux, necessitating anticipatory capabilities on the part of suppliers. Yet, there is a notable lack of discussion about customer value anticipation and related empirical evidence of whether or not customers care if suppliers anticipate what they value. The authors report on two survey studies that test using structural equation modeling the notion that suppliers good at anticipating what customers will value realize higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Understanding this relationship is critical for marketing managers wrestling with allocation of limited resources. We find that customer value anticipation is a strong driver of satisfaction and loyalty, with satisfaction acting as a mediator for loyalty.
© 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc.

1. Introduction
It has become relatively common knowledge that marketing managers must