Customer engagement: a diagnostic framework for assessing customer-brand relationships

A phenomenological investigation of the process of customer engagement, as revealed through customers' restaurant dining experiences, is presented. The purpose of the paper is to question the usefulness of the historically dominant customer satisfaction paradigm as the most effective means with which to evaluate customer behaviour. The study seeks to redirect satisfaction research towards an approach which encompasses an understanding of the role of commitment, involvement and trust in the creation of 'engaged' and loyal customers. An approach to segmenting customer-brand relationships, based on the extent to which customers are either new or, repeat purchase customers, of a service is proposed. The data for this study was provided by five focus groups and nine depth interviews. The approach provides a deeper and more complete understanding of the nature of customer-brand relationships and the processes by which "engagement" and loyalty may be developed and fostered amongst differing customer segments.