TY - JOUR
T1 - Build trust, they will come
T2 - the case of casino high rollers!
AU - Ji, Chunli
AU - Prentice, Catherine
AU - Sthapit, Erose
AU - Lei, Inman
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2024/9/2
Y1 - 2024/9/2
N2 - Purpose: Using the analogy of “If you build it, they will come” from the movie Field of Dreams, this study aims to draw on relational signaling and commitment–trust theories to examine the role of different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) in the relationship between relational-encounter quality and customer loyalty to service employees and to the organization in the case of an integrated casino resort. The study confirms that building it (trust), they (customers) will come to the casino exhibited in their loyalty to casino hosts and their affiliated casinos. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted with very important person (VIP) customers who have a designated VIP host to provide them with personal services at an integrated casino resort in Macau. The questionnaire was distributed to the respondents by VIP hosts using WeChat and Tencent QQ. Findings: The study shows that different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) play a significant mediation role in the relationship between relational-encounter quality and the customers’ loyalty to the hosts and their affiliated casinos. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the roles of different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) in the relational encounter between casino hosts and VIP customers and provides insights into the link between service employees and their firm through the nurturing of the service encounter with the firm’s key accounts.
AB - Purpose: Using the analogy of “If you build it, they will come” from the movie Field of Dreams, this study aims to draw on relational signaling and commitment–trust theories to examine the role of different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) in the relationship between relational-encounter quality and customer loyalty to service employees and to the organization in the case of an integrated casino resort. The study confirms that building it (trust), they (customers) will come to the casino exhibited in their loyalty to casino hosts and their affiliated casinos. Design/methodology/approach: The study was conducted with very important person (VIP) customers who have a designated VIP host to provide them with personal services at an integrated casino resort in Macau. The questionnaire was distributed to the respondents by VIP hosts using WeChat and Tencent QQ. Findings: The study shows that different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) play a significant mediation role in the relationship between relational-encounter quality and the customers’ loyalty to the hosts and their affiliated casinos. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the roles of different types of trust (cognitive, affective and relational) in the relational encounter between casino hosts and VIP customers and provides insights into the link between service employees and their firm through the nurturing of the service encounter with the firm’s key accounts.
KW - Customer loyalty
KW - Frontline employees
KW - Integrated casino resort
KW - Service encounter
KW - Trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184268946&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/IJCHM-07-2023-0929
DO - 10.1108/IJCHM-07-2023-0929
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85184268946
SN - 0959-6119
VL - 36
SP - 3361
EP - 3377
JO - International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
JF - International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
IS - 10
ER -