Customer voluntary performance: Customers as partners in service delivery

Abstract

Customers contribute to service quality through their roles as promoters of the firm, co-producers of the firm 's service and consultants to the organization. A model of customer voluntary performance (CVP) is developed and empirically tested with a sample of grocery customers. Customer voluntary performance refers to helpful, discretionary customer behaviors that support the ability of the firm to deliver service quality. Global customer satisfaction, perceived support for customers and customer commitment are considered as antecedents of CVP. Interrelationships among these variables are also considered. The results provide support for eight of the twelve hypothesized relationships. Implications of the study are discussed for researchers and managers.