Abstract

Service providers as a representative of a firm at a service encounter play a important role in maintaining long-term relationship with customers. Despite the importance of the issue, many studies on relationship between service provider and customer focused on what characteristics or behaviors of service providers influence customer responses. The study regarded relationship commitment as a representation of continuity of relationship from a perspective of customer, examined how customers understand long-term relationship and what influence continuity of relationship. Findings: trust in and relationship satisfaction with service salespeople appeared key antecedents of relationship commitment. And their influences on relationship commitment were differentiated by individual difference of advice-seeking disposition. In case of those of high advide-seeking disposition compared with low, trust and satisfaction are associated with relationship commitment stronger. In addition, contact frequency among relationship parties influence positively relationship satisfaction of customer. But, relationship age is associated with trust and satisfaction negatively. Based on these findings, implications and direction of future study are discussed.