Unlocking consumer behaviour: how satisfaction And/or delight, trust and perceived value Drive behavioural intentions

Abstract

Background: Understanding the role of customer satisfaction and/or delight and trust as central drivers of behavioural responses becomes increasingly important in a complex business environment. From a relationship marketing theory perspective, satisfaction and/or delight, trust and perceived value serve as critical differentiators that strengthen customers’ future behavioural intentions in competitive service contexts.Aim: Guided by the relationship marketing theory, this study explores how service quality and customer orientation influence satisfaction and/or delight, trust and behavioural intentions in the South African cellular industry while recognising the moderating role of perceived value.Setting: This study examines South Africa’s cellular industry, characterised by high mobile penetration, steep data costs, and intense competition. In this emerging market, customer satisfaction, delight, trust, and perceived value are theorised as central determinants of behavioural intentions and loyalty.Method: An explanatory research design targeted cell phone network service provider customers in Gauteng, South Africa, using quota sampling and self-administered questionnaires. In total, 409 valid responses were analysed using SPSS 24.0 and SmartPLS 4 for measurement and structural modelling.Results: Aligned with the relationship marketing theory, the results show that customer orientation significantly enhances satisfaction and/or delight, whereas service quality does not. Both customer orientation and trust foster satisfaction and/or delight, which drives behavioural intention, while perceived value strengthens the trust–intention link but not the satisfaction and/or delight–intention relationship.Contribution: Grounded in the relationship marketing theory, this study addresses a key research gap by examining how customer delight and trust jointly shape behavioural responses in an emerging market context, an underexplored area in service literature. A central contribution highlights employee capability development, showing that equipping staff to respond proactively is a strategic requirement for fostering satisfaction, building trust and sustaining long-term relational outcomes.