The Effects of Customer Perceived Service Quality and Switching Costs on ‎Customer ‎Loyalty in Selected Private Hospitals in Tehran, Iran

Introduction: The quality of the provided services impacts the existing and potential customers’ intention to ‎reuse the services and their loyalty. Moreover, service providers can prevent customers from ‎leaving their current organizations and switching to the competitors, through establishing ‎switching costs. This research investigated the effect of perceived service quality and customer ‎switching costs on customer loyalty in hospitals. Methods: The current research was an applied research, and the data were collected using a questionnaire ‎based on descriptive-survey method, and structural equation modeling (SEM). In order to ‎analyze the data, SPSS and SmartPLS software were employed. Results: The positive and meaningful impact of perceived service quality and switching costs on customer ‎loyalty was confirmed. Examination of the effect of service quality dimensions on loyalty ‎showed the positive and meaningful impact of tangible factors, trust, assurance, and empathy on ‎customer loyalty. However, responsiveness had no impact on loyalty. In addition, the moderating ‎role of switching costs on the relation of perceived service quality with customer loyalty, and ‎tangible factors, trust, assurance, and empathy with customer loyalty were confirmed.‎‏ ‏Nevertheless, the relation of responsiveness with loyalty was not confirmed.‎ Conclusion: According to the‏ ‏research results, it is recommended that hospitals attempt to increase the loyalty ‎of their customers through improving the quality of their services, and establishing switching ‎costs.‎