Antecedents to customer satisfaction with financial services: The moderating effects of the Need to Evaluate

In this study, we examine how the personality trait Need to Evaluate (NES) moderates the effects benevolence, image and service quality have on customer satisfaction. We initially establish a theoretically derived baseline model of causes to customer satisfaction, and then argue how these effects should be moderated by NES. Based on a survey of retail banking customers, the hypothesised effects are tested by means of two-group analysis, and we find that the effects differ dependent of the NES levels of the consumers. The results are then discussed and their implications briefly offered.