Identifying, Prioritizing, and Assessing Factors Influencing Customer Loyalty Covered by Supplemental Insurance

Abstract

Background. Given that the market environment is becoming specialized in different sectors, it is necessary to identify specialized indicators of customer loyalty and their priority to improve the provision of complementary health insurance services. This study aimed to identify, prioritize, and measure the loyalty indicators in people covered by supplemental insurance. Methods. An exploratory study was conducted using a mixed-method approach (qualitative-quantitative). In the qualitative section, a total of 20 interviews was conducted with faculty members, managers, and experts of insurance companies in Khuzestan province (Ahvaz city of Iran), and in the quantitative section, a total of 380 interviews was conducted with staff of supplementary health insurance. In the qualitative section, the data were first extracted using scoping review methodology, then coded and classified using the data-driven method. Next, each indicator was prioritized using the fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Smart PLS software. Results. Thirty eight articles was included in the scoping review. After the semi-structured interview, five indicators were identified, including customer satisfaction, customer trust, repurchase intention, recommendation to others, and brand preference. In our study, customer satisfaction (0.269), repurchase intention (0.233), brand preference (0.196), customer trust (0.155), recommendation to others (0.147), respectively, had the greatest impact on customer loyalty. Conclusion. According to the results, customer satisfaction was the most important factor influencing loyalty. Therefore, the managers of insurance companies should pay more attention to increase insured individual satisfaction and improved customer loyalty in companies.