Abstract:
Purpose- The study has aimed to determine the role of employee empathy,
affective commitment, perceived service quality for improving customer satisfaction and
loyalty. While the effect of customer satisfaction and loyalty on improving positive word
of-mouth and return intention to pharmacies in Karachi, Pakistan was also evaluated by
the study.
Methodology/sample- 384 sample responses were collected from the customers of
community pharmacies in Karachi city of Pakistan using convenience sampling
technique. Five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used as data collection instrument
and measures were adopted from past literature. The study has employed PLS-SEM using
SmartPLS version 3.2.8.
Findings- Employee empathy has positive impact on customer affective commitment,
customer satisfaction and perceived service quality. Perceived service quality influences
customer satisfaction, whereas customer satisfaction has positive impact on customer
loyalty. Customer loyalty effect positive WOM and repurchases intention. However,
customer affective commitment has insignificant effect on customer satisfaction.
Practical Implications- It is implied to interact emphatically and respond accurately
during the interaction between employees and the consumers. It is so, as the employees’
influences majorly over the customers and interacts directly with the consumers.
