Service quality for customer retention in the UK steel industry: old dogs and new tricks?

Manufacturing companies, in searching for new approaches to retain customers, are increasingly using service as a differentiator and as a means of integrating themselves into the customers’ supply chain systems. This study is pivotal in exploring the concept of employing service quality in a non‐service industry to raise switching barriers and to create customer longevity. A survey of the UK steel industry has revealed that the higher the level of perceived quality of service, the higher the expressed intended loyalty. For steel managers, this research has highlighted the importance of establishing a relationship strategy through service enhancement to foster customer loyalty.