Analyzing the factors affecting on the attitude and behavior of corporate customers in the banking industry

Customers’ attitude is an important factor for their purchase behavior. To change this behavior, customers attitude can be first changed through tasks such as advertising and sales promotion. So, using customers’ attitude, their behavior can be predicted. In the present era, in addition to attracting customers, organizations are involved in creating a constant relationship or, generally, behavioral loyalty in customers. The cost of preserving customers is less than attracting new customers. An increase in profit from 25% to 95% is achievable only by increasing the cost of preserving customers up to 5%. The concept of loyalty (the intention to return) is very important especially in service industries such as the banking industry. In today's competitive world, services provided by competitor companies become similar more than ever, and a customer can be hardly surprised by providing a new service in the long term. By designing and managing suitable conditions of the service provision environment, a higher level of customer satisfaction and perceived service quality is obtained so as to affect the attitudes and behavioral tendencies of customers. In corporate banking, service is provided for the companies that are involved in economic activities beyond small enterprises and with a larger bulk of resources. The services provided for large companies are more complex, critical and diverse than those services provided for small enterprises. Therefore, the proposed factors (service atmosphere, customer perceptions, satisfaction) can serve as the antecedents of attitude and behavior of corporate customers. Based on this discussion, the present study seeks to analyze the effect of the proposed factors on the attitude and behavior of corporate customers in the banking industry by conducting a survey on the corporate banking customers of Eghtesad Novin Bank.   The present research is an applied one in terms of purpose because it can be used in the banking industry. According to the nature of data and the method of data collection, the research is a descriptive survey. The population included all the corporate banking customers of Eghtesad Novin Bank in Tehran who used the services of this bank in the period of the research. Since the size of the population was finite and certain, a sample of 250 customers was taken. The tool of collecting the data on the dimensions of the proposed model was questionnaire. In this study, confirmatory factor analysis was done to determine the validity of the constructs of the research. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire.  According to the findings, the service provision atmosphere affects the perceived service quality, perceived value and emotions of customers. In addition, the perceived service quality, perceived value and emotions have a positive significant effect on customer satisfaction. Satisfaction also significantly affects the customer's attitude toward the bank and his or her intention to return to the bank to use the corporate banking services. Finally, the attitudes toward the bank affect the customer's intention to return.  According to the findings, the environment where the service is provided significantly affects the customers’ perceptions. So, it is suggested that, in the branches of this bank, attractive decorations be used and comfortable furniture be provided for customers. In addition, when decorating the interior space of the branches, specific attention should be paid to the coloring and interior decoration design of the branches. Also, the interior and exterior lighting of the branches increases their attraction, serving as a kind of visual advertising. The managers of the branches of this bank should present their corporate banking services in a way that they meet their customers' expectations or exceed them. Furthermore, speed and accuracy should be considered in offering the services; because corporate banking customers are pressed for time mainly due to their business, they tend to receive their services quickly. Moreover, the polite, respectful and friendly behavior of the front-line staff toward the corporate banking customers plays an important role in the maintenance of the relations between the customers and the bank. Eghtesad Novin Bank should offer its services at a very competitive level, compared to the industry's competitors, and deliver superior services through personal sale strategies or media to the customers. The marketing managers of Eghtesad Novin Bank should use attractions in their advertising, which creates the feeling of confidence and calmness for customers in their interactions with the bank. Inducing such a feeling through advertising can make the bank service distinct and unique in the corporate customers' view and, as a result, it is preferred to other banking industry competitors. The bank managers should evaluate the level of customers’ satisfaction with the corporate banking services periodically by asking them; if they are not satisfied, they should receive their criticisms and suggestions to improve the provided services and remove the existing defects to meet their expectations.