RELATIONSHIP INTENTION AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF SOUTH AFRICAN SMES' LOYALTY TOWARDS A RISK FINANCIER

Despite organisations' efforts to build and maintain mutually beneficial long-term relationships with customers, not all customers want to reciprocate such relationship building efforts with supplier organisations. It is thus essential that organisations focus their relationship marketing efforts on those customers displaying the intention to build relationships. Organisations must also realise the importance of ensuring customer satisfaction, as there is a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which SMEs' relationship intentions and customer satisfaction predict their loyalty to a South African risk financier. Results from hierarchical multiple regression indicate that SMEs' relationship intentions and their satisfaction predict their loyalty towards their risk financier. It was also established that SME customers' satisfaction fulfilled a mediating role between their relationship intentions and loyalty towards the risk financier. This study broadens the current understanding of customer loyalty, especially in B2B settings.