Electronic customer relationship management and reputation: drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty in digital-only banking

This research investigates the influence of electronic customer relationship management (E-CRM) and reputation on customer loyalty, emphasizing the mediating role of customer satisfaction, within Blubank, an Iranian digital-only bank. Recognizing that customer satisfaction is crucial in shaping a bank's reputation and fostering loyalty, the study focuses on understanding customer perceptions in the Iranian context. To identify the key E-CRM factors, ranking based on their importance has been done using the analytic hierarchy process method. To accomplish the primary aim of the study, data were collected from Blubank customers through a questionnaire, garnering a total of 384 responses, which were subsequently utilized for the final analysis. Hypothesis testing was conducted using SmartPLS. The outcomes of the study indicate that both E-CRM and reputation significantly and positively influence customer loyalty. Furthermore, it has been found that customer satisfaction serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between E-CRM, reputation, and customer loyalty. To identify and prioritize areas for improvement based on their importance to customers and align resource allocation with increasing satisfaction and competitive advantage, importance-performance analysis was used for Blubank, leading to practical improvement suggestions.