Analyzing the Value of Social Interaction for Fitness Center Management: The Influence of Service Encounter in Consumer Trust and Loyalty

Previous investigations in fitness centers have indicated that interaction between customers and staff members play a crucial role in the service delivery process, being a source of value creation that can influence customers perceptions and behavioral intentions. However, despite available research demonstrating the influence of this variable on perceived value and repurchase intention in these facilities. Evidence on how interactions between members and staff influence users’ emotional responses is lacking. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships among service encounter, consumer trust, and members loyalty in fitness centers. Data were collected by means of an on-line questionnaire surveyed to a total of 235 active users from different fitness centers across Portugal. Data analysis procedures included a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) followed by the development of a structural equation model (SEM). The results of the analysis demonstrated good psychometric properties. In addition, significant relationships were found between service encounter and consumer trust as well as between consumer trust and loyalty. However, service encounters did not influence significantly consumer loyalty. These results provide empirical evidence of the role of customer-employee interactions as a source of intangible value (i.e. emotional and social) creation in fitness centers. These interactions can be a source of value-in-use that can lead to other positive outcomes for managers, customers and staff members in these facilities such as increased members’ sense of community, customer engagement and loyalty.