Satisfaction with goods and services: definitions and determinants. A critical review of the literature
Satisfaction with goods and services: definitions and determinants. A critical review of the literature

Summary/Abstract: Satisfaction has long been acknowledged as one of the cornerstones of marketing given its propensity to generate positive effects for the organization such as increased customer retention and profitability, positive word of mouth or customer loyalty. A wide variety of studies have thus been conducted in order to further investigate the concept and help organizations better satisfy their clients’ needs and wants. After many decades of research, results are somehow surprising in that there appears to be no broad consensus as to the definition of the term, its antecedents or measurement methods. This paper takes on the challenge and aims to provide a critical overview of the existing literature relating to definitions and determinants of satisfaction with goods and services, while at the same time suggesting further research areas. A total number of 37 articles have been selected following three consecutive key word searches and one bibliography search. Results show that a variety of definitions and models exist, with most studies conducted in the fields of services, namely banking, food services and the airline/automotive industry. At the same time, the number of studies analyzing how satisfaction is understood and perceived from the point of view of consumers are scarce.

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