Purpose – Extant research evidence demonstrates that customer satisfaction in a service encounter is influenced by other customer perception (OCP). However, scholarly research on the impact of OCP on brand love and the moderating influence of customers’ attachment styles in the context of hospitality industry is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from customers of five and three-star hotels in India. Regression-based process analysis (Hayes, 2013) was used to test the proposed set of hypotheses. Findings – The data analysis shows that OCP predicts brand love through the mediation of satisfaction. Individual’s anxious attachment style positively moderates “other customer perception-satisfaction” relationship, and avoidant attachment style negatively moderates the same relationship. Thus the effect of OCP is positively moderated by anxious attachment style, and negatively moderated by avoidant attachment style. Originality/value – The value of this study lies in quantitatively investigating the roles played by OCP and individual attachment styles in shaping brand love in hospitality industry. In contrast to findings from previous research, the findings from this study suggest that anxious attachment style positively influences brand satisfaction and formation of brand love.

Introduction

James (a fictional character) searches for sophisticated dining experiences. Based on a rave review, he came to a pub with an expectation of enjoying a warm Saturday night in a sophisticated cocktail environment. He became very pleased after entering the pub and looking at its aesthetically appealing interiors. Things were pleasing till his eyes got stuck on an uncouth looking middle-aged person sitting just two tables ahead wearing a gross attire. James found the man very ill fitted with respect to the rest of the pub. He could not take his mind off this unrefined man, and what he thought would be a memorable evening of fine dine and wine turned out to be a torturous brooding over the sore in his eyes. Brocato et al. (2012) state that customer’s perception of other customers present in a service encounter can largely shape the focal customer’s emotional response towards the service firm as depicted in the above mentioned situation. Brocato et al. (2012, p. 2) define other customers as “customers who are in the service facility simultaneously with – and who are unacquainted with – a focal customer”. Prior research largely supports that one’s evaluation of fellow customers significantly influences focal customer’s satisfaction (Wu, 2007; Grove and Fisk, 1997). This empirical study investigates the psychological mechanisms that underlie the impact of other customer perception (OCP) on focal customer’s service-brand relationship in the context of hospitality industry. As a major component of the hospitality industry, hotel operators face increasingly competitive environments across countries, making customer relationship marketing a strategic priority for hotel operators and a prime topic for scholarly research (Shoemaker and Lewis, 1999). Similar to other services, consumers of hotel services have become increasingly sophisticated and knowledgeable, thanks to consumer empowerment in the digital age, and have multiple options to choose from (Kandampully and Suhartanto, 2000).