RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL BONDS AND CUSTOMER VALUE IN COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

Abstract

This study aims to empirically examine the influence of financial bonds on customer value in commercial banks in Kenya. The financial bonds examined in this study are special discounts (SD), extension of loan repayment terms (ELRT) and free services (FS). The study sample consists of 384 respondents with a response rate of 78.1 per cent. Data was analyzed by employing correlation and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that financial bonds are positively associated with customer value in commercial banks in Kenya. The generalization of the findings is limited as the study focused only on a single industry in Kenya. Based on the findings, companies employing financial bonds strategies should focus on improving the usefulness of the financial bonds to customers by reducing the cost of services. This study successfully extends the relational marketing strategies in the context of customer value by incorporating special discounts, loan repayment terms and free services constructs. This extended relational marketing model is developed to achieve the greater understanding of customer acceptance of financial bonding strategy in Kenya’s commercial banks. In conclusion, the model in this study presents a considerable improvement in explanatory power.