Empathic behaviors are defined as having a greater likelihood to be influenced by perceptions of the seller’s position
Customers in a strong relationship may attribute service failures to external causes that the seller cannot control, which would reduce the impact of those failures on their purchase behaviors
Their sensitivity to and empathy for the seller’s difficult also may prevent them from imposing the price-reduction pressures that are common responses to service failures
Example: E-Commerce (China)
E-commerce is a fiercely competitive and growing market in China, with annual consumer spending of $540 billion and hundreds of notable players
Yet 61 percent of consumers are loyal mainly to just three firms: Taobao, JD, and Tmall
A recent report indicates that many of these loyal consumers remain open to receiving promotions from these e-commerce brands via e-mail or mobile messaging
They also are 19 percent more likely to visit their preferred brands’ websites, where they not only spend more but also are more forthcoming when it comes to sharing private information about their brand preferences
