The Impact of Steering Measures on Customer Channel Migration and Customer Satisfaction

Multichannel distribution is now rather the rule than the exception. Different channels may enable customers to match their needs with a specific channel type, increase customer satisfaction and lead to higher turnovers. Numerous authors argue that the value creation contribution of the multichannel system could be enhanced when companies actively steer their customers into the most effective channel. This paper examines the success of different steering measures on channel behavior and satisfaction with an experimental investigation. The results suggest that the intention to use the target channel can be increased by an application of measures regarding the recent (push measures) and the desired (pull measures) channel, with a higher impact of the latter. Additionally, pull measures have a positive impact on customers' satisfaction with a company, whereas push measures do not affect customer's judgment. Furthermore, we found support for an oversteering effect where additional measures become counterproductive.