Identifying Cross-Channel Dissynergies for Multi-Channel Service Providers

In this article, the authors propose that in a multichannel
environment, evaluative conflicts (dissynergies) between
service channels exist. Building on status quo bias theory,
they develop a model that relates offline channel satisfaction
to perceptions about a new self-service channel. Data
were collected from 639 customers of a German bank currently
using offline investment banking. Results show that
offline channel satisfaction reduces the perceived usefulness
and enhances the perceived risk of the online channel.
These inhibiting effects represent a status quo bias.
Trust in the bank shows both adoption-enhancing effects
and an adoption-inhibiting effect. Finally, the negative
relationship between offline channel satisfaction and perceived
usefulness is significantly stronger for men, older
people, and less experienced Internet users. This study
has both theoretical and managerial relevance, as it helps
in understanding consumer behavior in multichannel
environments and provides implications for the design of
multichannel service strategies.