A Systematic Review of the Service Quality–Customer Loyalty Relationship: The Mediating Role of Customer Trust and Perceived Value

Abstract

Background: This service quality and customer loyalty link has been the subject of significant scholarly research during the last 30 years. Even with this interest, the links between service quality and customer loyalty are not fully understood and how customer trust and customer perceived value mediate between these two variables are unclear. Objective: This systematic review aims to integrate empirical evidence of the service quality–customer loyalty link with the role of customer trust and perceived value in various industry settings as a mediating mechanism. Method: Five academic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete, and Google Scholar) were used in a comprehensive search of studies from 2000 to 2024. On the basis of PRISMA 2009, 87 articles which fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were peer-reviewed were included in the final synthesis. Results: The findings are in line with the established positive and significant findings between service quality, customer trust, perceived value and customer loyalty. Customer trust and perceived value independently and jointly mediate the service quality–loyalty link. These relationships are not as consistent in different service areas, cultures and measures. The most common fields of study include banking, hospitality, healthcare, and retail. Conclusions: Service quality has the biggest impact on loyalty via two mediating pathways. Practitioners need to concentrate on establishing service environments that are trustworthy and providing them with excellent perceived value in order to create loyal customers. Longitudinal studies and cross-cultural comparative studies should be conducted in the future.