Is Relationships Marketing Dead? An Empirical Investigation into SME - Bank Relationships

Banking relationships are largely researched in the context of retail banking. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in reviving the economy. However, there is limited research on SME-bank relationships. It is not established yet whether the key relationship components that are used in retail banking are adequate to understand SME-bank relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of key relationship components (which are identified as trust in relationship partner, customer satisfaction and buyer-seller bonds) on customer loyalty and share-of-wallet in the context of SME-bank relationships.

By taking a quantitative approach, a survey was designed targeting SMEs in the UK. We have identified similarities between B2C and B2B marketing as well as some differences. The findings of this research can be used by financial services marketers looking to build relationships with their SME customers, and may also help to inform future research.