تأثیر اینرسی مشتری و تداعی برند بر رفتار بخشش مشتری: نقش میانجی وفاداری مشتری و تعدیل گری شهرت برند

Objective: This study aims to investigate the influence of customer inertia and brand association on customer forgiveness behavior, with customer loyalty examined as a mediating variable and brand reputation as a potential moderator. The research seeks to clarify how psychological and relational factors contribute to consumers’ willingness to forgive brand transgressions.

Method: A quantitative approach was employed using survey data collected from customers of Ofogh Kourosh chain stores in Iran. The study applied a complete mediation model using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the direct and indirect effects of customer inertia and brand association on forgiveness behavior, and to assess the moderating role of brand reputation.

Findings: The results indicate that both customer inertia and brand association have a significant and positive impact on customer forgiveness behavior. Customer loyalty fully mediates these relationships, confirming its central role in translating passive and cognitive brand connections into forgiveness. However, the moderating effect of brand reputation on the relationship between customer loyalty and forgiveness behavior was not supported.

Conclusion: The findings of this study offer actionable insights for brand managers and marketers seeking to enhance customer retention and resilience in the face of service failures. By recognizing the positive roles of customer inertia and brand association in fostering loyalty, firms can strategically design experiences that reduce switching intentions and reinforce favorable brand perceptions. Loyalty programs, consistent brand messaging, and frictionless shopping environments can help convert habitual behavior and cognitive associations into deeper customer commitment. Moreover, while brand reputation alone may not directly strengthen forgiveness behavior, it remains a valuable long-term asset that supports trust and credibility. Therefore, businesses should prioritize loyalty-building strategies that leverage both psychological and behavioral drivers to cultivate a customer base more inclined to forgive occasional missteps.This study offers a novel contribution to the literature by integrating customer inertia and brand association into a unified framework for understanding customer forgiveness behavior—an area that has received limited empirical attention. Unlike prior research that typically examines loyalty or reputation in isolation, this study introduces a complete mediation model with customer loyalty as a central mechanism and tests the moderating role of brand reputation, revealing unexpected boundaries to its influence. By focusing on a real-world retail context in Iran, the research provides fresh insights into consumer behavior in emerging markets and highlights the nuanced interplay between passive loyalty drivers and emotional recovery responses.

Conclusion: The findings of this study offer actionable insights for brand managers and marketers seeking to enhance customer retention and resilience in the face of service failures. By recognizing the positive roles of customer inertia and brand association in fostering loyalty, firms can strategically design experiences that reduce switching intentions and reinforce favorable brand perceptions. Loyalty programs, consistent brand messaging, and frictionless shopping environments can help convert habitual behavior and cognitive associations into deeper customer commitment. Moreover, while brand reputation alone may not directly strengthen forgiveness behavior, it remains a valuable long-term asset that supports trust and credibility. Therefore, businesses should prioritize loyalty-building strategies that leverage both psychological and behavioral drivers to cultivate a customer base more inclined to forgive occasional missteps.This study offers a novel contribution to the literature by integrating customer inertia and brand association into a unified framework for understanding customer forgiveness behavior—an area that has received limited empirical attention. Unlike prior research that typically examines loyalty or reputation in isolation, this study introduces a complete mediation model with customer loyalty as a central mechanism and tests the moderating role of brand reputation, revealing unexpected boundaries to its influence. By focusing on a real-world retail context in Iran, the research provides fresh insights into consumer behavior in emerging markets and highlights the nuanced interplay between passive loyalty drivers and emotional recovery responses.