Customers’ switching behavior in the service sector: A systematic review and future research directions

Abstract

This study conducts a systematic review of 123 articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases (1995- 2025) to systematize the theory of customers’ service switching behavior. The results identify a significant conceptual shift from “total switching” to “partial switching”. Previous studies are categorized into three main streams: the switching process, comparison of characteristics of stayers and switchers, and factors that drive customers to switch. Specifically, the synthesis reveals that low satisfaction and price (push factors), along with the attractiveness of alternatives (pull factors), are the primary drivers of switching behavior, whereas switching costs, subjective norms, and inertia (mooring factors) play a crucial moderating role. The paper contributes an updated analytical framework and proposes future research directions focusing on emotional variables and “mooring” factors in the context of digital transformation.