Extant research provides valuable knowledge about
how firms can satisfy their customers. However, it is unclear
how customers themselves contribute to their satisfaction.
From a basis in the job demands–resources model, the authors
propose a customer demands–resources model. In this model,
customer demands (negative customer behaviors) and customer
resources (positive customer behaviors) affect customer
satisfaction through frontline employees’ customer-oriented
attitudes and customer-oriented behaviors. Using dyadic data
from 141 frontline employees and 375 customers, this study
identifies customer behaviors as an important source of customer
satisfaction. Customer demands impede frontline employees’
customer-oriented attitudes and customer satisfaction
through frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion, whereas
customer resources indirectly increase customer satisfaction.
Customer resources also buffer the negative effect of customer
demands on frontline employees’ customer-oriented attitudes