“Switching is easy”—Service firm communications to encourage customer switching

• Banks are aware of the existence of different dimensions of switching costs for potential customers.
• They undertake “Switching is easy” campaigns to decrease perceived switching costs for new customers.
• However, these communication campaigns provide many aspects to improve to win the competitors׳ customers.
• Only some banks are aware of stress as an important emotional facet of switching a relationship.
• Relationship factors are mostly neglected by banks in their switching campaigns.

For several service industries, customer acquisition is challenged because of matured markets. Winning new customers typically means encouraging the competitors׳ customers to switch. This article analyzes “Switching is easy”-messages of retail banks. In their marketing communication, UK banks focus on several aspects to decrease perceived switching costs of their competitor customers. However, many facets stay unmentioned such as stress-related dimensions of switching a relationship. The study therefore contributes to service research by outlining how service firms focus on to decrease perceived switching costs of bank customers to acquire them from competitors.