Why dissatisfied customers still desire long-term relationships

Abstract

A model of long-term relationships between potato farmers and their seed suppliers in the highlands of the Northern Phillipines reveals that while farmers are generally dissatisfied with the nature of their relationship with their most preferred seed supplier, they nevertheless seek to maintain that relationship. The desire to maintain the relationship is derived directly from the seed supplier's offer quality and the various commitments the preferred seed supplier makes to share the risks of growing potatoes in a highly unpredictable environment. The farmer's dissatisfaction is derived primarily from the seed supplier's inability to deliver good quality seed cost effectively and to adequately reward the farmer for their efforts in growing and harvesting the potato crop.