Abstract:
Customer loyalty is very important for the survival and growth of micro, small, and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the beauty and personal care industry. Despite its
significance, little research has explored how personality traits influence service
expectations in local beauty salons. To address this, the study aimed to explore the
link between customer personality traits, service expectations, and loyalty in beauty
salons in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. This study employed a qualitative approach, using a
purposive sample that included three semi-structured interviews with a salon owner,
a staff member, and a customer, along with five focus group discussions with 20
participants. This helped capture different viewpoints and showed how personality
differences shape customer experiences, with thematic analysis highlighting these
insights. The findings revealed that personality traits, especially openness to
experience and conscientiousness, play a strong role in customer expectations and
loyalty. Customers high in openness were more willing to try new hairstyles,
treatments, and innovations. Conscientious customers valued cleanliness,
punctuality, reliability, and consistent service quality. These expectations affected
satisfaction, which in turn influenced loyalty behaviours such as returning to the same
salon, recommending it to others, and resisting the urge to switch. The study also
highlighted practical steps for salon owners, such as offering innovative services for
open customers, ensuring reliability and hygiene for conscientious customers, and
building close relationships with clients. Using social media to show both creativity
and consistency was also useful for strengthening loyalty. Overall, this study links
personality psychology to consumer behaviour in MSMEs, signifying the importance
of cultural and community-specific factors. Furthermore, it provides new insights
strengthened by linking the findings to broader service and consumer behaviour
literature by integrating personality psychology with service expectations and loyalty
in the beauty and personal care context.
