The influence of the customer journey stages and pain points on customer loyalty in the Algerian telecommunications sector — the case of ATM Mobilis

Abstract

Customer loyalty has become a strategic priority in the telecommunications sector, where intensifying competition and rising consumer expectations demand a deeper understanding of the forces that shape long-term retention. This study aims to examine the influence of customer journey stages — Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, and After-Sales service — as well as customer Pain Points, on the loyalty of ATM Mobilis SIM card users in Algeria. A quantitative approach was implemented through a structured questionnaire administered to 150 active Mobilis users, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software through Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. The results indicate that all five dimensions exert a statistically significant influence on customer loyalty. Purchase and After-Sales service emerged as the strongest direct predictors, explaining the largest shares of variance in loyalty. While Awareness and Consideration demonstrated significant individual effects, they did not retain independent significance within the multiple regression model, suggesting they operate as foundational stages that indirectly support loyalty through their influence on subsequent journey phases rather than as standalone drivers. Pain Points were confirmed as a significant negative influence on loyalty, though their effect is partially mitigated when positive journey experiences are present. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing transactional efficiency, strengthening post-purchase support, and systematically reducing friction across all customer touchpoints in order to build and sustain loyalty in the Algerian telecommunications market.