Customer evangelists: Elevating hospitality through digital competence, brand image, and corporate social responsibility

In the contemporary digital landscape, the frontline employees' proficiency in forging relationships holds immense strategic importance for organizational success. This study examines the impact of frontline employees' digital competence, proactive assistance, and relationship-building on customer brand evangelism with the mediating role of brand image and the moderating role of perceived corporate social responsibility. The research utilizes a time-lagged data collection approach, employing a multistage random sampling method to gather data from patrons visiting both five and four-star hotels. The data collection spans two points in time, separated by a four-week interval. This study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS v. 4 to analyze the proposed relationships, ensuring robust analysis for complex models. Findings suggest that the digital competence, proactive support, and interpersonal skills of frontline staff significantly contribute to the emergence of brand evangelists directly and through the mediation of corporate image. This study highlights the pivotal function of frontline employees within the domain of sales and marketing, particularly in the context of hospitality management, in influencing customer perceptions and cultivating brand evangelism. • Frontline employees' digital competence and proactive assistance positively influences corporate image and brand evangelism. • Brand image mediates the association of frontline employees' characteristics and brand evangelism. • Perceived CSR moderates the impact of brand image on brand evangelism. • Organizations should effectively employ relationship-building practices to foster evangelism and enhance business performance.