CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND REPUTATION AS DETERMINANTS OF TRUST AMONG THE CUSTOMERS OF REMITTANCE CENTERS IN KIDAPAWAN CITY

Trust serves as a cornerstone in the financial services industry, particularly in remittance centers, where customer confidence ensures continuous patronage and service reliability. Especially when their expectations are fulfilled, they tend to stay and remain loyal. Despite numerous studies on customer trust, limited research has examined how customer experience and reputation jointly influence trust within remittance centers in Kidapawan City. Most existing works emphasize banking institutions and overlook remittance centers that cater to community-based financial transactions. This study aimed to determine the significant influence of customer experience and reputation on the level of trust among customers of remittance centers in Kidapawan City. It sought to assess the levels of customer experience, reputation, and trust; examine their correlations; and identify which variable best predicts customer trust. Using a quantitative descriptive–correlational design, the study gathered data from 200 customers through a validated survey questionnaire, utilizing random sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Pearson-r correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that customers of remittance centers demonstrated a very high level of trust, experience, and reputation. Statistical analysis revealed that both customer experience and reputation significantly influence trust, with customer experience being the stronger determinant. This implies that when customers have favorable experiences and see the company as reputable are more likely to boost their trust. It is recommended that the remittance centers continue to deliver quality services. Furthermore, future research may explore additional factors to deepen the understanding of customer behavior in the remittance sector that boost customers’ trust.