Understanding emotional customer experience and co-creation behaviours in luxury hotels

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 4247-4275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szu-Hsin Wu ◽  
Yuhui Gao
Keyword(s):  
Service Management ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Combined Application ◽  
Luxury Hotels ◽  
Holistic Understanding

Purpose A holistic understanding of sources that evoke customer emotions is essential for creating a positive emotional customer experience (ECX). Despite a significant focus on the cognitive aspect of customer experience and traditional customer behaviours (e.g. loyalty and satisfaction), limited attention has been paid to ECX and co-creation behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to address this important knowledge gap by identifying different emotions and prominent sources of ECX (i.e. emotion triggers and constructors) during service interactions. By doing so, key customer co-creation behaviours are also identified, which help enhance positive customer experience. Design/methodology/approach A combined application of the appraisal theory and thematic analysis was used to explore ECX, its sources and co-creation behaviours as observed from 1,063 TripAdvisor customer reviews of luxury hotels in Ireland. Findings The results show that a single service interaction can evoke multiple emotions during the interaction process. The findings capture prominent emotions that customers experience and various important emotion triggers (physical environment, service management and offerings and human interaction) and constructors (customer expectation, accumulated service experience and culture fusion and authenticity). Three main customer co-creation behaviours (reinforcing intention, active and resourceful behaviours), which help facilitate the co-creation of positive customer emotions, are also identified. Originality/value The study proposes a new framework that provides unique insights into ECX to guide service improvement and innovation. A novel approach of applying the appraisal theory to a netnographic study is used to develop an ECX framework, which integrates various emotion triggers and constructors, and subsequent customer co-creation behaviours in the hotel industry.

Relationship versus customer experience quality as determinants of relationship quality and relational outcomes for Kuwaiti retail banks

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1234-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel A.A. Al-Wugayan
Keyword(s):  
Service Management ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relational Outcomes ◽  
Retail Banks

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which customer experience and relationship marketing (RM), as two widely used service management approaches, can effectively determine satisfaction and commitment as two relational quality constructs, and their impact on loyalty and word-of-mouth (WoM) as relational outcomes for retail bank services in Kuwait. This country is chosen as an exemplar of an Arabian Peninsula culture with a predominantly Islamic heritage and a capital-surplus economy. Design/methodology/approach The relational benefits scale and customer experience quality were used as independent measures to collect data using multiple methods (interview, paper and pencil, online) from 1,013 customers of local and international banks. Standard translation procedures, CFA procedures and parallel analysis were employed to examine the dimensionality of all scales. SEM procedures were applied for each approach to assess its impact on the four indigenous dependent constructs using a multitude of fit indices, examination of validity and reliability measures for all constructs as well as structural paths. Findings Results show the factor structure of both scales differed from their original conceptualization, with fewer items forming each latent factor when applied in Kuwait. The explanatory and predictive power of the EXQ model performed slightly better than RBS, although both explained substantial variance on dependent measures, confirming their relevance despite the lack of noticeable correlation between most factors contained in both scales. Research limitations/implications This study underscores the importance of establishing the validity of measures prior to their cross-cultural application, with particular focus on the content validity of scale items to measure the intended construct properly. It also shows how two approaches can complement each other rather than compete to effectively manage bank services. As is the case with all cross-sectional research paradigms, longitudinal analysis linking expressed loyalty/WoM with actual behavior can better assess tested relationships than the current research. Practical implications Retail banks’ marketing strategy should simultaneously address customer relationships and customer experience to reduce attrition and enhance customer life-time value. Originality/value Effects of service experience and RM are examined in a Middle-Eastern market, where internationalization of banks has created strong competition, leading customers to view bank services as less differentiated. Caution and examination of service quality measures are needed before using them as metrics in annual reports and performance reviews.

Extending the experience construct: an examination of online grocery shopping

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2419-2446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reema Singh ◽  
Magnus Söderlund
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Grocery Shopping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structure Equation Modeling ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Shopping Experience

Purpose This study aims to assess factors influencing customers’ online grocery shopping experiences, and it evaluates the central role of customer service and consumers’ responses to satisfying grocery shopping. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was used; linguistic inquiry and the word count (LIWC) method captured qualitative aspects of consumers’ grocery shopping experience, whereas partial least square-structure equation modeling tested hypotheses regarding antecedents to consumers’ overall online grocery shopping experience. Findings The PLS-based analysis confirmed the qualitative insights, establishing the significance of customer service, which accounted for 68% variance in the overall experience and 42% variance in customer satisfaction, along with other experience antecedents such as website, product and delivery. Research limitations/implications Future researchers could further analyze experience as a dynamic process focusing on consumer and retailer brand-focused constructs, specifically focusing on creating a holistic understanding of customer service that establishes coherence between retailers’ marketing values and their customer service. Practical implications Managers should acknowledge the importance of customer service in creating a satisfying customer experience, and they should respond to consumer concerns, resulting in enhanced brand-related experience. Originality/value Responding to the call for a better understanding of customer service, this study brings out the challenges online grocery shoppers are facing in terms of customer service and empirically establishes customer service as a key driver of customer experience, thereby extending the earlier work on customer service and online customer experience.

Mobile chat servitization in the customer journey: from social capability to social suitability

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1139-1158
Author(s):  
Letizia Lo Presti ◽  
Giulio Maggiore ◽  
Vittoria Marino
Keyword(s):  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Customer Journey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Crm ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Social Capability

PurposeMobile instant messaging (MIM) is changing how we communicate with customers transforming what we used to buy as products into services. Servitization is the strategy by which the services offered in combination with a product become a central part of the offer and the value. This paper aims to focus on a new way to do business by means of mobile conversational commerce identified as a unique touchpoint for customers who wish to experience the product/service.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses the case study method and mobile content analysis of WhatsApp conversations between customer and manufacturing firm to illustrate how an artisan company succeeded with customers using MIM to track the customer journey and engage the customer during the conversation. The customer journey theory and customer engagement cycle were used to detecting the main themesFindingsThe results demonstrate that by channeling a mix between engagement and service practices into one direct touchpoint, it is possible to follow the customers throughout their journey and detect their satisfaction. Nevertheless, the research finds that new skills are needed: two-way communication skills, suitability and social CRM skills.Practical implicationsThe results provide guidance for services providers on how to improve customer experience management by allocating investment to conversational commerce as a new way of promoting the customer experience for the digital transformation of manufacturing firms.Originality/valueThis research investigates the importance of human interaction in the digital servitization as a pillar of commerce in this type of service. The paper analyzes the results from the perspective of the supplier of the service and from the perspective of customer experience.

scholarly journals Toward a goal-oriented view of customer journeys

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 767-790
Author(s):  
Larissa Becker ◽  
Elina Jaakkola ◽  
Aino Halinen
Keyword(s):  
Goal Attainment ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Customer Journey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Regulation Model

PurposeCustomer experience research predominantly anchors the customer journey on a specific offering, implying an inherently firm-centric perspective. Attending calls for a more customer-centric approach, this study aims to develop a goal-oriented view of customer journeys.Design/methodology/approachThis study interprets the results of a phenomenological study of a transformative journey toward a sober life with the self-regulation model of behavior to advance understanding of customer journeys.FindingsThe consumer's journey toward a higher-order goal encompasses various customer journeys toward subordinate goals, through which consumers engage in iterative cognitive and behavioral processes to adjust or maintain their experienced situation vis-à-vis the goal. Experiences drive behavior toward the goal. It follows that negative experiences may contribute to goal attainment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the importance of looking at the consumers' higher-order goals to obtain a more holistic understanding of the customer journey.Practical implicationsCompanies and organizations should extend their view beyond the immediate goals of their customers to identify relevant touchpoints and other customer journeys that affect the customer experience.Originality/valueThis study proposes conceptualization of the customer journey, comprising goal-oriented processes at different hierarchical levels, and it demonstrates how positive and negative customer experiences spur behaviors toward the higher-order consumer goal. This conceptualization enables a more customer-centric perspective on journeys.

Finding brilliance using positive organizational scholarship in healthcare

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 750-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Dadich ◽  
Liz Fulop ◽  
Mary Ditton ◽  
Steven Campbell ◽  
Joanne Curry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Positive Organizational Scholarship ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Service Management ◽  
Organizational Scholarship

Purpose – Positive organizational scholarship in healthcare (POSH) suggests that, to promote widespread improvement within health services, focusing on the good, the excellent, and the brilliant is as important as conventional approaches that focus on the negative, the problems, and the failures. POSH offers different opportunities to learn from and build resilient cultures of safety, innovation, and change. It is not separate from tried and tested approaches to health service improvement – but rather, it approaches this improvement differently. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – POSH, appreciative inquiry (AI) and reflective practice were used to inform an exploratory investigation of what is good, excellent, or brilliant health service management. Findings – The researchers identified new characteristics of good healthcare and what it might take to have brilliant health service management, elucidated and refined POSH, and identified research opportunities that hold potential value for consumers, practitioners, and policymakers. Research limitations/implications – The secondary data used in this study offered limited contextual information. Practical implications – This approach is a platform from which to: identify, investigate, and learn about brilliant health service management; and inform theory and practice. Social implications – POSH can help to reveal what consumers and practitioners value about health services and how they prefer to engage with these services. Originality/value – Using POSH, this paper examines what consumers and practitioners value about health services; it also illustrates how brilliance can be theorized into health service management research and practice.

Competitive advantage through service in hospitality and tourism: a perspective article

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 247-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Kandampully ◽  
David Solnet
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Element ◽  
The Past ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Conceptual Study

Purpose Given the dramatic technology led service innovations that are putting pressure on hospitality and tourism businesses, competitive advantage may depend significantly on remaining opportunities for a human element to be incorporated into the customer experience. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual study provides a synthesis of the past and the future understanding of the importance of service management. Findings A conceptual framework is provided that extends our understanding of emotion connection and reliance on technology. The examples are given to enrich the discussion. Originality/value This study is among the first to highlight and explore the interrelationship between emotional connection and the reliance on technology in the context of hospitality experience.

scholarly journals What patients do and their impact on implementation

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Boaz ◽  
Glenn Robert ◽  
Louise Locock ◽  
Gordon Sturmey ◽  
Melanie Gager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Patient Engagement ◽  
Clinical Pathways ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Attitudinal Changes ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The potential for including patients in implementation processes has received limited attention in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to explore the different roles adopted by 63 patients that emerged during and after four participatory quality improvement interventions, and the nature of their impact upon implementation processes and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-case ethnographic comparison of Experience-based Co-design in two clinical pathways in two UK NHS Trusts. Findings – Two key themes emerge from the data. First, the authors found a range of different roles adopted by patients within and across the four projects; some were happy to share their experiences, others also helped to identify improvement priorities alongside staff whilst others were also involved in developing potential solutions with the staff who had cared for them. A few participants also helped implement those solutions and became “experts by experience” through engaging in the whole co-design process. Second, in terms of the impact of patient engagement with the co-design process whilst the changes championed by patients and carers were often small scale, as co-designers patients provided innovative ideas and solutions. Through their involvement and contributions they also acted as catalysts for broader change in the attitudes of staff by providing a motivation for wider organisational and attitudinal changes. Research limitations/implications – The research was conducted in two clinical pathways in two NHS trusts. However, the findings complement and add to the growing body of knowledge on experience based co-design. Practical implications – Patient engagement is likely to require support and facilitation to ensure that patients can play a meaningful role as partners and co-designers in service improvement and implementation. Different roles suited particular individuals, with participants stepping in and out of the co-design process at various stages as suited their needs, capacities and (albeit sometimes perceptions re) skills. In this context, facilitation needs to be sensitive to individual needs and flexible to support involvement. Social implications – Patients and carers can play active roles in service improvement, particularly where the approach facilitate active engagement as co-designers. Originality/value – Analysis of the role patients and carers in implementation and improvement.

scholarly journals A fuzzy superiority and inferiority ranking based approach for IT service management software selection

Kybernetes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Rouhani
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Software Selection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technical Issues

Purpose Information technology service management (ITSM) has become a major IT department management system in organizations. Successful implementation of ITSM depends on select adequate ITSM software. Evaluation and selection of the ITSM solution or software packages is complicated and time-consuming decision-making problem. This paper aims to present an approach for dealing with such a problem. Design/methodology/approach This approach introduces functional, non-functional requirements and novel fuzzy out-ranking evaluation method for ITSM software selection. The presented approach breaks down ITSM software selection criteria into two broad categories, namely, functional (service strategy, service design, service transition, service operation, continual service improvement according to Information Technology Infrastructure Library V3) and non-functional requirements (quality, technical, vendor, implementation) including totally 46 selection criteria. A novel fuzzy superiority and inferiority ranking (FSIR) was developed and made applicable for ITSM software selection based on identified criteria. Findings The proposed approach is applied to IT services company to select and acquire ITSM software, and the provided numerical example illustrates the applicability of the approach for this choice. The approach can facilitate firms to achieve suitable ITSM software and have a precise acquisition decision; however, the limitation of dependency on experts’ competence and proficiency in the both ITSM field and IT technical issues exists. Research limitations/implications The approach can facilitate firms to achieve suitable ITSM software and have a precise acquisition decision; however, the limitation of dependency on experts’ competence and proficiency in the both ITSM field and IT technical issues exists. Practical implications Facilitating of ITSM implementation through its handy software selection is the major impact of current research. Originality/value A facile FSIR-based approach for software selection has been customized to contribute to the current literature in the ITSM field. Facilitating of ITSM implementation through its handy software selection is the major impact of current research.

Impact of values on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-yung Leung ◽  
Chen Dongyu ◽  
Anita M.M. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Personal Integrity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Behaviours ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. Hong Kong construction students are often criticized, by both practitioners and educators, as rote learners. To improve students’ learning processes, extensive research on a variety of aspects of construction education has been conducted. However, limited attention has been paid to the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. The impact of personal value factors on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong is investigated. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted to ethically Chinese construction students in four universities in Hong Kong. A total of 820 questionnaires were distributed and 431 valid returns were collected. Findings – The survey identified six influential values (namely, personal integrity, conservatism, determination, discipline, interpersonal relationships, and achievement), and shows that students who emphasize the virtues of personal integrity, determination, and a positive attitude toward achievement are better able to handle their interpersonal relationships, which will eventually lead them to engage in deep learning. Originality/value – Work to develop appropriate value systems is thus recommended in freshmen courses, as is the use of cooperative learning approaches. Such value systems will have a long-term influence on the learning approaches of construction students.

Online ethnography: a study of software developers and software development

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Rodrigo Cordoba-Pachon ◽  
Cecilia Loureiro-Koechlin
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Software Developers ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Ethnography ◽  
Area Of Interest

Purpose – Qualitative research has made important contributions to social science by enabling researchers to engage with people and get an in-depth understanding of their views, beliefs and perceptions about social phenomena. With new and electronically mediated forms of human interaction (e.g. the online world), there are new opportunities for researchers to gather data and participate with or observe people in online groups. The purpose of this paper is to present features, challenges and possibilities for online ethnography as an innovative form of qualitative research. Design/methodology/approach – Ethnography is about telling a story about what happens in a particular setting or settings. In order to do this online, it is important to revisit, adopt and adapt some ideas about traditional (offline) ethnography. The paper distinguishes online ethnography from other types of research. It draws some generic features of online ethnography and identifies challenges for it. With these ideas in mind the paper presents and provides a reflection of an online ethnography of software developers. Findings – Online ethnography can provide valuable insights about social phenomena. The paper identifies generic features of this approach and a number of challenges related to its practice. These challenges have to do with to the choice of settings, use of online data for research, representation of people and generation of valuable and useful knowledge. The paper also highlights issues for future consideration in research and practice. Practical implications – The ethnography helped the researcher to identify and address a number of methodological challenges in practice and position herself in relation to relevant audiences she wanted to speak to. The paper also suggests different orientations to online ethnography. Lessons learned highlight potential contributions as well as further possibilities for qualitative research in the online world. Originality/value – Online ethnography offers possibilities to engage with a global audience of research subjects. For academics and practitioners the paper opens up possibilities to use online tools for research and it shows that the use of these tools can help overcome difficulties in access and interaction with people and to study a diversity of research topics, not only those that exist online. The paper offers guidance for researchers about where to start and how to proceed if they want to conduct online ethnography and generate useful and valuable knowledge in their area of interest.

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