Improving service brand personality with augmented reality marketing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Plotkina ◽  
John Dinsmore ◽  
Margot Racat
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Shopping Orientation ◽  
Service Brand ◽  
Underlying Processes

Purpose Augmented reality (AR) apps offer a great opportunity for brands to provide better service to customers by creating augmented customer service. However, not every AR app is equally effective in improving customer experience. Investigation of underlying processes and brand-related outcomes of AR marketing remains scarce and it is unclear how different types of AR apps influence brand perceptions, such as brand personality. This paper aims to fill in this knowledge gap and provide practical insights on how different AR apps can improve service brand personality. Design/methodology/approach Using an experimental plan, the authors investigate how attitudes towards AR apps contribute to customer perceptions of brand personality (i.e. excitement, sincerity, competence and sophistication) according to two different variables, namely, the location of the AR app (location-specific vs non-location-specific) and its orientation (augmenting the product, brand or store experience). The authors also examine the effect of expected customer experience with the AR app (i.e. playfulness and pleasure) and customer technological innovativeness and shopping orientation as predictors of attitudes towards the AR app. Findings The findings show that non-location-specific and product-oriented AR apps (i.e. virtual try-on apps) receive more positive evaluations and lead consumers to perceive the brand as more exciting, sincere, competent and sophisticated. Moreover, the playfulness and pleasure experienced with the AR app determine consumers’ attitudes towards the app. Additionally, AR apps improve brand personality perceptions amongst more innovative and adventure-focussed shoppers. Originality/value The authors show that brand announcements on high-technology, customer-oriented service offerings are an effective branding tool. Thus, AR apps perceived as pleasant and playful can signal and improve brand personality.

Are tattoos still a taboo?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 874-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Ozanne ◽  
Michael J. Tews ◽  
Anna S. Mattila
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Mediation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Service Failures ◽  
Aesthetic Labor ◽  
Agency And Communion ◽  
Failure Scenario ◽  
The Impact

PurposeAs tattoos increase in popularity, questions persist regarding their impact on customer perceptions. To help shed light into this issue, this paper aims to explore the impact of tattooed restaurant servers in the context of service failures. Through the agency and communion theory, the authors propose that a female server with tattoos induces higher levels of negative word of mouth (WOM) intention than her male counterpart. Furthermore, the authors propose that perceived competence mediates this effect.Design/methodology/approachThrough a 2 (tattoos status: yes, no) × 2 (server’s gender: male, female) experimental design, a panel of consumers were exposed to a restaurant service failure scenario with a photograph of a server. Depending on the condition, the server was either a male or female and had (or not) a tattoo on their left arm and neck. The same tattoo design was used for both genders.FindingsThe findings indicate that, in a service failure context, customers’ propensity to generate negative WOM does not differ across tattooed (vs non-tattooed) servers. However, contrary to the expectations of the authors, people tend to react more negatively to a male (vs female) server with tattoos.Originality/valueResearch on tattoos in the customer service context is scant, especially in hospitality. Furthermore, no previous study on tattoos has empirically tested a mediation process explaining differences in customer perceptions. Contrary to previous findings, this study demonstrates that an exposure to male (vs female) tattooed servers increases customers’ propensity to generate negative WOM. In other words, the type of profession coupled with the employees’ gender might influence customer perceptions. Furthermore, as customers’ propensity to generate negative WOM did not increase when served by a tattooed (vs non-tattooed) employee, managers in aesthetic labor industries, such as the foodservice business, can be more accepting of employees with tattoos.

EXQ: measurement of healthcare experience quality in Malaysian settings

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Kashif ◽  
Siti Zakiah Melatu Samsi ◽  
Zainudin Awang ◽  
Mahadzirah Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Peace Of Mind ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Healthcare Marketing

Purpose The customer experience quality (EXQ) cannot be measured by using traditional tools to investigate service quality. There is a need to use new tools to directly measure EXQ from a customer perspective. The current study aims to contribute in this domain of knowledge and validate EXQ scale by linking it to marketing outcomes of satisfaction, loyalty and word of mouth in Malaysian private healthcare settings. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 330 randomly selected Malaysians, visiting private hospitals in the city of Kuala Lumpur. The data analysis is performed by confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling – SEM – procedures. Findings The results reveal that two dimensions of EXQ scale moments of truth and peace of mind are highly valued by customers. Furthermore, the EXQ perceptions significantly contribute to satisfaction and loyalty. In a mediating relationship, the customer satisfaction is found to be a positive and significant variable. Practical implications Healthcare marketing policymakers should emphasize on recruitment of frontline staff – individuals with strong interpersonal skills and expertise who are able to create a memorable customer service experience. Originality/value The study is an original contribution to the existing body of knowledge – generally in services marketing literature and specifically in the field of healthcare marketing with a focus on customer experience in a developing country context of Malaysia.

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.

Drivers for creating value and enhancing customer experience through people

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 293-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Chidley ◽  
Neville Pritchard
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Process Framework ◽  
Impacting Factors ◽  
Reducing Stress

Purpose – Using the staff and customers as a starting point, the purpose of this paper is to describe a framework that helps board and senior management identify key drivers that generate value for their organisation and for their customers. Design/methodology/approach – With research into the range of customer experience metrics available the authors identified a lack of consideration within the staff directly involved. The paper explores the considerations that lie behind how staff impact upon customer experience within any process framework. Findings – The approach to customer service is based around: “Treat customers well and they’ll come back, spend more and recommend your company”. To achieve this following the research the authors now subscribe to a “customer third” edict that recognises that people are at the heart of that experience not processes. If individuals are motivated to serve well, if teams around them work in an encouraging environment then the customer will usually believe they are coming first. The health check now developed recognises the impacting factors on staff and their provision of a great customer experience. Practical implications – The authors find that a focus on staff will positively impact their levels of productivity, absenteeism, engagement and tenure. In customer experience, tenure with enhanced motivation to serve realises a positive impact to financials. Social implications – Reducing stress in the workplace should positively impact the whole life balance for individuals. Originality/value – Appropriate focus on people rather than process within customer service industries will reduce unnecessary investment in process and system change and deliver enhanced results within existing frameworks. Change driven by the people within the process is positive.

The voice-to-technology (V2T) encounter and the call centre servicescape

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin P.W. Ellway
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Interactive Voice Response ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Spatial Layout ◽  
Service Process ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Voice

Purpose – Because the voice-to-technology (V2T) encounter remains under-theorised, the purpose of this paper is to overcome this gap by investigating customers use of the interactive voice response (IVR) system and “the customer journey” through the call centre service system. Design/methodology/approach – From an interpretive study of a UK call centre, the metaphorical aspects of language used to represent the service process are analysed, accompanied by an examination of how the servicescape dimensions of spatial layout and signs are constituted in the call centre service process, and the resulting implications for virtual-aural navigation. Findings – Despite no physical movement, customers represent their experience of navigating “through” the service process in spatial terms. Therefore, understanding precisely how servicescape dimensions are reconfigured within the virtual-aural setting of the call centre is necessary to appreciate customer experience of V2T but also voice-to-voice (V2V) encounters. The call centre servicescape lacks a spatial representation of layout and signs that would conventionally support navigation and purposeful movement. Research limitations/implications – Despite observing live calls, direct interaction with customers was not possible. The paper was based upon a single case study, and the hermeneutic focus on understanding and meaning meant that the study did not emphasise the quantification of phenomenon. Therefore, further research on virtual navigation is required. Practical implications – Problematic V2T encounters compromise the quality and efficiency of service provision. A visual representation of the IVR system may possibly support V2T encounters, while encouraging customer service advisors to act as “guides” during V2V encounters may reduce problems emerging from V2T encounters. Originality/value – First, an original theorisation of the customer experience of the V2T encounter is provided through the theoretical notion of spatialisation metaphors. Second, a preliminary conceptualisation of the call centre servicescape is developed, which shows how spatial layout and signs are reconfigured and represented in this virtual-aural setting.

Is this real? Cocreation of value through authentic experiential augmented reality: the mediating effect of perceived ethics and customer engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saifeddin Alimamy ◽  
Waqar Nadeem
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
The Impact

PurposeRapid advancements in augmented reality (AR) technology have created new opportunities for service providers and customers to cocreate value. Using AR as a platform for generating authentic experiences, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of authentic experiences on customers' intention to cocreate value while considering the mediating influence of perceived ethics and customer engagement on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used to collect data. Participants were asked to download and try the “IKEA PLACE” AR application. The responses were used as inputs into a structural equation model.FindingsThe findings reveal that AR generates perceptions of authentic experiences but no direct relationship between authentic experiences and intention to cocreate value was found. On the other hand, the authentic experiences generated through AR increases customer perceptions of ethics and customer engagement, both of which lead to an increased intention to cocreate value.Originality/valueThe findings from this study highlight the importance of authentic experiences within the cocreation process. The results provide a unique understanding of the relationship between authentic experiences generated through AR technology on the intention to cocreate with the service provider, which is fully mediated by perceived ethics and customer engagement. The findings of this study extend the understanding of the cocreation process and the role of technology within this process.

Digital customer service and customer-to-customer interactions: investigating the effect of online incivility on customer perceived service climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd J. Bacile
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Interactional Justice ◽  
Service Climate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Digital Service ◽  
Experiential Value ◽  
Media Channels

PurposeThe domain of digital service not only includes digital service products made available for purchase but also the provision of digital customer service, such as customers seeking support on brands' social media channels. This type of digital customer service introduces new challenges not found in offline service recovery situations. This research highlights one such occurrence by investigating customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions during digital service recovery. In particular, dysfunctional dialog, such as online incivility (e.g. rude and insulting comments), directed at a complainant by a fellow customer is investigated.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data from an online panel are utilized to test the hypothesized relationships between dysfunctional customer behavior (i.e. online incivility), C2C interactional justice, customer perceived service climate and three forms of experiential value using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results show that customer perceptions of the firm's service climate are negatively affected by online incivility but only when such incivility produces C2C injustice. This outcome is notable due to the strong relationship found between customer perceived service climate and the following three forms of online experiential value: sociability, hedonic and pragmatic value. Thus, a weakened service climate subsequently leads to weakened experiential value for complainants.Research limitations/implicationsThe theoretical implications of two nascent constructs, C2C interactional justice and customer perceived service climate, are further developed with reference to digital customer service situations. In particular, given that prior research has focused on customer perceptions of service climate in core consumption situations of enjoyable face-to-face service experiences, it has only considered optimal or extremely positive service climate assessments in non-digital contexts. This study expands the understanding of the customer perceived service climate construct by examining the implications of a sub-optimal service climate in a digital customer service situation of an unenjoyable service experience. The limitations include a small sample size, the use of hypothetical scenarios and a failure situation limited to a single industry.Practical implicationsManagers who oversee social media channels or online communities must be prepared to act upon C2C online incivility. Deeming such communications as innocent online chatter not worthy of company intervention is a mistake, as the results of this study show that such inaction may lead to negative customer perceptions of the digital service environment and harm the customer experience.Originality/valueThis work develops a greater understanding of the importance of C2C interactional justice and customer perceived service climate in online customer service situations that prior research has yet to establish. In particular, previous studies have not investigated the negative effects of a situation that produces sub-optimal customer perceptions of a service climate.

Employer brand trust and affect: linking brand personality to employer brand attractiveness

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 218-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linn Viktoria Rampl ◽  
Peter Kenning
Keyword(s):  
Brand Personality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brand Trust ◽  
Employer Branding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employer Brand ◽  
The One ◽  
Brand Attractiveness ◽  
Brand Affect ◽  
Underlying Processes

Purpose – The importance of employer branding to attract talent in organizations is increasing rapidly. Brand personality traits, particularly, have been shown to explain considerable variance in employer brand attractiveness. Despite such awareness, little is known about the underlying processes of this effect. The purpose of the authors is to close the research gap by drawing on a consumer brand model of brand affect and trust as a means of explaining employer brand attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Students interested in working in the consultancy industry completed a survey designed to evaluate consultancy employer brands. Established scales for brand personality, trust, and affect, and employer brand attractiveness were used to test the conceptual model. Findings – The results indicate that employer brand trust and affect are both influenced by the brand personality trait sincerity. Further, employer brand affect was positively affected by the traits excitement and sophistication, while negatively affected by ruggedness. Together, employer brand affect and trust explain 71 per cent of the variance in employer brand attractiveness. Research limitations/implications – While the results show the importance of branding an organization as a sincere, exciting, and sophisticated employer, future research is needed to identify adequate marketing tools to achieve this goal, also in other industries besides the one investigated here. Originality/value – This study is the first to apply a model that includes brand personality, trust, and affect to employer branding. By doing so, the variance explained in employer brand attractiveness could be increased substantially.

Attraction during the service encounter: examining the other side of the coin

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 504-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker G. Kuppelwieser ◽  
Mourad Touzani
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Other ◽  
Service Encounter ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Social Attraction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions

Purpose The existing literature dealing with attractiveness during a service encounter focuses on employee attractiveness and its consequences. This paper aims to consider the other side of the coin by focusing on customers’ attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of two studies, this paper presents and tests a model explaining the specific role that employee social attraction plays in customer service perception and satisfaction judgment. Findings It suggests that the appraisal of customers’ physical attractiveness and homophily may lead to situations in which employees are socially attracted to customers, thus influencing customer service perception. Originality/value Consequently, this research provides insights into the role of attraction determinants in a service context. In addition, it demonstrates how employees’ social attraction is triggered in a service context. The findings contribute to satisfaction research by extending prior research perceptions on dyadic service encounters and examining both employee attitude and customer perceptions in service interactions.

Exploring the promise of e-tablet restaurant menus

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanth Beldona ◽  
Nadria Buchanan ◽  
Brian L. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Order Information ◽  
Relative Efficacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to determine the relative efficacy of an e-tablet menu over the traditional paper-based menu across the parameters of order information quality, menu usability, and ordering satisfaction using customer perceptions. Design/methodology/approach – Two types of data were collected: customer perceptions using an instrument comprising academically underpinned constructs and observational data that involved ordering times, logs of any customization requests, and notes gathered from interactions with restaurant staff. Findings – Findings indicate that e-tablet menus are significantly superior to the traditional paper-based menu across all parameters. Restaurateurs should be cognizant of customization options to significantly enhance order information quality, improve customer service and boost sales. Research limitations/implications – The findings support the idea that the use of technology does help to enhance the service experience, specifically the ordering experience for the customer. Practical implications – Electronic tablets have the ability to transfer greater levels of information in an interactive manner thereby enhancing the role of the menu in the merchandising of a restaurant's offerings. Originality/value – Although there is evidence of the importance of restaurant menus to the success of restaurants, little is known about the influence of the use of electronic menus on the ordering experience. This study provides findings that focus on the usability of menus and their impact on the ordering experience.

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