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The “services triangle” is a dynamic model in which three interlinked entities (customer, employee and firm) combine to create three dyads [employee-firm (EF), customer-firm (CF) and customer-employee (CE)] that work together to deliver services. This study aims to determine whether significant differences exist vis-à-vis the impact of EF, CF and CE dyads on the service experience.

Empirical evidence from data garnered from 398 surveys was used to test a conceptual model. To test the hypotheses, like-signed first-order dyads were constructed and combined to create second-order dyads, and analysis of variance and post-hoc tests (least significant differences) were used to investigate whether differences among the second-order dyads exist.

The analysis reveals the differential impact of the three services triangle dyads on the service experience. Specifically, customers’ perception of EF fit appears to have the greatest impact on customers’ evaluation of the service experience, followed by CF and CE fit.

The main implication is that this paper extends conceptual research by providing empirical evidence that the EF dyad is the foundation of the services triangle. The limitations are based primarily on methodology, where the use of a survey to collect data rules out the potential generalizations of true cause and effect while also potentially being subject to common method bias.

Managers should realize that fit within some dyads is more instrumental in determining the service experience than fit within others. A number of managerial implications are proposed and discussed.

Prior research has neither empirically examined the services triangle nor whether significant differences exists among the impact of its dyads on the service experience. Insights from various literatures, the application of the balance theory and the construction of first- and second-order dyads enables an investigation of the various relational patterns contained in the services triangle.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive, theoretically grounded framework of customer-to-customer interaction (CCI) management, by revisiting three older services marketing models: the servuction model, the services marketing triangle and the services marketing pyramid.

Noting the lack of theoretical frameworks of CCI management, this study adopts a problematization approach to identify foundational services marketing models, question their underlying assumptions, develop an alternative conceptual framework and evaluate its adequacy for CCI management, on the basis of a systematic literature review and content analyses.

By revisiting the assumptions underlying three relevant models in the light of the present-day, technology-infused service environment, this study proposes a four-triangle CCI management framework encompassing four specific modes of CCI management: managerial decisions by the firm; frontline employees; the design of the physical environment; and technology. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the triadic relationships involving the focal customer, other customers and the four modes of CCI management. Building on these findings, this study concludes with an extensive research agenda.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first scholarly effort in services marketing literature to provide a comprehensive, theoretically grounded framework of CCI management. With its basis in foundational models, the new framework is well-suited to address future challenges to service marketplaces too.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the literature to date which has focused on co-production within mental healthcare in the UK, including service user and carer involvement and collaboration.

The paper presents key outcomes from studies which have explicitly attempted to introduce co-produced care in addition to specific tools designed to encourage co-production within mental health services. The paper debates the cultural and ideological shift required for staff, service users and family members to undertake co-produced care and outlines challenges ahead with respect to service redesign and new roles in practice.

Informal carers (family and friends) are recognised as a fundamental resource for mental health service provision, as well as a rich source of expertise through experience, yet their views are rarely solicited by mental health professionals or taken into account during decision making. This issue is considered alongside new policy recommendations which advocate the development of co-produced services and care.

Despite the launch of a number of initiatives designed to build on peer experience and support, there has been a lack of attention on the differing dynamic which remains evident between healthcare professionals and people using mental health services. Co-production sheds a light on the blurring of roles, trust and shared endeavour (Slay and Stephens, 2013) but, despite an increase in peer recovery workers across England, there has been little research or service development designed to focus explicitly on this particular dynamic.

Despite these challenges, coproduction in mental healthcare represents a real opportunity for the skills and experience of family members to be taken into account and could provide a mechanism to achieve the “triangle of care” with input, recognition and respect given to all (service users, carers, professionals) whose lives are touched by mental distress. However, lack of attention in relation to carer perspectives, expertise and potential involvement could undermine the potential for coproduction to act as a vehicle to encourage person-centred care which accounts for social in addition to clinical factors.

The families of people with severe and enduring mental illness assume a major responsibility for the provision of care and support to their relatives over extended time periods (Rose et al., 2004). Involving carers in discussions about care planning could help to provide a wider picture about the impact of mental health difficulties, beyond symptom reduction. The “co-production of care” reflects a desire to work meaningfully and fully with service users and carers. However, to date, little work has been undertaken in order to coproduce services through the “triangle of care” with carers bringing their own skills, resources and expertise.

This paper debates the current involvement of carers across mental healthcare and debates whether co-production could be a vehicle to utilise carer expertise, enhance quality and satisfaction with mental healthcare. The critique of current work highlights the danger of increasing expectations on service providers to undertake work aligned to key initiatives (shared decision-making, person-centred care, co-production), that have common underpinning principles but, in the absence of practical guidance, could be addressed in isolation rather than as an integrated approach within a “triangle of care”.

This paper aims to understand whether the perceptions of the patient’s in the health-care service experience differs in the Ayurveda, and to examine the impact of three critical communication dyads on the patient service experiences in Ayurveda health-care sector.

The study consists of 436 participants, recruited directly from the inpatients of Ayurveda establishments/hospitals/clinics in Northern Kerala, India. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. An independent sample t-test was used to find out the differences in the perceptions of Ayurveda health-care consumers towards their health-care service experience. Multiple regression analysis is used to explain the dyadic relationship of patient–firm (PFR), patient–employee (PER) and employee–firm relation (EFR) on the health-care service experience (SE) in the Ayurveda sector.

The study highlights that the perception of patients on Ayurveda health-care service experience varies according to their socio-economic statuses such as age, gender, annual income and the number of inpatient days. Among the service communication dyads, PFR is the most effective dyadic phase that contributes significantly more towards an improved Ayurveda health-care SE, followed by the PER and EFR.

The findings of the study will be more applicable to the Ayurveda health-care sector, where the doctors and the management have more role in the servicescape.

Health managers have to consider three stakeholders (customers, employees and firm) and the relationship between them. It is valued the PFR more, followed by the PER and EFR.

Proper implementation of the suggestions given by the study can improve overall service communications of the different service providers of Ayurveda with good interpersonal manner to achieve better relationships among the three mentioned parties.

The empirical evidence from the study is relevant and timely to the health-care service providers of the country to aid them in providing a better health-care service experience. The study adds value given the increasing trend of lifestyle diseases and subsequent demand in health-care services, especially in the Ayurveda sector.

This paper presents a structure for understanding Internet communities. A conceptual framework is developed with a view to enabling an understanding of the delivery of service and engendering of loyalty in an on‐line community. This framework, termed the customer bonding triangle, incorporates three elements, service value, technical infrastructure and interactivity. These elements were directly developed from the authors' experience with an on‐line community, macnews.de. The paper examines these elements and their function in developing Internet community bonding and develops a questionnaire based on Kano's (1984) model of customer satisfaction requirements which is tested using participants from the macnews.de site. It is found that for this group technical infrastructure was not perceived as providing satisfaction while providing solutions to problems was of more importance. The paper considers the implications of these findings for Internet communities.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze service management practices within a project management context.

This research supporting conceptual developments was both exploratory and qualitative in nature and utilized an in-depth case study of a major product development project.

The conceptual framework developed is applied to empirical observations of product development project. Because there is an adequate fit with observations, elements of a service management approach appear to be viable in the description, managing, and control of projects.

Because the research was built on a case study, one has the limitations common with that approach. Conversely, case studies are acknowledged as useful in the identification of important variables in situations in which there is little control over events in a real-world context.

Customer satisfaction is a requirement of project organizations, which is an inherent requisite of any service organization. Consequently, one turns to those elements in the practice of service management that lead to best management practices.

This paper contributes with a practice-based understanding of how project management is based on integrated service practice.

To revisit relationship marketing in the context of the digital economy.

The paper develops a conceptual framework (the customer bonding triangle) that enables greater understanding of the contributions of service delivery and online communities in the development of bonds in interactive relationships. The function of the three key elements of the framework (namely service value, technical infrastructure and interactivity) in enabling bonding via internet communities, is developed.

Suggests that firms rethink the role and nature of the consumer and that in order to facilitate bonding firms must make use of systems that are tightly integrated yet can also incorporate flexibility to help develop better understanding amongst participants.

Provides a framework to help understand key elements in interactive relationships.

Service providers increasingly use conversational agents (CAs), such as chatbots, to effectively communicate with customers while managing interaction costs and providing round-the-clock customer service. Yet, the adoption and implementation of such agents in service contexts remains a hit-and-miss, and firms often struggle to balance their CAs implementation complexities and costs with relation to their service objectives, technology design and customer experiences. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance on optimizing CA design, therefore, the authors develop a conceptual framework, TRISEC, that integrates service logic, technology design and customer experience to examine the implementation of CA solutions in search, experience and credence (SEC) contexts.

The paper draws on service marketing and communications research, combining the service context classification scheme of search, experience and credence and the technology infused service marketing triangle foci (service, technology and customer) in its conceptual development.

The authors find that an opportunity exists in recognizing the importance of context when designing CAs and aiming to achieve a balance between service objectives, technology design and customer experiences.

This study contributes to service management and communications research literature by providing interactive service marketing researchers with the highly generalizable TRISEC framework to aid in optimizing CA design and implementation in interactive customer communication technologies. Furthermore, the study provides an array of future research avenues. From a practical perspective, this study aims at providing managers with a means to optimize CA technology design while maintaining a balance between customer centricity and implementation complexity and costs in different service contexts.

Draws on the extant literature in the areas of services marketing, sport tourism and service quality to present a range of concepts and models that have utility in heightening management’s appreciation of the complexities of achieving service quality in a sport‐tourism context. Emphasis is placed on the multidimensional nature of the issues involved. Generic service and quality concepts and models are tailored to sport tourism through a range of examples. More in‐depth illustrations are provided by case material relating to Club La Santa, which is located on the northern coast of Lanzarote. Marketed as “the world’s leading sport and leisure resort”, La Santa offers all‐year‐round training and leisure facilities for national and international standard sportsmen and women, as well as less competitive visitors who merely seek exercise and relaxation. The managerial implications of the issues are discussed.

The primary objective of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework for assessing the role and influence of technology in creating an effective field service organization. We examine the role of technology in the context of managing relationships among the company, its employees and customers. Using the analogy of a country managing its foreign affairs, we suggest that consistent and concurrent attention to carrying out Diplomacy, Preparedness and Engagement responsibilities with the aid of Technology (DPEAT) would result in superior service outcomes. We illustrate implementing our framework in a field service organization and use a published case study to demonstrate the application of our model.