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1 – 10 of over 1000Jesús Cambra-Fierro, Lia Patrício, Yolanda Polo-Redondo and Andreea Trifu
Customer–provider relationships unfold through multiple touchpoints across different channels. However, some touchpoints are more important than others. Such important touchpoints…
Abstract
Purpose
Customer–provider relationships unfold through multiple touchpoints across different channels. However, some touchpoints are more important than others. Such important touchpoints are viewed as “moments of truth” (MOTs). This study examines the impact of a series of touchpoints on an MOT, and the role MOTs play in determining future profitability and other behavioral outcomes (e.g. customer retention and customer cross-buy) in a business-to-business (B2B) context.
Design/methodology/approach
Building upon social exchange theory, a conceptual model is proposed and tested that examines the impact of human, digital, and physical touchpoints and past MOTs on customer evaluation of a current MOT and on future customer outcomes. This research employs a longitudinal methodology based on a unique panel dataset of 2,970 B2B customers.
Findings
Study results show that all touchpoints significantly contribute to MOTs, while human and physical touchpoints maintain their primacy during MOTs. The impact of MOTs on future customer outcomes is also demonstrated.
Practical implications
This study highlights the need for prioritizing human and physical touchpoints in managing MOTs, and for carefully managing MOTs across time.
Originality/value
Given its B2B outlook and longitudinal approach, this research contributes to the multichannel and interactive marketing literature by determining relevant touchpoints for B2B customers.
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Bikramjit Rishi and Sapna Popli
A customer's journey of searching for a product or service, evaluating it, purchasing it, using it, recommending it, rebuying it or rejecting it is unique in itself. Organisations…
Abstract
A customer's journey of searching for a product or service, evaluating it, purchasing it, using it, recommending it, rebuying it or rejecting it is unique in itself. Organisations always have dreamt of getting inside the customers' minds and trying to understand what's happening inside at each of these steps. This chapter explains the customer journey concept and the analysis of the various components of the customer journey. We highlight that the firms need to understand the customer journeys and the multiple touchpoints they interact with to create a worthwhile customer experience. The chapter lists out the various touchpoints, including social/external touchpoints, customer-owned touchpoints, partner-owned touchpoints and brand-owned touchpoints. We discuss three frameworks that can be used by a firm to understand design a customer journey. These frameworks include AIDA (awareness, interest, desire and action), MAI (measure, analyse and improve) and journey maps. The chapter recommends the various steps which a firm can use to create a journey map. In the end, we create a linkage between the customer journey and business transformation. The chapter builds a case for the application of customer journey management by pointing out that it is a complex phenomenon, and the firms should use a structured approach to design and manage the customer journey.
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Mehir Baidya, Bipasha Maity and Susobhan Goswami
Managers use several touchpoints to provide a positive experience for customers in an experience economy. Past studies ignored how the touchpoints complement one another in…
Abstract
Purpose
Managers use several touchpoints to provide a positive experience for customers in an experience economy. Past studies ignored how the touchpoints complement one another in creating synergy, even though this issue has tremendous managerial implications. This research paper aims to examine the role of a set of value-driven touchpoints' in providing and managing the customer experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Four hypotheses were formulated concerning the relationship between various value-driven touchpoints and the consumer experience. Data were collected from 360 respondents, and an econometric model was fitted to the data.
Findings
The results showed that touchpoints representing economical, functional, informational and convenient values impact the customer experience and complement one another.
Practical implications
The findings of this study should assist managers in framing a customer-facing strategy for providing a positive experience to customers.
Originality/value
Using primary data and an econometric model, this research extends the theory on the relationship between value-driven touchpoints and customer experience, hence, adding value to the existing corpus of marketing literature.
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Lily (Xuehui) Gao, Iguácel Melero-Polo, Miguel Á. Ruz-Mendoza and Andreea Trifu
The purpose of this study is to examine how and to what extent customer-provider service touchpoints impact business customer perceptions and outcomes in the context of long-term…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how and to what extent customer-provider service touchpoints impact business customer perceptions and outcomes in the context of long-term business-to-business (B2B) service relationships. To this end, the authors will assess the chain of effect path for different service touchpoints between business customers and service providers – and the long-term impact both on customer perceptions and financial, behavioral and relational outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Enabled by a five-year panel data set, seemingly unrelated regression model methodology is applied to test the proposed conceptual framework. Data are obtained for a sample of 2,175 B2B insurance service companies between 2013 and 2017.
Findings
Study results shed light on the significance of the sales force in B2B settings, as one of several key service touchpoints – together with firm expertise, service reliability and excellence – driving robust relationships, profitability and cross-buying. Firm-initiated contacts and tangible touchpoints are proven to be ineffective – even damaging in some instances – in terms of driving business customer perceptions.
Originality/value
The paper delivers empirical evidence providing insight on how service touchpoints and business customer perceptions have a long-term impact on customer outcomes. This has yet to be addressed in B2B service settings – despite being of vital interest to marketers, as the longitudinal approach of the research aids service firms in gaining a better understanding of company-customer touchpoints and the extent to which different factors have a decisive, lasting impact on B2B customer outcomes.
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Elina Jaakkola and Matthew Alexander
Existing research on customer journeys has tended to focus on the customer’s purchase decision-making and firm-controlled touchpoints, overlooking indirect touchpoints where…
Abstract
Purpose
Existing research on customer journeys has tended to focus on the customer’s purchase decision-making and firm-controlled touchpoints, overlooking indirect touchpoints where customer resources and behaviors influence the firm and other actors, beyond financial patronage. This article develops the concept of engagement journeys and discusses their implications on journey design and management.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual article synthesizes the customer journey and engagement literature to delineate the concept of engagement journeys. Insights from engagement research are reflected in the current journey management orthodoxy to provide novel implications for the management of engagement journeys.
Findings
The engagement journey is defined as the customer’s process of diverse brand-related resource investments in interactions with the brand/firm and/or other customers, reflecting the customer’s cognitive, emotional and behavioral disposition. The analysis outlines the manifestations and nature of different types of touchpoints along the engagement journey, and the novel requirements for journey management.
Research limitations/implications
The developed conceptualization opens up new avenues in both journey and engagement research.
Practical implications
Some commonly held assumptions regarding journey quality and management do not hold true for engagement journeys, so there is a need for new approaches.
Originality/value
Despite the proliferation of both journey and engagement research, only a handful of studies have considered the link between the concepts. The proposed novel conceptualization of an engagement journey breaks free from a predominant focus on purchase decisions. The analysis of engagement journeys and their management advances both customer journey and engagement research.
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Diem-Trang Vo, Nguyen Quynh Mai, Long TV Nguyen, Nguyen Hoang Thuan, Duy Dang-Pham and Ai-Phuong Hoang
The role of customers has moved from reactive to proactive, and they require more control over digital touchpoints. The quest for authenticity is their response to the dark side…
Abstract
Purpose
The role of customers has moved from reactive to proactive, and they require more control over digital touchpoints. The quest for authenticity is their response to the dark side of interactive marketing – forms of faking, manipulation and exploitation. Authenticity becomes a key topic in interactive marketing as it reflects how customers assess digital touchpoints. However, there is a lack of comprehensive knowledge of authenticity in the interactive environment.
Design/methodology/approach
This article consolidates the authenticity studies in various digital touchpoints using the entity-referent correspondence framework. This research employs bibliometric analysis and thematic analysis of 103 articles in the last 15 years.
Findings
Five research clusters are identified: (1) human, (2) brand-generated content, (3) user-generated content, (4) branded platforms and (5) new technologies-based touchpoints (artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality). Most interactive marketing studies focus on human and content authenticity, and new technologies-based touchpoints lack comprehensive conceptualization. The review synthesizes the types of authenticity used in each touchpoint and highlights the importance of true-to-creator-self and true-to-customer-self in customer evaluation. We further propose a research framework with four antecedent groups and outcomes.
Practical implications
Our research supports managers by highlighting the type of authenticity prioritized in each touchpoint's development.
Originality/value
To answer the call from interactive marketing researchers, this research highlights the distinct definitions of authenticity at various digital touchpoints rather than looking at the overall brand. Trends, gaps and future research agenda of the authenticity concept in technology adoption and customer behavior are discussed.
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Marco Ieva and Cristina Ziliani
The explosion in the number of touchpoints is putting pressure on companies to design omnichannel customer experiences aimed at achieving long-term customer loyalty. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
The explosion in the number of touchpoints is putting pressure on companies to design omnichannel customer experiences aimed at achieving long-term customer loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relative importance of 24 touchpoints in contributing to customer loyalty intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by means of a survey on almost 6,000 subjects belonging to the Nielsen consumer panel. Two ordinary least squares regression models with clustered standard errors estimate the relationship between touchpoint exposure – measured in terms of reach, frequency and positivity – and customer loyalty intentions in the mobile service sector.
Findings
Reach has a significant relationship with customer loyalty intentions as far as eight touchpoints are concerned. Positivity, when controlling for frequency of exposure, is related to customer loyalty intentions as far as nine touchpoints are concerned.
Practical implications
Results provide guidance for mobile service providers on customer experience management strategies and specifically on touchpoint prioritization, adaptation, monitoring and design.
Originality/value
This study addresses two relevant research gaps. First, most studies focus on single or a few touchpoints without considering the variety of touchpoints within the customer journey (Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Second, no studies focus on the relative contribution of touchpoints to customer loyalty intentions (Homburg et al., 2017).
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Ragnhild Halvorsrud, Knut Kvale and Asbjørn Følstad
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework based on customer journeys for a structured portrayal of service delivery from the customer’s point of view. The paper also…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework based on customer journeys for a structured portrayal of service delivery from the customer’s point of view. The paper also introduces customer journey analysis (CJA) for empirical investigation of individual service experiences in a multichannel environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents case studies for onboarding new customers on broadband services. CJA starts with modeling of the service process in terms of touchpoints. The individual customer journeys are reconstructed through methodological triangulation of interviews, diary studies, and process tracking.
Findings
The paper provides empirical insights into individual customer journeys. Four types of deviations during service delivery are identified: occurrence of ad hoc touchpoints, irregularities in the sequence of logically connected touchpoints, occurrence of failures in touchpoints, and missing touchpoints. CJA seems effective in revealing problematic and incoherent service delivery that may result in unfavorable customer experiences.
Practical implications
For a service company, the proposed framework may serve as a unifying language to ease cross-departmental communication and approach service quality in a systematic way. CJA discloses the gap between the planned and actual service delivery and can be used as a tool for service improvement.
Originality/value
The framework provides concepts, definitions, and a visual notation to structure and manage services in terms of customer journeys. CJA is a novel method for empirical studies of the service delivery process and the associated customer experience.
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Marco Ieva and Cristina Ziliani
The purpose of this paper is to identify the patterns of customer exposure to touchpoints by segmenting consumers based on the frequency of their exposure, and to understand the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the patterns of customer exposure to touchpoints by segmenting consumers based on the frequency of their exposure, and to understand the relationship of patterns of exposure with customer loyalty intentions (relationship commitment, self-disclosure and positive word-of-mouth) and demographic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey of almost 4,000 customers was employed in a supermarket retail setting. Customers were segmented based on their frequency of recalled exposure to multiple touchpoints, by means of a latent class cluster analysis, while considering the role of demographic characteristics. Afterwards, loyalty intentions variables were regressed on the resulting customer segments.
Findings
Based on the touchpoint exposure, six customer segments emerge. The main differences across segments relate to the intensity of frequency of exposure and the types of touchpoints customers have been exposed to. Sex, age, shopping role and geographic area of residence are related to segment membership. The identified patterns of exposure explain relationship commitment, self-disclosure and positive word-of-mouth: clusters displaying higher exposure to touchpoints display higher loyalty intentions than clusters displaying lower exposure.
Practical implications
The study offers actionable implications for brands and retailers on how to manage touchpoints for implementing omnichannel strategies.
Originality/value
As far as the authors know, this study is the first to identify exposure to multiple touchpoints and understand the role of demographics as far as touchpoint exposure is concerned. It also provides interesting findings on the relationship of different combinations of touchpoints with customer loyalty.
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Larissa Becker and Eduardo Rech
Customer experience is increasingly recognized as a source of competitive advantage. Customer experience refers to customers' responses and reactions to cues within touchpoints…
Abstract
Customer experience is increasingly recognized as a source of competitive advantage. Customer experience refers to customers' responses and reactions to cues within touchpoints along customer journeys. Nowadays, customers often interact with online touchpoints – such as social media, websites, or e-commerce – in their customer journeys. Given that customer experience is multidimensional, this chapter addresses the following question: How can sensorial experiences be triggered in online touchpoints? Based on a review of the literature on customer experience and sensory marketing, four challenges in triggering sensorial experiences in online touchpoints are identified: (1) limited sensorial cues, (2) lack of thematic congruence between online and offline touchpoints, (3) sensory overload, and (4) lesser control over sensorial cues. Then, two routes through which organizations can trigger sensorial experiences in online touchpoints are proposed: (1) directly influencing sensations through sensory-enabling technologies, and (2) indirectly influencing sensorial perceptions through the use of sensory and nonsensory cues. The chapter closes with a presentation of a model that describes the process of triggering sensorial experiences in online touchpoints as well as a checklist of relevant questions for practitioners who wish to do so.
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