Second, the findings expand existing knowledge by introducing an empirically
underpinned conceptualization of how ‘customer experience’ and CEB are connected in each of the eight scenarios. It is a new approach to investigate CEB in the light of customer
experience literature.
‘Paper 2’ expands the finding that CEB is a multifaceted construct, which in a continued service relationship is unfolded by the individual customer, dependent of the situation and co-existing with other customer related constructs such as CEX. ‘Paper 2’ contributes with an improved understanding of how and why CEB is living and breathing in co-existence with customer experience in the continued service relationship as follows: CEB is sometimes manifested by customers to re-experience, reinforce or challenge what the customer is currently / has been experiencing. CEB is as well sometimes embedded in the service relationship to a degree, where customers’ experiences and CEB become deeply intertwined or even become one and same construct. Finally, customers’ experiences are sometimes an antecedent for CEB. ‘Paper 2’ furthermore points out how customers’ behaviors across touch-points are not consistent or sequential but characterized by being events sometimes bearing conflicting valence within one and same service interaction.
Conribution 3. Paper 3.
‘Paper 3’ suggests to replacing the existing concept of ‘customer journey’ with the novel concept of ‘customer arenas’ to improve the firm’s ability to manage CEB in the context of continuous service relationships.
Customers’ CEB manifestations are often integrated by nature and manifested at and across touch-points (for instance when the customer purchases a service and afterwards gives feedback (knowledge value) or participates in word of mouth (influencer value)) in an
inconsistent and non-sequential manner.
The problem with the hitherto dominant concept, customer journey, is the inherent firm-centric approach were customers’ potential behaviors at singular touch-points are mapped in pre-figured sequences and based on the assumption of consistency in behaviors (as is the case in similar approaches such as the touch-point wheel (Davis and Dunn, 2002) or customer activity cycle (Vandermerwe, 1999, 2003)).
The concept of ‘customer arenas’ is integrative and assists the firm in stimulating and managing CEB at and across touch-points by taking point of departure in the customer’s various situations (reasons to be active towards the firm), the affiliated touch-points and how to stimulate favorable CEB in that particular customer situation.
Further contributions for theory:
Furthermore, this thesis contributes with insights regarding the ‘dark side of CEB’, as follows: I) CEB manifestations are in some situations destroying value, and sometimes are the firm’s investments in CEB initiatives not returned (lost CEB value); and II) the thesis explains how and why customers behaviors are not always consistent or sequential and hence how and why the absence of sequential customer behavior might lead to disrupted value creation process (as intended by the firm).
Finally, this thesis contributes with an updated view on the service relationship. The existence of CEB is found to have changed the traditional service relationship into a plethora of (service) events of sometimes conflicting valence, which is labeled ‘the new service
relationship’. Some of the often referred to virtues and characteristics of a service relationship is as a consequence being challenged.
This leads the author to suggest that ‘reciprocity’ today is eschewed in favor of the customer, and hence is a question of the firm fulfilling its obligations towards the customer’s CEB manifestations - and not the customer fulfilling it ‘obligations’ towards the firm’s relational overtures. Furthermore are customers’ CEB manifestations driven by goal-mode integration and rather functional oriented, why metaphors along the lines of the firm as a
‘partner’ tends to become obsolete and irrelevant from the perspective of customers. It is suggested to re-consider the appealing (for the firm) idea that customers are driven into the relationship as if it is a ‘marriage’ or a ‘friendship’ with their telecommunication firm or financial service provider. The firm would avoid potential intrusive and irrelevant overtures by realizing that the firm is simply ‘a counter-part’ or similar expression emphasizing skills and knowledge (only exception is ‘you and me’ scenario II (‘Paper 2’) with that particular employee). Finally, this thesis contributes with an updated perspective on customers’ multiple exchanges with the firm, which exceeds the relational versus transactional exchange views by highlighting how customers indeed have multiple (simultaneously, in parallel, sequential or not) types of exchanges with the firm over the course of time and in various customer situations.
6.2 Contribution to business
This thesis contributes mainly to service providers of continuously delivered services.
Contributions for business managers are carefully and with great detail and examples described in paper 2 and 3, while paper 1 takes a more theoretical perspective.
This section hence aims at pinpointing, which issues business managers should foremost consider and be aware of in relation to the daunting task of managing CEB.
a. Understand what customers are experiencing at different levels in the new service relationship
Customers manifest CEB because they have a goal of some sort with investing resources into the act of manifesting CEB. Customers manifest CEB in connection to what they
experience overall, as an aggregated sum of all experiences with the firm; what they
experience across touch-points in a service interaction (which from the customer perspective could span several touch-points and endure for a while); and what they experience at singular touch-points. It is beneficial for the firm to understand which different types of customer experiences are dominant at these three levels, since CEB is found to be connected with customer-experiences. The point is to sustain and develop favorable customer experience - CEB scenarios and reduce unfavorable scenarios.
b. Customers manifest CEB as an integrated part of their everyday Life
Customers typically don’t spend many resources reflecting over their service relationship with their telecommunication or financial services provider. CEB are manifested at touch-points, which makes sense to the customer, and could be manifested at touch-points in – or out of control of the firm and at human and/or technological touch-points.
Business managers should consider why customers are active towards the firm (and its services) and understand which touch-points are relevant for the customer, also those out of control of the firm contingent the customer situation. More important should the firm investigate and understand which features in particular stimulate favorable CEB
manifestations, for instance by connecting touch-points (also those outside the firm e.g. expert forum with their website), or ensure collaboration (for instance when the customer is relying on successful communication between call centre and technicians) between touch-points in the customer arena.
c. CEB is an ever-changing landscape. Is the firm a point of interest in this landscape?
The firm is an island in the CEB landscape. Inwards the firm should implement a type of CEB management system, which in this thesis is suggested to be the concept of customer arenas. However, the firm will only develop and sustain value via CEB if the firm at all levels
are oriented outwards and develops absorptive capabilities to constantly update the organization and design of the touch-points relevant (in the customer arenas in question).
This entails that business managers investigate customer arenas from a narrow perspective to understand the potential conflicting valences created via CEB at and across touch-points in the customer arena (with the aim to reduce conflict/ to reduce negative value creation); and that business managers investigate customer arenas from a larger perspective to understand how evolution in technology and lifestyle, and the adoption of same, affect their customers’ behaviors at and across touch-points (to for instance be up to speed with current market-standards and consumer trends).
d. Get in tune with ‘the new service relationship’
Business managers might benefit from realizing that the traditional way of thinking about
‘service relationships’ has been changed due to CEB. The reality of today’s service relationship is that customers are agenda setting when it comes to value creation or
destruction of value via CEB (or lost CEB value). The new service relationship is eschewed in the sense, that it is up to business managers to for instance reply to posts at portals online (think expert fora or social fora online) and to appreciate unsolicited feedback from customers to nurture the service relationship. Furthermore it might be advisable for business managers to take a good look in the mirror, to question whether the firm is in fact delivering upon facets mirroring a partnership between human beings (for instance, when the firm deflects customers in acute need to self service solutions or hide contact information at the very bottom of their website). Customers don’t fancy to be patronized why it might be better to present the firm as a counterpart, emphasizing for instance skills and knowledge to stimulate favorable CEB.
Finally, are viable new service relationships characterized by many types of exchanges between customers and firms, which happen in parallel, simultaneously, sequentially or not sequentially.