“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers

doi:10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2017.03.008

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“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers

Journal Article•DOI•

“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers

Bart Larivière¹, David E. Bowen², Tor W. Andreassen³, Werner H. Kunz⁴, Nancy J. Sirianni⁵, Christopher A. Voss⁶, Nancy V. Wünderlich⁷, Arne De Keyser⁸ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (8)

Ghent University¹, Arizona State University², Norwegian School of Economics³, University of Massachusetts Boston⁴, University of Alabama⁵, University of Warwick⁶, University of Paderborn⁷, EDHEC Business School⁸

01 Oct 2017-Journal of Business Research (Elsevier)-Vol. 79, pp 238-246

TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework that captures the essence of the Service Encounter 2.0 and provides a synthesis of the changing interdependent roles of technology, employees, and customers is presented.

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About: This article is published in Journal of Business Research.The article was published on 2017-10-01 and is currently open access. It has received 444 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Service design & Service (business).

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Journal Article•DOI•

Brave new world: service robots in the frontline

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Jochen Wirtz, Paul G. Patterson, Werner H. Kunz, Thorsten Gruber, Vinh Nhat Lu, Stefanie Paluch, Antje Martins - Show less +3 more

26 Sep 2018-Journal of Service Management

TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature is used to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers.

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Abstract: Purpose The service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature. Findings The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level. Practical implications This paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots. Originality/value This is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future.

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871 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Living up to the chatbot hype: The influence of anthropomorphic design cues and communicative agency framing on conversational agent and company perceptions

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Theo Araujo¹•Institutions (1)

University of Amsterdam¹

01 Aug 2018-Computers in Human Behavior

TL;DR: This study investigates the relevance of anthropomorphism and social presence to important company-related outcomes, such as attitudes, satisfaction and the emotional connection that consumers feel with the company after interacting with the chatbot.

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466 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Customer experience challenges: bringing together digital, physical and social realms

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Ruth N. Bolton, Janet R. McColl-Kennedy¹, Lilliemay Cheung¹, Andrew S. Gallan², Chiara Orsingher³, Lars Witell⁴, Lars Witell⁵, Mohamed Zaki⁶ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (6)

University of Queensland¹, DePaul University², University of Bologna³, Linköping University⁴, Karlstad University⁵, University of Cambridge⁶

07 Sep 2018-Journal of Service Management

TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore innovations in customer experience at the intersection of the digital, physical and social realms, and identify eight "dualities" or specific challenges connected with integrating digital and physical realms that challenge organizations to create superior customer experiences.

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Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore innovations in customer experience at the intersection of the digital, physical and social realms It explicitly considers experiences involving new technology-enabled services, such as digital twins and automated social presence (ie virtual assistants and service robots),Future customer experiences are conceptualized within a three-dimensional space – low to high digital density, low to high physical complexity and low to high social presence – yielding eight octants,The conceptual framework identifies eight “dualities,” or specific challenges connected with integrating digital, physical and social realms that challenge organizations to create superior customer experiences in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets The eight dualities are opposing strategic options that organizations must reconcile when co-creating customer experiences under different conditions,A review of theory demonstrates that little research has been conducted at the intersection of the digital, physical and social realms Most studies focus on one realm, with occasional reference to another This paper suggests an agenda for future research and gives examples of fruitful ways to study connections among the three realms rather than in a single realm,This paper provides guidance for managers in designing and managing customer experiences that the authors believe will need to be addressed by the year 2050,This paper discusses important societal issues, such as individual and societal needs for privacy, security and transparency It sets out potential avenues for service innovation in these areas,The conceptual framework integrates knowledge about customer experiences in digital, physical and social realms in a new way, with insights for future service research, managers and public policy makers

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396 citations

Cites background from "“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..."

...Third, increased participation requires a changing role of employee and customer (Bowen, 2016; Larivière et al., 2017), and an increased need for coordination between the two parties Today, fragmentation of roles leads to new questions....
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...Larivière et al. (2017) argued that employees and customers are taking on new roles as enablers, innovators, coordinators and differentiators – rather than traditional deliverers of the core service....
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...…as technology has come to mediate and augment encounters between organizations and customers, theoretical work increasingly emphasized how organizations and customers actively collaborate and coordinate their activities to create superior customer experiences (Bowen, 2016; Larivière et al., 2017)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

A review of research into automation in tourism: Launching the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Tourism

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Iis P. Tussyadiah¹•Institutions (1)

University of Surrey¹

01 Mar 2020-Annals of Tourism Research

TL;DR: The need to shape an automated future of tourism as a social phenomenon and an economic activity, hence contributes to theory and practice by providing directions for future research in this area is discussed in this paper.

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275 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Service robot implementation: a theoretical framework and research agenda

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Daniel Belanche¹, Luis V. Casaló¹, Carlos Flavián¹, Jeroen J. L. Schepers²•Institutions (2)

University of Zaragoza¹, Eindhoven University of Technology²

11 Mar 2020-Service Industries Journal

TL;DR: A three-part framework, comprised of robot design, customer features, and service encounter characteristics, specifies key factors within each category that need to be analyzed together to determine their optimal adaptation to different service components.

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Abstract: Service robots and artificial intelligence promise to increase productivity and reduce costs, prompting substantial growth in sales of service robots and research dedicated to understanding their i...

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270 citations

Cites background from "“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..."

...Robots can be helpful at different stages of the customer journey, such as providing information before purchase and guiding customers during it (Larivière et al., 2017)....
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References

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Open Access

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Journal Article•DOI•

Co-creation experiences: The next practice in value creation

[...]

C. K. Prahalad¹, Venkatram Ramaswamy¹•Institutions (1)

University of Michigan¹

01 Jun 2004-Journal of Interactive Marketing

TL;DR: The meaning of value and the process of value creation are rapidly shifting from a product-and firm-centric view to personalized consumer experiences as discussed by the authors, and consumers are increasingly co-creating value with the firm.

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5,141 citations

"“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..." refers background in this paper

...Customers are now active co-creators of the service encounter (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?

[...]

Carl Benedikt Frey¹, Michael A. Osborne¹•Institutions (1)

University of Oxford¹

01 Jan 2017-Technological Forecasting and Social Change

TL;DR: In this paper, a Gaussian process classifier was used to estimate the probability of computerisation for 702 detailed occupations, and the expected impacts of future computerisation on US labour market outcomes, with the primary objective of analyzing the number of jobs at risk and the relationship between an occupations probability of computing, wages and educational attainment.

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4,853 citations

"“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..." refers background in this paper

...Three abilities are especially relevant in today's service environment: creativity, empathy (i.e., social skills) and digital fluency (e.g., Colbert, Yee, & George, 2016; Frey & Osborne, 2017)....
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...Indeed, recent work by Frey and Osborne (2017) estimates that around 47% of total US employment risks to be replaced by technology....
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...It is also important to note that technology might not always be the preferred option, given its inherent computational, creativity, and social limits (Frey & Osborne, 2017)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Understanding Customer Experience Throughout the Customer Journey

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Katherine N. Lemon¹, Pieter Verhoef•Institutions (1)

Boston College¹

01 Nov 2016-Journal of Marketing

TL;DR: In this article, the authors aim to develop a stronger understanding of customer experience and the customer journey in this era of increasingly complex customer behavior by examining existing definitions and conceptualizations of customer experiences as a construct.

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Abstract: Understanding customer experience and the customer journey over time is critical for firms. Customers now interact with firms through myriad touch points in multiple channels and media, and customer experiences are more social in nature. These changes require firms to integrate multiple business functions, and even external partners, in creating and delivering positive customer experiences. In this article, the authors aim to develop a stronger understanding of customer experience and the customer journey in this era of increasingly complex customer behavior. To achieve this goal, they examine existing definitions and conceptualizations of customer experience as a construct and provide a historical perspective of the roots of customer experience within marketing. Next, they attempt to bring together what is currently known about customer experience, customer journeys, and customer experience management. Finally, they identify critical areas for future research on this important topic.

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2,514 citations

"“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..." refers background in this paper

...Customer experience encompasses the totality of sensations, feelings, cognitions, social and behavioral responses that result from interacting with other parties – employees, technology, etc. (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016)....
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...Also, the design of any single service encounter should acknowledge its linkage to other encounters (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016)....
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...Rather, it is often connected to a series of other encounters across multiple channels that together give shape to an overall customer experience (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016)....
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...The increasingly important service design movement provides a wide array of methods, tools and human-centered philosophies that can help with this challenge (Lemon & Verhoef, 2016; Ostrom et al., 2015)....
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...Notwithstanding major interest in customer experience (e.g., Lemon & Verhoef, 2016), research on the employee experience is currently lacking....
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Posted Content•

Customer Engagement Behavior: Theoretical Foundations and Research Directions

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Jenny van Doorn¹, Katherine N. Lemon², Vikas Mittal³, Doreén Pick⁴, Peter Pirner, Peter C. Verhoef¹ - Show less +2 more•Institutions (4)

University of Groningen¹, Boston College², Rice University³, Free University of Berlin⁴

11 Aug 2010-Social Science Research Network

TL;DR: The concept of customer engagement behaviors (CEB) as mentioned in this paper is defined as the customers' behavioral manifestation toward a brand or firm, beyond purchase, resulting from motivational drivers, which includes a vast array of behaviors including word-of-mouth (WOM) activity, recommendations, helping other customers, blogging, writing reviews, and even engaging in legal action.

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Abstract: This article develops and discusses the concept of customer engagement behaviors (CEB), which we define as the customers’ behavioral manifestation toward a brand or firm, beyond purchase, resulting from motivational drivers. CEBs include a vast array of behaviors including word-of-mouth (WOM) activity, recommendations, helping other customers, blogging, writing reviews, and even engaging in legal action. The authors develop a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences — customer, firm, and societal — of CEBs. The authors suggest that firms can manage CEBs by taking a more integrative and comprehensive approach that acknowledges their evolution and impact over time.

...read moreread less

2,291 citations

"“Service Encounter 2.0”: an investi..." refers background in this paper

...The role of customers as ‘partial employees’ has been recognized for a long time now (Bowen, 1986; Larsson & Bowen, 1989; Mills, Chase, & Margulies, 1983), and has gradually expanded over the years (van Doorn et al., 2010)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Customer engagement behavior : Theoretical foundations and research directions

[...]

Jenny van Doorn¹, Katherine N. Lemon², Vikas Mittal³, Stephan Nass⁴, Doreén Pick⁵, Peter Pirner, Peter C. Verhoef¹ - Show less +3 more•Institutions (5)

University of Groningen¹, Boston College², Rice University³, University of Münster⁴, Free University of Berlin⁵

11 Aug 2010-Journal of Service Research

TL;DR: The concept of customer engagement behaviors (CEB) as discussed by the authors is defined as the customers' behavioral manifestation toward a brand or firm, beyond purchase, resulting from motivational drivers, which includes a vast array of behaviors including word-of-mouth (WOM) activity, recommendations, helping other customers, blogging, writing reviews, and even engaging in legal action.

...read moreread less

Abstract: This article develops and discusses the concept of customer engagement behaviors (CEB), which we define as the customers’ behavioral manifestation toward a brand or firm, beyond purchase, resulting from motivational drivers. CEBs include a vast array of behaviors including word-of-mouth (WOM) activity, recommendations, helping other customers, blogging, writing reviews, and even engaging in legal action. The authors develop a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences—customer, firm, and societal—of CEBs. The authors suggest that firms can manage CEBs by taking a more integrative and comprehensive approach that acknowledges their evolution and impact over time.

...read moreread less

2,180 citations