Managing environmental sustainability in customer experience processes: A multi-stakeholder analysis within the food delivery ecosystem

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to determine how environmental sustainability (ES) can be integrated into the customer experience (CX). In order to accomplish this, the paper uses a customer journey (CJ) perspective. Speculatively, the paper analyses the experiential stakeholder ecosystem beyond the CJ to verify the obstacles to the implementation of ES.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders within the food delivery ecosystem. The multi-stakeholder analysis allows the authors to explore the problem not only from an operational point of view but also from a strategic point of view since in the delivery of a service the value for the end customer is the result of the efforts of several players.FindingsThe results shed light on the importance attributed to ES by the players that make up the food delivery ecosystem. The findings emphasise the importance of an ecosystemic view amongst stakeholders to achieve ES.Originality/valueThis research extends the scarce and embryonic literature on a sustainable CX by applying a CJ perspective, by revealing how and with which touchpoints it is possible to be environmentally sustainable in the design of the CX.