Misalignment and Its Influence on Integration Quality in Multichannel Services

Abstract

As service organizations increasingly use physical and virtual channels for customer contact, a seamless customer experience within and across channels reflects the integration quality of multichannel services. This study investigates the factors affecting integration quality and their impact on multichannel design and management. The study was undertaken as a qualitative, multimethod, multisite, case research with a consumer bank, its customers and its technology partner firms. The research findings identify forms of misalignment occurring between organizational perception and design of a multichannel system and customer expectations of a multichannel service experience. Such misalignment not only negatively impact integration quality but also make customers susceptible to terminating the relationship with the service provider. The study also identifies that integration quality does not result from the lone actions of a single entity, such as the organization. The interplay of actions between the organization, its wider institutional environment, and its customers collectively influence integration quality. From a managerial perspective, the study identifies aspects of multichannel process design and management for positive integration quality.