Toward a goal-oriented view of customer journeys

Larissa Becker,Aino Halinen,Elina Jaakkola

doi:10.1108/josm-11-2019-0329

Abstract

PurposeCustomer experience research predominantly anchors the customer journey on a specific offering, implying an inherently firm-centric perspective. Attending calls for a more customer-centric approach, this study aims to develop a goal-oriented view of customer journeys.Design/methodology/approachThis study interprets the results of a phenomenological study of a transformative journey toward a sober life with the self-regulation model of behavior to advance understanding of customer journeys.FindingsThe consumer's journey toward a higher-order goal encompasses various customer journeys toward subordinate goals, through which consumers engage in iterative cognitive and behavioral processes to adjust or maintain their experienced situation vis-à-vis the goal. Experiences drive behavior toward the goal. It follows that negative experiences may contribute to goal attainment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the importance of looking at the consumers' higher-order goals to obtain a more holistic understanding of the customer journey.Practical implicationsCompanies and organizations should extend their view beyond the immediate goals of their customers to identify relevant touchpoints and other customer journeys that affect the customer experience.Originality/valueThis study proposes conceptualization of the customer journey, comprising goal-oriented processes at different hierarchical levels, and it demonstrates how positive and negative customer experiences spur behaviors toward the higher-order consumer goal. This conceptualization enables a more customer-centric perspective on journeys.

Highlights

The customer journey has become one of the key concepts for service and marketing research (e.g. Becker and Jaakkola, 2020; Lemon and Verhoef, 2016)
Furthering the ideas proposed by Hamilton and Price (2019), this study presents a goal-oriented and hierarchical view of journeys that highlights how customer journeys toward lower-order goals involving market, organizational and social actors are embedded into broader consumer journeys toward higher-order goals
Recognizing and accepting the problem appeared to be an iterative process characterized by many new beginnings and a gradually broadening goal: When it was dawn, I would promise myself, “So, today, until noon, I will not drink,” and sometimes I did not, but from the afternoon to the night, I used to consume the quantity that I did not consume in the previous day, or even more (Thomas, interview)

Summary

Introduction

The customer journey has become one of the key concepts for service and marketing research (e.g. Becker and Jaakkola, 2020; Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Becker and Jaakkola, 2020; Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). Customer journeys are commonly defined as a series of touchpoints that customers go through before, during and after purchase (Kranzbu€hler et al, 2018; Lemon and Verhoef, 2016; Patrıcio et al, 2011). Practitioners’ and academics’ increasing interest in the concept is largely attributable to the notion that journeys give rise to customer experience, which is considered a key source of competitive advantage in today’s markets (e.g. Kranzbu€hler et al, 2018). Customer experience refers to the customer’s sensorial, affective, cognitive, relational and behavioral responses and reactions to various stimuli along the customer journey (Følstad and Kvale, 2018; Lemon and Verhoef, 2016). The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

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