Providing Customer Service Research Articles

Value co-creation in the B2B context: a conceptual framework and its implications

ABSTRACT This study aims to bring a renewed focus on Value Co-Creation (VCC) between an organisation (service provider) and its customers in the business-to-business (B2B) context. From the literature review, a conceptual framework of factors affecting VCC was developed by adding Customer to the Technology-Organisation-Environment framework (T-O-E). The enhanced Customer-Organisation-Technology-Environment (C-O-T-E) framework was empirically investigated from the focal firms’ perspectives using semi-structured interviews with seventeen executives from knowledge-intensive service organisations. The research captured a total of sixteen factors affecting VCC and highlighted co-conception for competition as a new form of co-creation, where the customer-service provider’s long-term relationship positively enables a competitive strategy. These findings have significant implications for how service providers achieve competitive advantage in a challenging B2B marketplace.

Analyzing The Relationship Between Customer Service Provision and Security and Social Responsibility Through the Mediating Role of the Mental Image: An Exploratory Study of a Sample of Bank Customers in Al-Muthanna Governorate

Analyzing The Relationship Between Customer Service Provision and Security and Social Responsibility Through the Mediating Role of the Mental Image: An Exploratory Study of a Sample of Bank Customers in Al-Muthanna Governorate

Effectiveness of Integrated Information System on Customer Service Delivery: The Case of Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development

The implementation of integrated customer service provision systems is essential to modern institutions. Despite the efforts expedited in the acquisition and adoption of integrated information systems in government institutions specifically in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development; it appears that the effectiveness of such systems on customer service delivery is not well explored. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of an integrated information systems towards the improvement of service delivery particularly in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development in Tanzania. The study adopted a case study design. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample size of 47 respondents. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews respectively. The research findings establish that the use of an integrated Land Management Information System is useful to meet the organizational requirements, improve the efficiency of internal operations, resolve the challenges related to the use of an unintegrated systems, reduce time to save customers and saves operational costs. The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development and other institutions are advised not only to continue to embrace their integrated systems but also to address the related implementation challenges so as to take optimal advantage of this 21st technological oriented Century.

Understanding the Antecedents and Consequences of Service-Sales Ambidexterity: A Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) Framework

Drawing on the motivation, opportunity and ability (MOA) framework, we investigate the influence of charismatic leadership on salespeople’s service and sales activities—termed service-sales ambidextrous (SSA) behavior, which subsequently turn into service recovery performance outcomes. The primary aim of this research is to strengthen salespeople’s service quality in parallel to their selling activities while recovering a service failure. We validate the model using a sample of 344 business-to-business salespeople using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Study results show that charismatic leadership is positively and significantly related to service-sales ambidexterity. Likewise, service-sales ambidexterity has a positive and significant relationship with service recovery performance and adaptive selling behavior. Moreover, we found a significant relationship between adaptive selling behavior and service recovery performance. The results further specify that salesperson motivation, opportunity and ability to engage in SSA significantly moderate the relationship between charismatic leadership and service-sales ambidexterity. The results suggest the need for training programs that provide the salesperson with opportunities to understand the simultaneous implementation of selling strategies while also providing customer services.

Analysing Customer Buying Habits with Visual Data Mining

The ultimate aim of every industry and organization is to make profits by attracting a greater number of customers. To to achieve this motto they need to analyze the priorities of the customer. This is usually done by doing marketing everywhere such as in social media, newspaper, sites, etc. The marketers keep advertising at many sites without even knowing whether the advertisement is useful at that platform or not. Hence, making such huge investments in advertisements at wrong platforms will lead to less profits. There is a need for the companies to provide customer services in such a way that the customer doesn’t lose his interest and trust and must maintain a healthy relationship. If such services are provided equally to every customer, then there is a possibility that the company might provide its service to those customers who bring low profits and keep the customers who make high profits in waiting. To avoid such discrepancies, categorization of customers can be done based on their priority. This can be achieved using the Clustering technique, k-means algorithm. Since the customer data is unsupervised, k-means helps us to cluster them. If we use supervised data, then prediction of new customer’s priority can also be done using K nearest neighbors’ algorithm. The exploration of deep insights of data using exploratory data analysis makes it easy to understand data using visual representations [3][4][6]. These visual representations also lead to less time consumption for exploratory data analysis.

Revisiting the corporate image through service quality and relationship marketing: an empirical evidence from Malaysian and Saudi Arabian Takaful customers

PurposeThis study aims to test a proposed model based on a combination of the relationship marketing and service quality dimensions as predictors of corporate image and customer loyalty via corporate reputation in the Takaful context. More importantly, this study compares the Takaful operators’ services with the perceived service quality and the relationship marketing from the Malaysian and Saudi Arabian customers’ viewpoint.Design/methodology/approachA survey-based study was conducted through a questionnaire, and the data was collected from Takaful customers (362 Saudi Arabian and 350 Malaysian customers) through an online survey. Structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed model. Besides, the perception of Takaful customers between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia is compared through a multi-group analysis.FindingsThe results from the Malaysian context reveal that positive perceptions of service quality PAKSERV dimensions (personalization, reliability and tangibility) and positive perceptions of relationship marketing dimensions (Islamic ethical behaviour and structural bonds) have a significant influence on the corporate image. Alternatively, in the Saudi Arabian context, results have shown that the positive perceptions of service quality PAKSERV dimensions (assurance and reliability) of service quality and the positive perceptions of the relationship marketing dimensions (Islamic ethical behaviour, structural bonds and financial bonds) have a significant influence on the corporate image. The differences in both countries’ results can also enhance the corporate image on corporate reputation, merely in Malaysia. By contrast, corporate reputation is deemed a significant predictor of customer loyalty, represented as valid for both contexts.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed research model tested in Takaful Malaysian and Saudi Arabian can be replicated in other contexts – in terms of country and industry. Moreover, the current study reveals the crucial role of corporate image in forming corporate reputation. Future research could be focussed on the importance of other emotional or affective variables that may be involved in determining corporate reputation. Finally, future studies can be carried with another cultural perspective to have more diversified socio-economic implications.Practical implicationsIt is suggested that Takaful operators from both Malaysia and Saudi Arabia need to put maximum effort towards customer loyalty by bringing both the dimensions of service quality and the relationship marketing in compliance with the principles of Islamic business transaction. The findings of the specific dimensions of service quality and relationship marketing will contribute to customers’ perceptions of corporate image and reputation in the Takaful industry.Originality/valueThe present study tested a blended facet of customer’s overall experience through service quality (PAKSERV) and customer service provider connectivity (relationship marketing) to predict the corporate image of the highly growing financial marketplace (Takaful). Contextually, this study contributes to delineating the factors (corporate reputation) affecting customer loyalty rather than a customer satisfaction tradition. Significantly, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia were chosen for this study, as they are currently the two fast-growing markets for Islamic financial services, especially with regards to the Takaful products and offerings.

Let’s get acquainted: an empirical study on takaful customer-service provider relationships from Saudi Arabian perspectives

PurposeThis study aims to examine a proposed model based on a combination of relationship marketing and service quality dimensions as a significant predictor of corporate image. More importantly, it attempts to identify whether corporate reputation mediates the relationship between and customer loyalty and corporate image in the takāful (Islamic insurance) context, from the viewpoint of Saudi Arabian customers.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted through an adopted questionnaire from 362 family takāful policyholders from Saudi Arabia. Also, structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model on the direct relationships of the related constructs, as well as the establishment of corporate reputation as a mediator concerning its relationship between corporate image and customer loyalty.FindingsThis study discovered that only two dimensions of service quality (i.e. reliability and assurance) and three aspects of relationship marketing (i.e. Islamic ethical behaviour, financial and structural bonds) have a significant impact on the corporate image of the takāful providers. This study further concluded that corporate reputation mediates the relationship between corporate image and customer loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has presented and tested the perceived service quality using the PAKSERV model in the takāful (Islamic insurance) industry, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context. This research identified the dimensions of PAKSERV (i.e. reliability and assurance) that influence the corporate image and simultaneously, the aspects of relationship marketing (i.e. Islamic ethical behaviour, financial and structural bonds) are also connected to the corporate image. Corporate reputation acts as a mediator between the relationship of corporate image and customer loyalty. This study, nevertheless, only focused in the takāful industry alone, and these findings could also be tested for its validity to different services in other potential studies because of the diversity of the service industry.Originality/valueThe findings of this study highlight the specific components of PAKSERV measures in influencing the corporate image. Furthermore, relationship marketing addressing Islamic ethical behaviour, as well as the three facets of bonding – structural, financial and social bonds are also incorporated and connected to corporate image. Hence, this study will increase the understanding of the impact of service quality concerning the PAKSERV model and relationship marketing on corporate image, reputation and customer loyalty of the takāful operators in Saudi Arabia.

Customer lifetime value: investigating the factors affecting attitudinal and behavioural brand loyalty

PurposeThis paper investigates the factors affecting customer lifetime value from an attitudinal and behavioural brand loyalty perspective in the Internet service industry. Specifically, willingness to pay more and word of mouth are categorised under attitudinal loyalty, while repurchase intention is classified under behavioural loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire online survey via Google Forms was employed comprising a sample of 481 participants from the Internet service providers. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was applied for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe current study found that “brand credibility, special treatment benefits and confidence benefits had a positive and significant influence on willingness to pay more, word of mouth and repurchase intention, with confidence benefits and brand credibility showing as the greatest elements resulting in word of mouth and repurchase intentions, whereas special treatment benefits showing as the greatest element resulting in the willingness to pay more. The results of this study did not show any positive significant between service quality dimensions and true brand loyalty (word of mouth, willingness to pay more and repurchase intention). Results also found that confidence benefits, brand credibility and special treatment benefits had an indirect impact on true brand loyalty through customer satisfaction”.Practical implicationsInternet service providers should develop and maintain good relationships with their customers as the excellence of the customer–service provider relationship can enhance customer lifetime value.Originality/valueThe current work measured customer lifetime value in terms of both the behavioural and attitudinal aspects to represent loyalty, while most previous studies consider only one dimension for this representation. Particularly, customers' true brand loyalty is measured using separate components of repurchase intentions (RIs), willingness to pay more (WPM) and word of mouth (WOM) to deepen the understanding of both managerial interest and academic.

The Influence of Marketing Communication Tools on Customers’ Satisfaction Towards Mobile Phone Service Provider Companies in Jordan

The current study aims to identify the influence of marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction towards mobile phone service provider companies in Jordan by activating the marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction and identify the extent of its effectiveness on the mobile phone companies. In this study, the researcher used the descriptive and analytical approach method to describe the phenomenon in question, which evaluates the role of marketing communications tools to achieve customer's satisfaction concerning the mobile phone service providers' companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. However, the study population represents all the companies of mobile phone service providers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which reached the end of 2019; (3) companies, namely, Zain Jordan Telecommunication Company, Orange Jordan Telecommunication Group, and Umniah Telecommunication Company. Taking into account the limited number of telecommunications companies in Jordan, notably, all telecommunications companies were taken by a comprehensive survey. Accordingly, the study sample represented two categories. The sampling and analysis unit included customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Meanwhile, the researcher has distributed (600) questionnaire on the study sample individuals who are customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The study results showed a significant impact of the marketing communication tools on Jordanian mobile phone service provider companies’ customer satisfaction, from customers’ point of view.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Analysis and Design to Provide Customer Service in The Culinary Field (Case Study Restaurant XYZ)

There has been a lot of discussion regarding Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in recent years, where the CRM function to provide customer service in the culinary field has been widely applied by culinary business entrepreneurs. Restaurant XYZ, which started the culinary business in 2018, will design a CRM system to improve service to its customers, this is because it has not been optimal in the process of providing services to its customers. Before doing the design, an analysis phase is needed which is carried out using the Fishbone Method, this method is expected to help in analyzing the constraints and needs of the Restaurant XYZ in the best CRM design. The design using the Diagram Unified Modeling Language (UML) and User Centered Design (UCD) approach, is expected to create a CRM system as expected by the owner of Restaurant XYZ. The CRM that has been planned is expected to help the owner in providing services to Restaurant XYZ customers.

Using VIKOR with structural equation modeling for constructing benchmarks in the Internet industry

PurposeThe study uses VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR)-structural equation modeling (SEM) to construct benchmarks for service providers and evaluate a multimethodology practice in the Internet industry.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a survey based on an email/interview with 444 Internet users participating. SEM obtained coefficient values by way of customer expectations for Internet service providers. The authors normalized coefficients and integrated them into the VIKOR method for ranking competitors in the Internet industry.FindingsVIKOR-SEM revealed that network and information quality and security/privacy significantly positively impact customer trust while network and information quality and customer trust significantly positively affect Internet users' value perceptions. Customer services do not affect customer trust, while security/privacy and customer services have no significant influence on customer value perceptions. Though customer services and Internet users' trust and value perceptions directly, significantly and positively affect their commitments, the quality of network and information and security/privacy indirectly, significantly and positively influence customer commitments.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was in the Internet industry of Iraq. The results cannot be accurate for the other countries and the service sectors. The researchers/managers can adopt the model in other service sectors to test the multimethodology.Originality/valueVIKOR-SEM evaluated the changes in customer expectations and service providers in the Internet industry.

Harnessing the Power Within: The Consequences of Salesperson Moral Identity and the Moderating Role of Internal Competitive Climate

The purpose of this research is to examine the notion of salesperson moral identity as a prosocial individual trait and its associated effects on customer and coworker relationships. In addition, this study examines the underlying processes in which these effects occur as well as the moderating role of internal competitive climate. Our empirical investigation of business-to-business (B2B) sales professionals reveals that moral identity has both direct and indirect effects on a salesperson’s customer- and team-directed outcomes. Specifically, our results demonstrate that salesperson moral identity positively affects both salesperson-customer identification and organizational identification, which, in turn, impact customer service provision and teamwork. Our findings also indicate that internal competitive climate exacerbates the positive effects of salesperson moral identity on customer service provision and teamwork.

Conflict by design and why institutions matter in service design: A case of a German Creative Agency in China

This paper set out to advance our understanding of how to improve service design and service provider–customer relationships in business-to-business (B2B) environments. Drawing on the theoretical lenses of service-dominant logic, service design and institutional theory, we investigate how and why the dark side manifests itself in B2B relationships between service co-creating actors in professional service settings. Additionally, we propose how these problems can be avoided. The study takes place in an international environment. It employs an in-depth single embedded case study of the relationship between a German creative agency and a German industrial client operating in China. Our work chronicles how their relationship developed over time, eventually resulting in a breakdown. The findings captured in the framework highlight an array of contributing factors. Propositions are made on how a more stable and robust agency–client relationship can be built and the dark side of B2B relationships defeated.

Assessment of Customer Service Provision for Enhanced User Satisfaction in Academic Libraries: A Case Study of St Paul’s University Library, Kiambu County, Kenya

Primarily, academic libraries and librarians’ objective is to satisfy library users. Customer satisfaction in business seeks to maintain and enhance the relationship between customers and organizations to win loyalty and ensure survival in the competitive world of information explosion. Customer satisfaction, therefore, implies customers’ perception that his or her expectations have been met or surpassed. The purpose of this study was to assess the customer service provision for enhanced user satisfaction in academic libraries with a focus on St Paul’s University Library. The objectives of the study were to establish the quality of information resources/services offered at the library; to determine the level of awareness and accessibility of the existing information resources; to establish strategies/methods used to ensure effective customer satisfaction; and to determine challenges encountered by library users while seeking information services at St. Paul’s university library. The study was both quantitative and qualitative in nature and descriptive survey method was used. The study was carried out at St Paul’s university library main campus, which is located in Kiambu County, along Limuru Road, about 32 Kms from the City of Nairobi. The target population included144 full time second, 159 third year full time students, 65 full time lecturers, 31library staff and the Chief University Librarian. The researcher used stratified random sampling to select the respondents and a sample size of 161 respondents was selected from the target population. Data was collected using different questionnaires administered to the students, lecturers and library staff while the interview schedule was used on the University librarian. Data was analyzed, interpreted and presented using descriptive statistics. The findings showed that the library is well equipped with quality information materials both in written and electronic formats and that generally, the services offered at the library were of good standards and library users were treated with respect and courtesy while seeking library services. The findings showed that it is important for librarians to increase communication between library users and library staff, conduct regular staff training on customer care to enhance customer service practices. The findings further showed that a large number of the users visit the library to be able to access and retrieve information materials from online sources; library users get to know about new information materials acquired by the library through: library visits, current awareness service (CAS), Own initiative or visits and notice boards. In conclusion, this research will be used to improve services in the library and also better the library profession as well as contribute majorly to the body of knowledge in the area of library customer service provision and user satisfaction. This study recommended that there is need to transform, re-engineer and improve library services to conform to changing user’s academic needs in the University.

Capacitación dirigida a servidores públicos para la atención al cliente de personas con discapacidad

La investigación tiene por objetivo determinar la efectividad de un programa de capacitación dirigido a servidores públicos para la atención al cliente de personas con discapacidad auditiva y de habla en las empresas públicas del cantón Latacunga, Provincia de Cotopaxi – Ecuador. Se ejecutó desde una perspectiva metodológica explicativa con diseño cuasi experimental de pre y pos test, con grupo experimental - control, aplicándose un tratamiento (programa de capacitación en atención al cliente), dirigido a 30 servidores públicos que laboran en las empresas públicas del cantón Latacunga, Provincia de Cotopaxi – Ecuador. Como principal conclusión se acepta H1 y se rechaza H0, por lo tanto, el programa aplicado fue efectivo en la muestra poblacional estudiada, por lo tanto, la atención al cliente es un elemento fundamental en las empresas públicas, puede indicarse como la puerta de entrada del cliente, otro factor a tener en cuenta por parte del servidor público a la hora de prestar atención al cliente a una persona con discapacidad.

Comparison of Gatekeeping and Non-gatekeeping Designs in a Service System with Delay-sensitive Customers

This paper is motivated by a concern in China’s current medical practice in which patients can bypass the primary care and seek secondary care directly. We employ a queueing approach to examine two settings, i.e. the gatekeeping and non-gatekeeping settings, in a service system consisting of two types of service provider — one with basic skills (C-H), e.g. community hospital, and the other with advanced skills (AAA-H), e.g. specialist hospital. Customers are heterogeneous with respect to service requirement. The C-H can only serve customers with a complexity level of service requirement lower than the cure threshold, while the AAA-H can serve all customers. We aim to analyze the social planner’s capacity decision for the C-H in both settings and assess the relative merit of each setting with respect to total social welfare, i.e. the sum of customer benefits net of customer delay costs and service providers’ operating costs. Our findings show that when the C-H’s capacity is exogenous, the gatekeeper setting is preferable if the capacity of the C-H is in the intermediate range because customers’ self-selection behavior gives rise to negative externality. When the C-H’s capacity is optimized by the social planner, the non-gatekeeping setting is preferable if the capacity of the AAA-H is large or the cure threshold is high, because customers’ self-selection behavior as well as the investment in the C-H’s capacity can result in a better distribution of demand among the two service providers. The gatekeeping setting is preferable if the cure threshold is low because it is economical for the social planner to invest in a large capacity in the C-H to serve all customers. We also show numerically the conditions under which the two settings can achieve the first-best solution.

The Velocity of Crisis: How the Pandemic Creates Opportunities for Change.

The Velocity of Crisis: How the Pandemic Creates Opportunities for Change.

Lump‐Sum Payments and Retail Services: A Relational Contracting Perspective*

How should manufacturers motivate their retailers to provide customer services? The vertical restraints literature tells us that retail competition distorts service incentives in the short run. We consider how repeated interaction mitigates this problem, and particularly how a manufacturer can provide service incentives with discretionary lump‐sum payments. We find that these payments may allow the manufacturer to sustain optimal service levels even if retailers are very impatient. We also show that banning reverse lump‐sum payments may deprive consumers of the chance to enjoy high‐quality services, and thereby reduce their welfare.

Industry 4.0 – holistic perspective: modelling and simulation applications in intelligent manufacturing systems

The simulation includes enormous technological tools and methods for the successful implementation of digital manufacturing as it allows product, process, system design, and configuration to be tested and verified. With the growth in the industrial sector, information systems and software products play an important role in the investments of technology in automation. The industrial sector has enabled the use of simulations to directly optimize the design and production of systems with computational growth. Modeling takes advantage of the integration of computing and controlling, enabling intelligent production and sustainability to greatly increase the efficiency of industrial systems. Recent technologies have been focusing on the development of solutions for increasing customer expectations, competition conditions, product and service providers. The information used for production is integrated with the simulation requirements in association with other software platforms in a flexible manner. In industry 4.0, various modeling and simulation techniques for automation of the industrial process in the integration of service-oriented architecture into contemporary management systems are presented and the modeling techniques available in the literature are discussed. Important milestones of simulation technologies in product, process and system design of digitized manufacturing systems have been investigated and the latest industrial and research approaches in basic manufacturing areas have been examined. It explores important milestones in the evolution of simulation technologies and the latest industrial and research applications and findings. Based on this review, future trends and challenges to be met in the field are summarized in order to reduce costs in current practices, increase quality and shorten the time to market of manufactured goods.

Impact of public relations (pr) in the growth of mobile phone service provider companies in jordan

The current study aims to I identify the impact of Public Relations (PR)in the growth of mobile phone service providers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In this study, the researcher used the descriptive and analytical approach method to describe the phenomenon in question. The study population represents all the three companies of mobile phone service providers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The sample unit selected for the study consists of two sample categories. The first category, customers: The sampling and analysis unit included customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Meanwhile, the researcher has distributed (600) questionnaire on the study sample individuals who are customers of mobile phone service providers’ companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan The second category, the workers: The sampling and analysis unit included individuals working at the upper and middle managerial levels at sales and marketing departments as well as at the headquarter of the mobile phone service providers’ companies in Jordan, located in the capital, Amman. The researcher distributed (165) questionnaires to the individuals of the study sample. The study found that from the management workers’ point of view as well as from customers’ point of view that there is a significant impact of the public relations in the growth of the mobile phone service providers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.