Superior Customer Experience Research Articles

The Impact of Job Satisfaction and Performance on User Satisfaction with Banking Services

This study examines the relationships between customer service quality, employee job satisfaction, job performance, and user satisfaction in the banking industry, with a focus on Maybank. The objective is to determine how employee satisfaction and performance impact user satisfaction and customer service experience. A survey was conducted among 200 Malaysian banking customers, and responses were analyzed using regression analysis to test six hypotheses. The results confirm that customer service experience, employee job satisfaction, and job performance all significantly influence user satisfaction. Specifically, customer service experience (β = 0.291, p < 0.01) and employee job satisfaction (β = 0.322, p < 0.001) show strong positive effects on user satisfaction, while employee job performance (β = 0.200, p < 0.05) also contributes positively. Additionally, employee job satisfaction significantly enhances both job performance (β = 0.732, p < 0.01) and customer service experience (β = 0.340, p < 0.01). Employee performance is a key factor in delivering superior customer experiences (β = 0.534, p < 0.001). The study concludes that improving employee satisfaction is crucial for boosting job performance and customer service, which in turn elevates user satisfaction

The Intelligent Upgrading of Logistics between an Internet Enterprise and a Logistics Enterprise Based on Differential Game Theory

At the background of “Internet + Logistics”, intelligent logistics has high operational efficiency and provides a superior customer experience, meeting the requirements of sustainable development. It also plays a crucial role in promoting the modernization of the industrial chain in China. This paper develops a mathematic model based on differential game theory, which sets the intelligent level of logistics and the goodwill of intelligent logistics as state variables. The research reveals the collaborative strategies between a logistics enterprise and an Internet enterprise for the intelligent upgrading of logistics, and separately calculates the optimal effort levels and optimal revenues of participating enterprises under the non-cooperative mechanism, the cost-sharing mechanism, and the cooperative mechanism. This paper also observes the crucial parameters that affect the optimal revenue for the intelligent upgrading of logistics. The research findings are as follows: (1) Cost-sharing mechanism and cooperative mechanism can motivate the Internet enterprise and the logistics enterprise to improve their effort levels and increase the total revenue, which achieves the Pareto improvement. Under the cooperative mechanism, the intelligent level of logistics and the goodwill of intelligent logistics are the highest. (2) Participating enterprises can promote the intelligent upgrading of logistics by accumulating innovative resources for intelligent logistics, attaining cost-conversion efficiency, and cultivating customer preferences for intelligent logistics services. (3) When the revenue-sharing ratio of the logistics enterprise is relatively low, although the cost-sharing mechanism can continuously motivate a logistics enterprise to make an effort in the intelligent upgrading of logistics, it is not conducive to enhance the goodwill of intelligent logistics. This paper highlights the pivotal role of enterprise collaboration in the intelligent upgrading of logistics, and proposes practical recommendations.

Customer Experience Rating for Achieving Loyalty & Satisfaction

Business organizations are turning to innovative goods, new markets, and inorganic growth prospects to generate income as global marketplaces change dramatically and player competition heats up. However, providing a superior and distinctive customer experience for financial services represents the biggest chance for long-term revenue development. Creating a Customer Experience Rating (CXR), a measurement of customer experience in the Malaysian banking industry is the primary goal of this project. According to the statistical analysis findings, the CXR had a high degree of reliability and proved construct validity by reaching both convergent and discriminant validity. The Malaysian population enjoys positive bank experiences, as indicated by the customer experience rating 7.37. The results of this study can be used by practitioners, managers, and regulators to better understand customer experiences and create marketing strategies that will enhance the operational environment, increase customer loyalty and satisfaction, and foster positive word-of-mouth.

Artificial Intelligence Enabled Supply Chain Management: Unlocking New Opportunities and Challenges

This paper delves deeper into the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a groundbreaking technology capable of revolutionizing supply chain operations and ushering in a new era of possibilities. In today's dynamic business landscape, where agility and efficiency are paramount, AI plays a pivotal role in redefining how supply chains operate. The journey commences with an in-depth exploration of AI's fundamental concepts and its manifold applications within SCM, shedding light on its adaptability across various aspects of the supply chain, from demand forecasting to inventory optimization. Moreover, this paper illuminates the myriad benefits that AI brings to SCM practitioners. These advantages encompass heightened operational efficiency through real-time data analysis, cost reduction through predictive maintenance and optimized routing and a superior customer experience resulting from improved demand prediction and personalized service offerings. However, acknowledging the transformative power of AI in SCM, we must also acknowledge the hurdles in its implementation. This paper underscores the significant challenges that organizations may face while integrating AI into their SCM processes, ranging from data quality issues and concerns regarding privacy and security to the need for domain-specific human expertise. To address these hurdles effectively, the paper proposes a comprehensive framework. This framework encompasses a holistic strategy that aligns AI initiatives with organizational goals, governance and ethics considerations to ensure responsible AI deployment, and a clear roadmap that guides the implementation journey from inception to full integration. In conclusion, this paper offers valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges that AI-powered SCM presents in the ever-evolving business landscape. By providing practical recommendations, it equips organizations with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully harness the potential of AI in their supply chain operations, ultimately paving the way for enhanced competitiveness and sustainability in the future.

The Impact of Multichannel Marketing Strategy Implementation, HR Skills, and Customer Experience on Increased Sales in Small and Medium Enterprises

This study investigates the impact of multichannel marketing strategy implementation, human resource (HR) skills, and customer experience on increasing sales in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Employing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 190 SME representatives using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS 3). The findings reveal that all three factors—multichannel marketing strategy, HR skills, and customer experience—have a positive and significant effect on sales performance. Among them, HR skills exhibit the strongest influence, followed by multichannel marketing strategy and customer experience. These results underscore the importance of integrating effective marketing strategies, enhancing HR competencies, and delivering superior customer experiences to drive sales growth in SMEs. The study provides valuable insights for SME practitioners and policymakers, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to improving business performance through strategic investments in marketing, HR, and customer experience.

Navigating the Integration of Blockchain Technology in Banking: Opportunities and Challenges

Integrating blockchain technology within the banking sector represents a pivotal transformation, promising enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency in financial operations. This qualitative research employs a systematic review approach to investigate the current state, challenges, and prospects of blockchain adoption in banking, drawing insights from a comprehensive analysis of scholarly literature. Through a systematic search and review of relevant academic journals, conference papers, books, and reports, this study explores critical variables such as security, transparency, efficiency, challenges, opportunities, and impact associated with blockchain adoption in banking. Thematic analysis is the primary methodological approach to identify recurring themes, patterns, and relationships across literature, facilitating a nuanced understanding of blockchain's implications for banking operations. The findings reveal a dual nature of blockchain adoption in banking, highlighting significant opportunities alongside critical challenges. While blockchain technology offers enhanced security, transparency, and efficiency, challenges like scalability issues, regulatory uncertainties, and interoperability concerns persist. Nonetheless, the study underscores the transformative potential of blockchain in revolutionizing banking operations, urging policymakers and banking practitioners to address these challenges through continued research, technological innovation, and collaborative efforts. By leveraging blockchain effectively, the banking industry can navigate the digital landscape, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver superior customer experiences, thereby gaining a competitive edge in the financial sector

Enhancing customer experience through AI-driven language processing in service interactions

In today’s competitive service industries, delivering exceptional customer experiences is paramount. This paper explores how AI-driven language processing technologies enhance customer service interactions. Key technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), chatbots, virtual assistants, speech recognition, and machine learning are crucial in transforming customer service. These technologies enable personalized, efficient, and consistent customer interactions, significantly improving overall customer satisfaction. However, implementing these technologies has challenges, including data quality, system integration, privacy concerns, user acceptance, and financial investment. Addressing these challenges is essential for successful AI adoption. Future trends indicate further advancements in AI capabilities, integration with IoT and blockchain technologies, and evolving ethical and regulatory considerations. The long-term impact of AI on service industries promises more efficient operations, cost savings, and superior customer experiences, giving companies a competitive advantage in the market. This paper provides insights into leveraging AI to enhance customer experience, outlining the benefits and challenges while speculating on future directions and implications.

Robotic Process Automation in Banking for Better Customer Experience

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has emerged as a transformative technology in the banking sector, offering opportunities to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. This explores the impact of RPA implementation on customer experience within the banking industry. By automating repetitive, rule-based tasks such as account maintenance, loan processing, and customer inquiries, banks can significantly improve operational efficiency and accuracy while freeing up human resources to focus on higher-value activities. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and considerations associated with RPA adoption in banking, including data security, regulatory compliance, and employee upskilling. Ultimately, this underscores the pivotal role of RPA in reshaping the banking landscape, driving innovation, and delivering superior customer experiences in an increasingly digital world.

Developing an Avatar-Based Framework for Unified Client Identification in Banking Systems Using Generative AI and Graph Neural Networks

In today’s data-driven world, the accurate and consistent identification of clients across multiple platforms is a critical challenge for financial institutions, government comptroller departments, and third-party service providers. Fragmented and inconsistent data across various systems pose significant risks, including regulatory non-compliance, fraud, and operational inefficiencies. This thesis presents the development of an innovative avatar-based framework for unified client identification in banking systems, leveraging the power of Generative AI and Graph Neural Networks (GNNs). The framework synthesizes disparate client data into a single, cohesive representation in the virtual world, effectively addressing the challenges of data fragmentation and inconsistency. Generative AI models, such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), are employed to enhance data quality by generating realistic synthetic data and imputing missing values. These models augment the existing datasets, ensuring completeness and accuracy of client profiles. Simultaneously, GNNs are utilized to model the complex relationships and interactions within the client data, capturing intricate dependencies and enhancing the accuracy of client identification. The proposed framework offers substantial benefits, including improved regulatory compliance, enhanced operational efficiency, and superior customer experience. By providing a unified view of client data, financial institutions can better detect and prevent fraudulent activities, meet stringent regulatory requirements, and deliver personalized services. Government comptroller departments can ensure more effective public fund management and maintain transparency. Third-party service providers can leverage accurate client profiles for better service delivery and risk management. The race to implement such advanced frameworks is a pivotal factor in determining leadership in the financial and administrative sectors. Institutions that adopt and integrate this technology swiftly will gain a significant competitive advantage, setting new standards in client identification and data management. This research underscores the transformative potential of combining Generative AI and GNNs in creating a robust, scalable, and efficient system for unified client identification, paving the way for future advancements in this critical field.

Air India pee gate case – need for comprehensive SOPs in customer management

Learning outcomes This case study allows students to appreciate the value of standard operating procedures in customer management. This case study emphasises the role of employees in delivering superior customer experience. This case study explores many facets of customer experience, reputation, social class membership and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Students will be able to apply theories of customer experience, behavioural psychology and service dimensions relevant to the airline industry. After completing this case study, students will be able to do the following:1. Evaluate the value of SOPs in Customer ManagementThis case study refers to the need for adhering to SOPs to deal with complex situations. Students will be able to evaluate whether compliance to SOPs could have helped Air India avoid the crisis or was it possible that a culture of absolute commitment to customer wellbeing could have prevented the crisis.2. Apply the theory of defensive attribution in customer grievance handling. Discuss if reducing customer effort in getting their problem solved can result in superior customer service.The victim had attributed the blame for not insisting on filing a complaint to the crew. Air India crew had defended their actions or lack of it by stating that they had followed the rule book. Students will be able to appreciate the need for a swift redressal mechanism to protect the self-image and self-esteem of the person/group involved. They will also understand that customer service interactions designed to solve customer problems swiftly and easily can be a very simple dictum to guide all employees in their decision-making while handling a customer complaint. 3. Evaluate the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer experience and examine the value of net promoter score (NPS) to study customer satisfaction. Air India Airlines was catering to varied customer groups such as the Indian diaspora, large student population pursuing education abroad, first-time flyers and the rising middle class with travel aspirations. Customer expectations vary across segments and change over their lifetime. Airline staff must trace customer corridors and deliver on customer expectation across the touch points that matter to them to ensure meaningful and relevant service delivery. Students will have an opportunity to evaluate the NPS in measuring customer satisfaction and debate whether it is a sufficient metric to guide the organisation on delivering and monitoring customer experience. 4. Examine why reputation risk management and not crisis management should be the focus of Air India in delivering superior customer service because nearly 70%–80% of market value for a company comes from its intangible assets such as brand equity and reputation. Students will discuss crisis management i.e. handling the threat to reputation after it has occurred and reputation risk management i.e. proactively managing potential threats to its reputation by taking timely actions to avoid or mitigate it. There are three factors (reputation reality gap, changing beliefs and expectation and weak internal coordination) that determine reputational risks. Students can evaluate this model to determine if Air India should address these three factors to manage its reputation proactively. Case overview/synopsis This case study is set around an incident that happened on 26 November 2022, on Air India flight bound for Delhi from New York when an inebriated 34-year-old man had peed on a 72-year-old woman. The perpetrator of the crime had walked free, and the victim was left dissatisfied with how the cabin crew had handled her ordeal. Air India Airlines was launched in 1932 by industrialist JRD Tata and nationalised in 1953. In 2021, Tata Group acquired the 90-year-old Air India from the Government of India for $2.4bn (INR 18,000 crore) and appointed Campbell Wilson as chief executive officer and managing director. The incident brought to the fore the customer management issues that Wilson had to address. First on the list of Air India’s turnaround plan was delivering “exceptional customer experience”. How was it going to achieve it because the Indian aviation ecosystem lacked infrastructure such as airports, airspace, competition and customer preference-based services? There was also shortage of pilots, engineers, technicians, air-traffic controllers and technocrats to occupy positions within security agencies and regulatory bodies. With Air India’s acquisition, the Tata Group had to find innovative solutions to deal with decades of internal neglect, non-performance and labour union problems. This case study is relevant to address real issues of customer experience, consumer psychology, reputation risk management and standard operating procedures in service management. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate level students of business management. It can also be used for training service personnel of aviation industry. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing

ENHANCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH CROSS–FUNCTIONALCOLLABORATION

In today’s highly competitive business environment, delivering exceptional customer experienceisessentialforsustainingsuccessandbuildingbrandloyalty.Inthisstudy,welook at how cross-functional collaboration plays a key role in delivering superior customer experiences, specifically for Rane Corporation, one of the industry leaders in automotive.Bylookingatthe collaborative efforts across various departments such as Marketing, Sales, Product Development, and Customer Service, we can better understand the strategies, challenges and outcomes of aligning internal functions fordeliveringseamless customer experience. Ourkey findings highlight the importance of culture of collaboration, which breaks down silos and promotes communication and knowledge sharing between departments. Rane Corporation’s success in delivering customer satisfaction can be attributed to its cross-functional teams approach, where diverse expertise is brought together to address customer needs in a holistic manner. In addition, the study highlights the importance of technology in facilitating cross- functional collaboration, as it allows for real-time information sharing and analysis to enable betterdecision-making.Thesamplesizeis160.Thetoolsusedarenon-parametrictest(U-test, H-test, Chi-square, Correlation, Run test). Key Words—Cross functional collaboration, organizational analysis, customer experience

Understanding the Nexus: Business Intelligence and its Impact on Customer Experience Across Diverse Work Sectors

In the 21st-century hyper-competitive business landscape, comprehending and improving customer experience (CX) is highly quintessential for sustainable success across diverse industry sectors. Customers today hold more options in pursuing a luxurious lifestyle compared to their predecessors, yet their expectations continue to be on a constant surge. To meet these rising expectations, today's organisations strongly emphasize incorporating the best industry practices to ensure a high-end customer experience [1]. One such practice that has been included in recent times is integrating business intelligence and analytics. By leveraging advanced analytics tools and techniques, businesses can extract valuable insights from vast datasets, enabling informed decision-making and proactive strategies [2]. Business intelligence and analytics play a vital role in this practice by providing real-time data analysis, predictive modelling, and actionable recommendations, empowering organizations to optimize operations, enhance customer experiences, and stay ahead in today's dynamic marketplace [3]. The following paper aims to explore the vital role Business Intelligence (BI) plays in enhancing customer experience across various sectors. By applying a comprehensive review and analysis methodology, the study will seek to investigate how BI tools, strategies, and analytics influence user experience metrics, organizational performance, and competitive advantage in disparate sectors. Moreover, it further aims to determine the significance of leveraging data-driven insights garnered through business intelligence processes to comprehend customer behaviours, preferences, and sentiments across diverse sectors, ranging from retail and hospitality to finance and healthcare. The paper will bolster the aforementioned analysis by synthesising empirical case analysis, diving into the multifaceted impacts of Business Intelligence and Analytics on Customer Experience. Furthermore, the paper aims to examine the role of BI in optimizing operational efficiencies, streamlining processes, and fostering innovation to meet evolving customer expectations and market demands. Alongside this, it will dive deeper into issues such as data privacy concerns, and underscore the importance of organizational culture, leadership support, and cross-functional collaboration in fostering a BI-driven CX-centric mindset within diverse work environments. Through empirical evidence and industry case studies, the paper will seek to demonstrate how Business Intelligence adoption correlates with improved customer satisfaction scores and profitability metrics across diverse sectors. Towards the end, the paper will present a concluding argument by highlighting key insights, implications, and the imperative of investing in robust data infrastructure, analytics capabilities, and talent development initiatives to unlock the full transformative power of Business Intelligence in driving superior customer experiences. It will eventually underscore the need for continuous evaluation, adaptation, and innovation in Business Intelligence strategies to stay abreast of evolving customer preferences, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. By illuminating the transformative impact of Business Intelligence on Customer Experience metrics, organizational performance, and competitive advantage, the study aims to provide valuable insights and guidelines for leveraging data-driven strategies to drive customer-centric innovation and sustainable growth in an increasingly dynamic business landscape.

The Gen Z’s Digital Payment Loyalty in Indonesia

Indonesia stands as a colossus in the digital payment frontier, boasting the largest market in Southeast Asia with a staggering 92 million users in 2020 alone and a transaction value eclipsing 18.7 billion US dollars. It’s within this vibrant backdrop that our research unravels the enigma of Gen Z, the digital-native cohort swiftly commandeering these platforms. Riding the wave of e-Wallet domination, with over 70 service providers and an impressive 104 million users, our findings dive deep into the pulsating core of Gen Z’s behaviors. At the intersection of culture and commerce, we discover that cultural nuances, notably acceptance of inequality and collectivism, significantly sculpt their brand allegiance. Concurrently, a superior customer experience emerges as a pivotal anchor for their loyalty. Yet, the shimmering digital horizon reveals disparities: a discernible gender imbalance and concerning gaps in financial literacy among these young consumers. For forward-thinking businesses, the clarion call is unmistakable: to triumph in the Indonesian market, one must deftly navigate its cultural tapestry, elevate customer experiences, and champion financial literacy. This study doesn’t just decode the Gen Z phenomenon in Indonesia but illuminates the roadmap for businesses to thrive in the heart of Southeast Asia’s digital payment behemoth.

More than Machines: The Role of the Future Retail Salesperson in Enhancing the Customer Experience

Retail sales has consistently faced threats by technology throughout history, with the recent advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) posing the most recent challenge. It is often said that because of new technologies, retail salespeople will disappear. In this article, we challenge this assertion by arguing that humans and technology each possess unique strengths and weaknesses, and that each works to affect the customer experience in distinct ways. Specifically, AI elevates the baseline customer experience by improving service consistency, operational efficiency, and multitasking capabilities, thereby “raising the floor” of the customer experience while human salespeople, possessing unique strengths in building customer relationships, showcasing adaptive creativity, and adhering to ethical considerations, expand the upper limits of potential customer experiences thereby “raising the ceiling” of the customer experience. We propose a synergistic future where AI and human salespeople complement each other, with human potential ultimately prevailing in delivering a superior customer experience that can be approximated, but not fully replicated by AI. Building upon this premise, we present real-world examples of retailers that embody these synergies, and we advocate and assess these instances through the lens of the “seven Cs” representing core customer experience needs: (1) curation, (2) customization, (3) community, (4) cost, (5) customer retailtainment, (6) convenience, and (7) category expertise. Finally, we discuss managerial considerations and propose directions for future research.

Тhe Positive Customer Experience as a Factor for Guest Satisfaction and Loyalty

In the contemporary hospitality industry, superior customer experiences are essential to gaining customer loyalty and achieving a competitive advantage. The guest experience lies at the heart of hospitality and is a major driver of loyalty and personal recommendations. Guest satisfaction reflects the experience guests have in the hotel establishment. But it also reflects the performance the hotel achieves through the services it offers and the way it differentiates itself from its competitors. That is why it is important that guest satisfaction and experience are at the very heart of a hotel's management strategy. Improving customer satisfaction is a critical component of the hospitality industry’s value proposition to the guests (Siguaw a. Enz,1999). Consequently, the hospitality industry spends millions of dollars per year to better assess guest satisfaction and understand the elements of loyalty. With an understanding of what causes guests to stay and to return, hoteliers can act to increase loyalty. This article aims to provide an overview of what is known so far about customer experience and identifies some emerging issues that play an important role in it. It will also describe ways that create excellent customer experience. This will help practitioners to understand the factors that influence customer experience and thus to choose the right satisfaction effective strategy which will turn their guests into loyal customers.

Exploring the Impact of Supermarket Store Layout and Atmospheric Elements on Consumer Behavior: A Field Research Study in Greece

The highly competitive retail industry pushes retailers to seek strategies like creating atmospheric in-store experiences to boost consumer satisfaction and encourage return visits. Store atmosphere and layout design influence consumer decision-making, perception, and satisfaction. Factors such as building design, customer patterns, merchandise mix, and proximity requirements impact consumer perception and store layout. This article investigates the effect of supermarket chains’ layouts on consumer behavior, focusing on atmospheric elements. A Greek field study involving 205 participants assessed perceptions and attitudes toward supermarket layouts and design elements. Results suggest that retail environment characteristics impact emotional reactions, which in turn influence impulse buying behavior. Emphasizing the importance of a superior customer experience throughout the purchasing process, the study identifies key atmospheric elements affecting consumer behavior in supermarkets. The article concludes by discussing implications for retail marketers and suggesting future research directions.

An Investigation of the Impact of Online Customer Service Burnout on Customer Experience in Malaysia

The article presented here involves examining the impact of online customer service burnout on customer experience, and also then to show how customer service burnout can be alleviated using the credible neural network and thus improving customer experience overall. A quantitative method was used which involved using a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 384 respondents. The data that was collected were analyzed using SPSS. The hypothesis testing showed that H1, H2, H3, and H4 are accepted. The results showed that online customer service burnout did have a negative effect on customer experience and more importantly, the results highlighted the use of credible neural networks can reduce mental burnout among customer service representatives, thus contributing to a more positive customer experience. These results suggest that mental burnout of online customer service representatives which results in the deterioration of the customer service experience can be alleviated by credible neural networks. This is because these systems can reduce customer waiting times, handle large data volumes, reduce additional employee training, and reduce overall working time. These important attributes of the credible neural networks can generate lower mental burnout among customer service representatives and this will enable them to serve the customers much more efficiently thus improving customer experience. It was thus recommended for organisations implement credible neural networks to help supplement and support the work of customer service representatives working online remotely so that their performance can be enhanced and the customer experience can be improved. Credible neural network systems will be very beneficial to the employees by allowing them to carry out their work with less mental fatigue and this enables them to excel to higher levels, thus providing a superior customer experience.

A Smart Car Rental Management System using Data Mining

The car rental management system is a comprehensive software application designed to help car rental companies manage their operations efficiently. It includes features such as vehicle registration, inventory management, pricing management, billing and invoicing, customer management, and reporting. The system provides a user-friendly interface for customers to search for available vehicles, make reservations, and manage their bookings. The CRMS encompasses a comprehensive suite of features aimed at automating and optimizing various aspects of car rental operations. These include customer registration and authentication, vehicle inventory management, reservation handling, rental duration tracking, payment processing, and reporting functionalities. By integrating these components into a unified platform, the CRMS simplifies and streamlines the entire rental process, enabling car rental companies to operate efficiently and deliver a superior customer experience. Key benefits of the CRMS include improved operational efficiency, enhanced accuracy in managing rental bookings, minimized administrative tasks, and reduced paperwork. Customers can conveniently browse vehicle options, make reservations, and complete transactions through user-friendly interfaces, fostering a seamless and hassle-free rental experience. Additionally, the car rental management system provides reporting and analytics features, enabling the company to analyse rental patterns, track revenue, and monitor performance metrics. This information can help in making informed business decisions, optimizing fleet utilization, and enhancing customer satisfaction. Overall, the car rental management system streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and enhances customer service in the car rental industry by automating key processes and providing real-time access to crucial information.

The growing importance of customer-centric support services for improving customer experience

Customer support service is emerging as a vital component of superior customer experiences; nonetheless, it is often considered a post-purchase touchpoint. A dearth of research endeavors focuses on the multifaceted roles of customer support service across customer experience journeys (CEJs). Hence, adopting the tenets of customer journey and customer experience, this study harnesses the mental models of 46 leading industry practitioners through the theories-in-use (TIU) approach while exploring the customer perspectives through two focus group studies. The framework developed from the key insights suggests that customer support should be incorporated into the business strategy, focusing on support needs at every point of the CEJ. The study also identifies key roles of customer support service, such as information and insight, facilitating decision-making, relationship building, value-added upselling, reselling, and cross-selling throughout the journey. This research contributes to developing a support framework aligned to the customer journey to provide a superior support experience.

Designed to Last: Reframing Strategies for Designing Value Propositions that Support Product Longevity in 17 Best Practice Companies

The value proposition (VP) is the core element that makes any business model viable. This also applies to circular business models that promote slower consumption cycles and longer active product longevity. However, specific guidelines, strategies and recommendations for designing VPs that can prolong the product lifetime are lacking. Moreover, there is a need for strategies that have proven to work in practice, as research shows several examples of products with new circular VPs that are rejected by the customer when they are implemented. This study explores how 17 best practice companies approached the longevity challenge to create long-term VPs, based on framing and reframing theory from innovation literature. The study results in seven reframing strategies that suggest alternative ways to approach the design of VPs that promote product longevity. Hence, the study contributes with some much-needed input regarding practical and applicable strategies to create superior or unique customer experience that prolong product lifetimes.