Managing the Total Customer Experience

Managing the Total Customer Experience

SPRING 2002 | Leonard L. Berry, Lewis P. Carbone and Stephan H. Haeckel
The chapter discusses the importance of managing the total customer experience, emphasizing that offering products or services alone is no longer sufficient. Organizations must orchestrate a series of "clues" that collectively meet or exceed customers' emotional needs and expectations. These clues can be categorized into functional and emotional aspects, including the product's performance, the physical setting, and the interactions with employees. The authors argue that companies need to recognize and manage these clues to create a competitive advantage. They introduce tools such as experience audits and in-depth interviews to understand customers' experiences and develop an "experience motif" that aligns with the organization's core values and branding strategy. Two case studies are provided: University Hospital's emergency department and Avis Rent A Car's Newark International Airport location, both of which improved customer satisfaction through systematic experience management. The chapter concludes by highlighting the difficulty for competitors to replicate these experiential designs, making them a powerful tool for building customer loyalty.The chapter discusses the importance of managing the total customer experience, emphasizing that offering products or services alone is no longer sufficient. Organizations must orchestrate a series of "clues" that collectively meet or exceed customers' emotional needs and expectations. These clues can be categorized into functional and emotional aspects, including the product's performance, the physical setting, and the interactions with employees. The authors argue that companies need to recognize and manage these clues to create a competitive advantage. They introduce tools such as experience audits and in-depth interviews to understand customers' experiences and develop an "experience motif" that aligns with the organization's core values and branding strategy. Two case studies are provided: University Hospital's emergency department and Avis Rent A Car's Newark International Airport location, both of which improved customer satisfaction through systematic experience management. The chapter concludes by highlighting the difficulty for competitors to replicate these experiential designs, making them a powerful tool for building customer loyalty.
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