Blog Posts

As strategies move from targeting the “mass market” to “molecular market,” more companies are focusing on providing individualized solutions for their customers. This customization trend crosses many lines of business, but for services, execution can be more complex.

“You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Tracey S. Danaher, Monash University
Andrew S. Gallan, DePaul University

This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Services Leadership, a groundbreaking research center in the W.P Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Podcast Transcript

Customer Rage – Many companies don’t really understand it and are impotent to manage it because they are infatuated with insincere customer experience metrics and narrowly focused on optimizing a transaction.

Leonard Berry, Texas A&M University
Joseph Jacobson, Texas A&M University
Brad Stuart, Texas A&M University

Joseph Jacobson, Texas A&M University
Lisa Rotenstein, Texas A&M University
Leonard Berry, Texas A&M University

Christian Grönroos, Hanken School of Economics Finland
Åke Finne, Hanken School of Economics Finland

Interview with Professor Peter C.

The advent of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) in today’s world of connected things and connected people has made it possible for firms to harvest lots of real-time customer data – information from people and objects, and indeed everything.

When done badly, service recovery can further damage the consumer trust. What can you do to restore the trust after failing a customer twice? As research shows, an apology and assurance that the problem won’t occur in the future are more effective than a monetary compensation.

It’s common knowledge that service is crucial to creating long-term relationships with your customers, but are there any special rules for business-to-business service providers? Do you treat all customers the same, or do they respond differently to services offerings based on individual perceptions and experience?

The results of 2015 Customer Rage Study show that consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with customer service in spite of the inve

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate”.

On December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire as a protest against the autocratic regimes in his Arab country. Bouazizi’s act was captured on film and quickly spread throughout the world. The images and film clips of Bouazizi triggered protests and demonstrations against regimes in other Arab countries.

In competitive markets, firms seek new ways to differentiate their business, including an increased focus on service, often referred to as service infusion. Of the studies that seek to understand this phenomenon, most focus on large multinational firms; little is known about service infusion in small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs).

How can a single encounter turn a once beloved customer into a brand terrorist? What sort of event transforms a low value customer into a brand advocate?

“The exposure to the speakers and having access to their expertise has been beneficial. Each of them is an expert in different areas of service… I am coming out with a larger appreciation of service and how it applies to what I do.” – Stacy Polonicoff, Sr. Manager of Client Solutions, The Co-operators

We had another engaging educational program this year! The 3 day event was packed with insightful and dynamic presentations by business and academic thought leaders, small group discussions and networking events.