Blog Posts

Service failures can make or break a company’s competitive edge, but the degree to which this can affect a company can change dramatically across different cultures.

One of the many tasks the holiday season brings is purchasing gifts for other people. Not knowing what to get someone is a common issue and not knowing what to get for one’s self is also certainly frustrating. Often people compare interests and hobbies but what really helps consumers decide on what to purchase for who (self vs. other)?

Welcome to the CSL’s “ServiceFriday”. Each Friday we post three summaries from some of our favorite sources from research literature, news articles, blogs, and more. The posts are curated to cover topics that are interesting, relevant, and thought provoking in the realm of service, business, education, and beyond.

In recent years, Black Friday weekend has seen a decrease in people visiting physical stores, but it still is the busiest time of the year for shopping thanks to online avenues. One common reason shoppers are choosing to visit a store’s website rather than going in to a physical store is the high social density (i.e. in-store crowding).

Promoting brand loyalty and customer engagement is increasingly important in a world of service where innovation is constant.

The service industry has always been centered around face-to-face encounters between businesses and customers, but with new developments such as AI, robots, and virtual reality, new “spaces” of interaction have been added to the mix.

Welcome to the CSL’s “ServiceFriday”. Each Friday we post three summaries from some of our favorite sources from research literature, news articles, blogs, and more. The posts are curated to cover topics that are interesting, relevant, and thought provoking in the realm of service, business, education, and beyond.

It is typically assumed that all promotional advertising and positive word of mouth is beneficial for a company. However, research has shown this can actually hinder a company’s ability to thrive when the amount of competition is high in the market.

Smokers know that they can pull into virtually any drugstore in the nation and buy a pack of cigarettes. But in 2014, CVS broke the mold by removing cigarettes and other tobacco products from their shelves.

Customers are a significantly important resource for improving a company’s brand but they are often underutilized. Studies across service environments indicate that an engaged customer actively participates in idea generation and collaborative behaviors such as sharing knowledge, ideas and preference information to support the brand.

Online retail has taken over the service industry and with new technology being consistently developed, it is not going anywhere anytime soon. One issue common among online retailers is customers’ perceived quality (PQ) decreasing upon receiving and interacting with the physical product.

Is there any real difference between choosing a fast food place for dinner and choosing a pediatrician for your child? Absolutely there is, but the reason goes beyond the context of the service’s impact. One is an experience service, which is a service with attributes that can be evaluated with actual experience of the service.

The hit T.V.

Welcome to the CSL’s “ServiceFriday”. Each Friday we post three summaries from some of our favorite sources from research literature, news articles, blogs, and more. The posts are curated to cover topics that are interesting, relevant, and thought provoking in the realm of service, business, education, and beyond.

Strategic Service Institute

Strategic Service Institute: Is Your Firm Agile?

As shopping is on its way to becoming an exclusively online process, how can retailers capture the attention of consumers in an environment where the focus is much narrower than in a physical store?

Welcome to the CSL’s “ServiceFriday”. Each Friday we post three summaries from some of our favorite sources from research literature, news articles, blogs, and more. The posts are curated to cover topics that are interesting, relevant, and thought provoking in the realm of service, business, education, and beyond.

Logic would have us believe a free product will sell faster than one that costs money. However, research has proven otherwise when dealing with price promotions, the results of which were published in the Journal of Retailing.

Cultivating strong relationships with customers is crucial for a business in the service industry. As forms of communication move more towards online means, businesses face a difficult question: how do you reach out to multiple clients efficiently, while simultaneously showing each individual one they are valued?

Believe it or not, the Academy Awards (commonly known as the Oscars) do not have set criteria for what distinguishes a leading actor from a supporting actor. However, unlike the Academy, the criteria for a lead actor and supporting actor in frontline employees (FLE) are very clear in regards to service innovation.