Characterizing customer experience management in business markets

Lars Witell, Christian Kowalkowski, Helen Perks, Chris Raddats, Maria Schwabe, Ornella Benedettini and Jamie Burton

Journal of Business Research, 2020, vol. 116, issue C, 420-430

Abstract: Managing the customer experience has become a top priority for marketing managers and researchers. Research on customer experience management (CEM) has traditionally adopted a customer’s viewpoint. Few studies have explicitly embraced an organizational perspective, and existing research focuses mainly on business-to-consumer settings. The present study espouses the utility of CEM in business-to-business (B2B) settings on the grounds that interactions in B2B contexts are also “experienced”. It explains how B2B firms can design and manage the customer experience to influence the customer at different touchpoints. The paper develops a comprehensive framework that characterizes CEM in B2B. The paper articulates key challenges for B2B CEM; relationship expectations (mismatches in customer relationships, siloed customer experiences); actor interaction issues (mismatches across the customer’s journey, lack of touchpoint control); and temporal challenges (dynamics of the customer experience). The paper draws out the theoretical implications and develops managerial implications for B2B firms.

Keywords: Customer experience management; Customer journey; Market strategy; B2B; Touchpoint (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:116:y:2020:i:c:p:420-430

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.08.050

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