12 research outputs found
Customer Deviance: A Framework, Prevention Strategies, and Opportunities for Future Research
The phrase the “customer is always right” assumes that customers provide universal benefits for
firms. However, in recent years, customer deviance is on the rise and the academic literature has
provided little insight into the drivers of deviance, the actual behaviors, and strategies for how
managers can better manage a customer base that cannot be classified as universally benign. This
article addresses customer deviance ranging from classic examples like shoplifting to engaging
in hostile to anti-brand behaviors on social media or even breaking established norms such as
trespassing in stores after closing hours. In an effort to spur new research into customer
deviance, we propose a customer deviance framework encompassing the triggers, behaviors, and
consequences of customer deviance with attention given to differentiating firms, employees, and
other customers as the possible targets of deviant behaviors. We outline prevention strategies that
comprise social, design, and technological-oriented factors, which in turn can help firms better
manage deviant behavior. In doing so, we identify gaps in the literature and close with an
actionable agenda for future research that can help firms curtail these negative customer
behaviors
An Integrative Review of Gamification for Service Research
Gamification has attracted considerable practitioner attention and has become a viable tactic for influencing behavior, boosting innovation, and improving marketing outcomes across industries. Simultaneously, studies on the use of gamification techniques have emerged in diverse fields, including computer science, education, and healthcare. Despite the broad popularity of gamification in other fields, it has received only limited attention in the service literature. Moreover, the findings of extant studies on gamification in the service field are inconclusive and suggest an incomplete understanding of the employment of gamification in service contexts. Thus, this study aims to integrate the growing but scattered cross-disciplinary literature on gamification and to emphasize its relevance to service research. Specifically, we first conceptualize gamification for service and differentiate it from related concepts. Then, using a systematic literature review, we identify 34 empirical articles that reflect this gamification conceptualization and can be connected to relevant service research themes (e.g., customer participation, experience, and loyalty). Employing activity theory, we derive four higher-order functions of gamification: production, consumption, exchange, and distribution. Finally, we develop a research agenda to generate a better understanding of the central aspects within each of the identified gamification functions and stimulate future academic efforts on gamification in services.peerReviewe
Customer Deviance:An Expanded Framework, Prevention Strategies, and Opportunities for Future Research
The phrase the “customer is always right” assumes that customers provide universal benefits for
firms. However, in recent years, customer deviance is on the rise and the academic literature has
provided little insight into the drivers of deviance, the actual behaviors, and strategies for how
managers can better manage a customer base that cannot be classified as universally benign. This
article addresses customer deviance ranging from classic examples like shoplifting to engaging
in hostile to anti-brand behaviors on social media or even breaking established norms such as
trespassing in stores after closing hours. In an effort to spur new research into customer
deviance, we propose a customer deviance framework encompassing the triggers, behaviors, and
consequences of customer deviance with attention given to differentiating firms, employees, and
other customers as the possible targets of deviant behaviors. We outline prevention strategies that
comprise social, design, and technological-oriented factors, which in turn can help firms better
manage deviant behavior. In doing so, we identify gaps in the literature and close with an
actionable agenda for future research that can help firms curtail these negative customer
behaviors