ABSTRACT
2This chapter gives an introduction to the concept of consumer experience and how it could contribute to business growth and driving value to the customer. There is a context to consumer experience and the parameters contributing to satisfaction may vary. There are variables which are linked with culture and socio-economic aspects which could also impact consumers. Outstanding experiences can only be created through a combination of investments in people, organization structure, deployment of technology, resources among many other aspects. The chapter also gives an overview of themes covered in this book and provides insight into each of the paper. The sector span across hospitality, retail, aviation, and restaurants. The papers are a combination of empirical and conceptual framework and the contributions from the globe.
It is an age where experiences are becoming extremely important part of any consumer interface, be it face to face or digital. Memories are important and association with organizations must drive value. Technology is altering the way experiences are being created for consumers.
There are also experiences around everyday life which start from commuting to workplace, telecommunication, banking, dining, entertainment, sports, travel, education, and citizenship services. It is the quality of experiences which results in consumer satisfaction and engagement. It is around concern for people’s time, convenience, and meaningful engagements which also generate opportunities for revenue generation as well. Technology drives a lot of new ways of engaging with consumers and also providing access. Also, experiences are transcending the barriers of time and geography. Firms such as Flipkart and Amazon and their success in India demonstrate how conventional barriers for entrepreneurship can be broken and how a novelty of experience and convenience can lead to success in the marketplace.
When one thinks of experiences, there are a number of contexts to draw from. On one hand, it could be a Disneyland which powerfully recreates experiences from fables and stories taking one to the land of imagination and dreams. The whole experience is a powerful blend of creativity, engagement, and a mapping of service offering at a standardized level. It is a powerful engagement story, though one could argue the monotony of repetitiveness. There are also experiences in the arena of sports which draw an unparalleled euphoria and involvement. Gaming is also another 3such example. There is passion for teams and players and love for the sport that contributes to loyalty. The football clubs across the globe especially Europe, the love for cricket in India, and the League matches that attract big investments demonstrate a very distinct consumer experience for sports lovers. Also, there may be very ordinary engagements around consumption of food through home delivery or online channels which demonstrate a very different kind of consumer experience where value of money, timeliness, and convenience elements may be more important considerations in consumer interface. Hence, there is a spectrum of values on which consumer experience can be assessed and the value drivers may be very distinct for different segments.
Experience has many facets which vary with the context in which they are being created. There is no standard form, but some of the outlying principles may be common such as consumer orientation, understanding of value drivers, keeping up the delivery promise, innovation, and excellence, among other aspects. To calibrate an experience, the context in which it is based needs to be understood. Multiple scenarios can be looked at for understanding the consumer experience. Some of these are enumerated below.
