Business Sustainability Initiatives in North America

The CEM Framework in Experience-Centric Services After carefully considering all the facts, this thesis argues that the inclusion of direct and indirect customer experiences may not be a significant point of contention. The paper emphasizes the significance of the entire touchpoints wheel. However, it could be argued that not all touchpoints hold equal importance for a company. Discussing the key touchpoints will be addressed in a later section (2.4.3.3). This revised model suggests that customer experience has a sequential impact on various dimensions of brand equity, such as awareness, associations, quality, and loyalty. 

Building a solid customer base has always been a top priority for companies. This model acknowledges the various touchpoints that a brand utilizes to engage with customers and make a lasting impact on their memory. 

The integrated framework is presented using well-established brand equity theories from renowned scholars. This framework highlights the impact of customer touchpoints wheel in enhancing brand equity. Similar to Biedenbach & Marell’s (2010) model (figure 5), the brand equity framework presented (figure 6) does not distinguish between different touchpoint categories. It recognizes the combined impact of all interactions (before, during, and after purchase) on brand value. One important point to consider is that while touchpoints are often divided into three phases, there is often overlap between them (Davis & Dunn, 2002). It is often the case that customers have direct interactions with the service provider during purchase and post-purchase touchpoints, although this may not always be the norm. In addition, there may be certain points in specific industries where customers must interact with staff members during the pre-purchase stage.Based on the Integrated Customer Satisfaction model (figure 2), companies must prioritize customer satisfaction in order to generate and retain loyal customers. This is heavily influenced by the perceived service quality, as highlighted by Johnson & Fornell (1991) and Brady & Cronin (2001). Based on the theoretical argumentation provided, it can be concluded that the overall customer experience plays a significant role in enhancing brand loyalty and brand equity.

The CEM Framework

This chapter aims to create a comprehensive CEM framework by building upon existing experience-centric service practices. The proposed framework will also be applied to a service company that does not prioritize experience.It has been observed that more and more service organizations are jumping on the bandwagon of emphasizing the importance of customer experience. Several companies are striving to connect with customers on an emotional level in order to foster loyalty and encourage them to share positive feedback with others (Pine & Gilmore, 1999). Voss et al. (2008) introduced the concept of "experience-centric services," which emphasizes the importance of customer experience in the core offerings of businesses. This chapter is organized based on Voss et al.'s (2008) conceptual framework on the experience-centric services paradigm. Their approach aimed to create and deliver a comprehensive customer experience for those who value experiential services. This review of the framework will serve as a solid foundation for understanding how to design customer experiences with a focus on putting experiences at the center. 1 This thesis uses customer loyalty and brand loyalty concepts interchangeably services. In addition, we will examine the framework to determine its impact on a service-oriented industry such as a construction company. It takes into account the layers of circles to illustrate this relationship (Biedenbach & Marell, 2010; Keller, 2008). While the model prioritizes enhancing brand equity by managing the overall customer experience, it is important to note that brand loyalty is essential for attaining greater brand equity. 

Features of Experience-Centric Services

Experience-centric services prioritize creating unforgettable and exceptional customer experiences by actively involving customers. Engagement can take on various forms, depending on the setting and the extent to which customers are involved. It can encompass emotional, physical, intellectual, and occasionally spiritual aspects (Zomerdijk & Voss, 2010). According to Pullman and Gross (2004), emotions are crucial in captivating customers and creating lasting connections. The practices adopted by companies that prioritize customer experience demonstrate their emphasis on designing experiences that evoke customer emotions (Voss et al., 2008). The emotions that are evoked result in a greater sense of value derived from the memorable experiences. In their study, Zomerdijk & Voss (2010) highlight the significance of experience-centric services in providing customers with exceptional value. They suggest that the experience itself often exceeds the combined value of the service attributes and price. Experience-centric companies prioritize the experience itself as the main offering for customers (Poulsson & Kale, 2004). Research indicates that companies that prioritize experiences are able to deliver exceptional customer experiences. As mentioned earlier in section (2.1.2), the extraordinary experiences are those that generate intense emotions, usually triggered by unexpected events.