Customer Experience Management: An Essential Factor in Building Customer Loyalty
Lundaeva, Elena (2018)
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 1.0 Finland
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802272852
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201802272852
Tiivistelmä
This paper focuses on the connection between customer experience management (CEM) and loyalty. The work aims to blend theoretical and practical study of the subjects to facilitate application of existing knowledge on them to real business strategies. To achieve this goal, the two concepts are first examined in detail, and then case studies are used to test if creating superior customer experience (CX) increases customer loyalty. An original framework meant to help businesses plan and execute a successful CEM strategy concludes the paper.
This thesis is built on the hypothesis that customer experience management is the cornerstone of consumer loyalty. Case studies of Apple and DHL Freight prove the positive correlation between systematic CX improvement and attitudinal as well as behavioural loyalty. Additionally, they show two distinct approaches to CEM – based on external feedback and internal innovation.
However, critical evaluation of literature on the subject shows that a build-up of a loyal consumer base can also be achieved through other methods, without necessarily focusing on CX. For instance, research has revealed the paramount importance of customer satisfaction and marketing efforts aimed at boosting the emotional connection with the brand in earning loyalty. The truth probably lies in the middle, and best results can be achieved through adding these elements to a well-planned CEM campaign.
Speaking of creating a CX improvement strategy, the thesis proposes a unique recipe for it. In a 4-step framework, the full lifecycle of a loyalty-boosting CEM campaign is broken down into actionable steps – from planning, to implementation, to results measurement.
In summary, the results of this paper are a comprehensive analysis of literature on CX management and consumer loyalty, two case studies that demonstrate how CEM helps increase loyalty, and an original model which can serve as foundation for future strategies of real companies.
This thesis is built on the hypothesis that customer experience management is the cornerstone of consumer loyalty. Case studies of Apple and DHL Freight prove the positive correlation between systematic CX improvement and attitudinal as well as behavioural loyalty. Additionally, they show two distinct approaches to CEM – based on external feedback and internal innovation.
However, critical evaluation of literature on the subject shows that a build-up of a loyal consumer base can also be achieved through other methods, without necessarily focusing on CX. For instance, research has revealed the paramount importance of customer satisfaction and marketing efforts aimed at boosting the emotional connection with the brand in earning loyalty. The truth probably lies in the middle, and best results can be achieved through adding these elements to a well-planned CEM campaign.
Speaking of creating a CX improvement strategy, the thesis proposes a unique recipe for it. In a 4-step framework, the full lifecycle of a loyalty-boosting CEM campaign is broken down into actionable steps – from planning, to implementation, to results measurement.
In summary, the results of this paper are a comprehensive analysis of literature on CX management and consumer loyalty, two case studies that demonstrate how CEM helps increase loyalty, and an original model which can serve as foundation for future strategies of real companies.