Using Service Design to better understand customer logic and improve customers' perceived service experiences when purchasing international relocation services
Loikkanen, Mikko (2015)
Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu
2015
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201503113053
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201503113053
Tiivistelmä
Within today's global market place customers have an almost endless amount of service providers to choose from. When a service is unfamiliar, complicated, or the customer does not have any previous experiences to which to relate, what is the customer's rational on how to choose the best alternative for their needs? The intangibility of services, without any past experiences means customers must evaluate service offerings and anticipate the upcoming service experience based on the elements that are presented to them. Without better knowledge of the topic, the most tangible element can in many cases end up being price, which unfortunately does not always translate into quality.
From an industry specific perspective, the study will focus on international relocation services. In short, using a service provider's turnkey door-to-door service to move one's personal belongings from one country to another. The underlying research question is what is quality from the customer’s perspective and what values and experiences do customers seek from using such a service? Certainly having everything arrive very damaged and weeks later than expected by a badly mannered crew is not what customer choosing even the cheapest of option are anticipating. In the international relocation industry customers cannot bargain hunt by searching for prices online, but they actually need to contact the companies themselves and ask for a quotation. Relocation companies cannot therefore create the need for customers to move abroad. From the service provider's perspective, the window of opportunity to win over the customer is extremely short. From the customer's need recognition to the company sending their quotation can be a matter of just a few e-mails over a day or two, meaning the company needs to have a well thought through and intentional strategy to communicating with its customers.
The context of the study will focus on a case company which is a global market leader within the industry. In order to gain an understanding of the company's customer basis buying rational, the research part of the thesis will look at understanding how the case company communicates with its customer and which elements the customers' perception of the company comprises of, eventually leading to the positive decision to purchase the service from this particular company.
The basis of the research phase is to define customer personas that represent a large portion of the company's current customer base, define the touchpoints and customer journey they encounter from first contact with the company to the point of receiving a service proposal. The scope of the research represents the very narrow window of opportunity the case company and its competitors have to influence the customer to choose them. The ultimate goal of using service design for the case company is to gain better understanding of its customers' expectations, improve customers' perceived service quality and service experiences. The findings will be used to create a new approach to servicing customers better, more efficiently and at the same time creating a sustainable business case of the new process.
From an industry specific perspective, the study will focus on international relocation services. In short, using a service provider's turnkey door-to-door service to move one's personal belongings from one country to another. The underlying research question is what is quality from the customer’s perspective and what values and experiences do customers seek from using such a service? Certainly having everything arrive very damaged and weeks later than expected by a badly mannered crew is not what customer choosing even the cheapest of option are anticipating. In the international relocation industry customers cannot bargain hunt by searching for prices online, but they actually need to contact the companies themselves and ask for a quotation. Relocation companies cannot therefore create the need for customers to move abroad. From the service provider's perspective, the window of opportunity to win over the customer is extremely short. From the customer's need recognition to the company sending their quotation can be a matter of just a few e-mails over a day or two, meaning the company needs to have a well thought through and intentional strategy to communicating with its customers.
The context of the study will focus on a case company which is a global market leader within the industry. In order to gain an understanding of the company's customer basis buying rational, the research part of the thesis will look at understanding how the case company communicates with its customer and which elements the customers' perception of the company comprises of, eventually leading to the positive decision to purchase the service from this particular company.
The basis of the research phase is to define customer personas that represent a large portion of the company's current customer base, define the touchpoints and customer journey they encounter from first contact with the company to the point of receiving a service proposal. The scope of the research represents the very narrow window of opportunity the case company and its competitors have to influence the customer to choose them. The ultimate goal of using service design for the case company is to gain better understanding of its customers' expectations, improve customers' perceived service quality and service experiences. The findings will be used to create a new approach to servicing customers better, more efficiently and at the same time creating a sustainable business case of the new process.