IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i15p9610-d880570.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Theoretical and Practical Evolution of Customer Journey and Its Significance in Services Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Angelos Pantouvakis

    (Department of Maritime Studies, School of Maritime and Industrial Studies, University of Piraeus, 18534 Piraeus, Greece)

  • Anastasia Gerou

    (Department of Maritime Studies, School of Maritime and Industrial Studies, University of Piraeus, 18534 Piraeus, Greece)

Abstract

In the scientific literature, the concept of the “customer journey (CJ)” has only recently been introduced, and, accordingly, it lacks robust empirical evidence. Still, the number of papers concerning the CJ has increased exponentially in recent years. The aim of this paper is to fully represent the available CJ research in services and highlight its importance for service sustainability. Since the current CJ literature mainly includes qualitative data, this paper is a narrative review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis checklist. The systematic literature review conducted by the authors is based on peer-reviewed articles published up until 2019. The main findings mostly concern the conceptualization of the CJ at a theoretical and practical level—CJ definitions and evolution for the former and customer journey mapping for the latter—as well as to present new perspectives of the examined terms in the services peer-reviewed bibliography and verify their contribution to service sustainability. CJ monitoring helps the development of a more sustainable service because it advances service innovation and effective channel management. Furthermore, it leads managers to understand their customer decision-making process and better allocate their resources by establishing a sustainable service design throughout the various service phases.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelos Pantouvakis & Anastasia Gerou, 2022. "The Theoretical and Practical Evolution of Customer Journey and Its Significance in Services Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9610-:d:880570
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9610/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9610/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gunasekaran, Angappa & Spalanzani, Alain, 2012. "Sustainability of manufacturing and services: Investigations for research and applications," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(1), pages 35-47.
    2. Vakulenko, Yulia & Shams, Poja & Hellström, Daniel & Hjort, Klas, 2019. "Service innovation in e-commerce last mile delivery: Mapping the e-customer journey," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 461-468.
    3. Verhoef, Peter C. & Lemon, Katherine N. & Parasuraman, A. & Roggeveen, Anne & Tsiros, Michael & Schlesinger, Leonard A., 2009. "Customer Experience Creation: Determinants, Dynamics and Management Strategies," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 31-41.
    4. Thomas Wozniak & Dorothea Schaffner & Katarina Stanoevska-Slabeva & Vera Lenz-Kesekamp, 2018. "Psychological antecedents of mobile consumer behaviour and implications for customer journeys in tourism," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 85-112, April.
    5. Turkan Muge Ozbekler & Yucel Ozturkoglu, 2020. "Analysing the importance of sustainability‐oriented service quality in competition environment," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 1504-1516, March.
    6. Lily (Xuehui) Gao & Iguacel Melero & F. Javier Sese, 2020. "Multichannel integration along the customer journey: a systematic review and research agenda," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(15-16), pages 1087-1118, December.
    7. Czepiel, John A., 1990. "Service encounters and service relationships: Implications for research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 13-21, January.
    8. Heleen Buldeo Rai & Koen Mommens & Sara Verlinde & Cathy Macharis, 2019. "How Does Consumers’ Omnichannel Shopping Behaviour Translate into Travel and Transport Impacts? Case-Study of a Footwear Retailer in Belgium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-19, May.
    9. Kaan Varnali, 2019. "Understanding customer journey from the lenses of complexity theory," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(11-12), pages 820-835, September.
    10. Puccinelli, Nancy M. & Goodstein, Ronald C. & Grewal, Dhruv & Price, Robert & Raghubir, Priya & Stewart, David, 2009. "Customer Experience Management in Retailing: Understanding the Buying Process," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 15-30.
    11. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    12. Joanne M. Sulek & Mary R. Lind & Ann S. Marucheck, 1995. "The Impact of a Customer Service Intervention and Facility Design on Firm Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(11), pages 1763-1773, November.
    13. Anderl, Eva & Schumann, Jan Hendrik & Kunz, Werner, 2016. "Helping Firms Reduce Complexity in Multichannel Online Data: A New Taxonomy-Based Approach for Customer Journeys," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 92(2), pages 185-203.
    14. Christian Homburg & Danijel Jozić & Christina Kuehnl, 2017. "Customer experience management: toward implementing an evolving marketing concept," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 377-401, May.
    15. Grewal, Dhruv & Levy, Michael & Kumar, V., 2009. "Customer Experience Management in Retailing: An Organizing Framework," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 1-14.
    16. Jing Zhu & Muhammad Awais Shakir Goraya & Yu Cai, 2018. "Retailer–Consumer Sustainable Business Environment: How Consumers’ Perceived Benefits Are Translated by the Addition of New Retail Channels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, August.
    17. Tueanrat, Yanika & Papagiannidis, Savvas & Alamanos, Eleftherios, 2021. "Going on a journey: A review of the customer journey literature," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 336-353.
    18. Christina Kuehnl & Danijel Jozic & Christian Homburg, 2019. "Effective customer journey design: consumers’ conception, measurement, and consequences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 551-568, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Santos, Susana & Gonçalves, Helena Martins, 2021. "The consumer decision journey: A literature review of the foundational models and theories and a future perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    2. Cambra-Fierro, Jesús & Gao, Lily (Xuehui) & Melero-Polo, Iguácel & Trifu, Andreea, 2021. "How do firms handle variability in customer experience? A dynamic approach to better understanding customer retention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    3. Tueanrat, Yanika & Papagiannidis, Savvas & Alamanos, Eleftherios, 2021. "Going on a journey: A review of the customer journey literature," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 336-353.
    4. Muhammad Waqas & Zalfa Laili Binti Hamzah & Noor Akma Mohd Salleh, 2021. "Customer experience: a systematic literature review and consumer culture theory-based conceptualisation," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(1), pages 135-176, February.
    5. Terblanche, Nic S. & Kidd, Martin, 2021. "Exploring an in-store customer journey for customers shopping for outdoor apparel," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Weidig, Jakob & Weippert, Marco & Kuehnl, Christina, 2024. "Personalized touchpoints and customer experience: A conceptual synthesis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. Bolton, Ruth N. & Gustafsson, Anders & Tarasi, Crina O. & Witell, Lars, 2022. "Managing a Global Retail Brand in Different Markets: Meta-Analyses of Customer Responses to Service Encounters," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 294-314.
    8. Flacandji, Michaël & Krey, Nina, 2020. "Remembering shopping experiences: The Shopping Experience Memory Scale," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 279-289.
    9. Yakhlef, Ali & Nordin, Fredrik, 2021. "Effects of firm presence in customer-owned touch points: A self-determination perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 473-481.
    10. Witell, Lars & Kowalkowski, Christian & Perks, Helen & Raddats, Chris & Schwabe, Maria & Benedettini, Ornella & Burton, Jamie, 2020. "Characterizing customer experience management in business markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 420-430.
    11. Cocco, Helen & Demoulin, Nathalie T.M., 2022. "Designing a seamless shopping journey through omnichannel retailer integration," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 461-475.
    12. Klaus, Phil & Kuppelwieser, Volker G. & Heinonen, Kristina, 2023. "Quantifying the influence of customer experience on consumer share-of-category," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    13. Christina Kuehnl & Danijel Jozic & Christian Homburg, 2019. "Effective customer journey design: consumers’ conception, measurement, and consequences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 551-568, May.
    14. Larissa Becker & Elina Jaakkola, 2020. "Customer experience: fundamental premises and implications for research," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(4), pages 630-648, July.
    15. Williams, Luke & Buoye, Alexander & Keiningham, Timothy L. & Aksoy, Lerzan, 2020. "The practitioners’ path to customer loyalty: Memorable experiences or frictionless experiences?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    16. Cristiane Pizzutti & Renata Gonçalves & Maura Ferreira, 2022. "Information search behavior at the post-purchase stage of the customer journey," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(5), pages 981-1010, September.
    17. Carlota Lorenzo-Romero & María Cordente-Rodríguez & María-del-Carmen Alarcón-del-Amo, 2019. "Open Collaboration as Marketing Transformation Strategy in Online Markets: The Case of the Fashion Sector," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-25, October.
    18. Paulo Botelho Pires & José Duarte Santos & Pedro Quelhas de Brito & David Nunes Marques, 2022. "Connecting Digital Channels to Consumers’ Purchase Decision-Making Process in Online Stores," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-21, November.
    19. Gasparin, Isadora & Panina, Ekaterina & Becker, Larissa & Yrjölä, Mika & Jaakkola, Elina & Pizzutti, Cristiane, 2022. "Challenging the "integration imperative": A customer perspective on omnichannel journeys," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    20. Zhou, Jiaying & Dahana, Wirawan Dony & Ye, Qiongwei & Zhang, Qingyu & Ye, Mingqi & Li, Xi, 2023. "Hedonic service consumption and its dynamic effects on sales in the brick-and-mortar retail context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9610-:d:880570. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.