New Thinking about the Future of Services
New technologies and new business models have already changed the way organisations interact with their customers. In the not too distant future, developments such as AI, robots and virtual reality will be a completely normal part of the customer experience. However, these new ways of engaging with customers will not replace face-to-face encounters but will work alongside them, making already complex service systems even more so. In this world, managers will need to understand customer experiences across the digital, physical and social ‘spaces’. Until now service research has looked at these three distinct service environments separately but organisations increasingly need to understand how they come together to create satisfying customer experiences and to design their services accordingly. The purpose of this report is to explore innovations in customer experience at the intersection of the digital, physical and social realms.
