Enhancing the customer experience: contributions from information technology Available to Purchase

Consumers in a wide range of contexts whether purchasing goods or services are increasingly using technology. The role of people in the delivery of services is diminishing as companies strive to lower costs and consumers become less inclined to wait or queue. Through a number of case studies, the impact of technology in the provision of services is scrutinised and the common characteristics of the service experience in such applications are identified. As customers become more proficient at taking on an IT role, traditional models of the service experience may need to be revisited. Specifically, models will need to reflect a greater participation by the customer, a diminishing role for service personnel, and the blurring of the back and front office divide.