Introductory description

This is an elective module available for WBS and non-WBS students.
As customers, we can all reflect on customer experiences that have been outstanding, and those that have been infuriating. How we feel about brands that offer either exceptional or terrible customer experiences determines how likely we are to purchase again from that brand, whether we are retained as customers and how likely we are to
become loyal to that brand. Customer experience (CX) is everything related to a business that affects a customer's perception and their feelings about it.
Customer expectations have increased and this is putting more pressure on organisations to balance the experience they want to offer customers and limited internal resources and other priorities. However, for many organisations, customer experience is their key differentiator. Attracting and retaining customers in an ultra-competitive business
environment is not easy, and companies that ignore the importance of providing a seamless, effective customer experience can end up losing out to competitors who understand that it's the customer who defines good service.
In this module we are going to explore the relationship between a business and its customers and all the ways that customers interact with companies across the customer journey. We will consider the frameworks, concepts and tools used in the Customer Experience field and explore some key themes and issues facing marketers today. We will
take a practical approach to understanding how to create, develop, understand and measure customer experiences. This module requires student participation in discussions and activities and will be a lively module with a focus on putting theory into practice.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• The evolution of Customer Experience
• Customer Personas
• Customer Journey Mapping
• Customer Insight
• Creating a culture for customers and a customer focused organisation
• Customer Relationship Management
• Digital and Customer Experience

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Articulate the central arguments of service science and customer experience and critically evaluate its role, usefulness and applicability in a marketing and business context.
• Discuss new theoretical perspectives and their practical applications.
• Evaluate how customer experience contributes to the overall impact of marketing strategies and initiatives
• Demonstrate understanding of digital technology and how it can be applied to creating value in the customer experience
• Critically evaluate the principles and theory underpinning service marketing and customer experience.
• Learn to apply and critically evaluate the concepts, tools and frameworks for analysing services and customer experience.

Indicative reading list

As an emerging area, there will be no core text for this module. However, readings will be selected from relevant top-class academic journals and credible industry literature.
Examples include:
Pine, B.J. and Gilmore, J.H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review, 76, 97-105.
Reichheld, F.F. (2003). The one number you need to grow. Harvard Business Review, 81(12), 46-55.
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of Marketing, 68(1), 1-17.
Verhoef, P.C., Lemon, K.N., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A., Tsiros, M. and Schlesinger, L.A. (2009). Customer experience creation: Determinants, dynamics and management strategies. Journal of Retailing, 85(1), 31-41.
Lemke, F., Clark, M. & Wilson, H. (2011) Customer experience quality: An exploration in business and consumer contexts using repertory grid technique. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39, 846-869
Macdonald, E.K., Wilson, H. & Konus, U. (2012) Better customer insight – in real time. Harvard
Lemon, K.N. and Verhoef, P.C. (2016) Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69-96.
Macdonald, E., Kleinaltenkamp, M. & Wilson, H.N. (2016). How business customers judge solutions: solution quality and value in use. Journal of Marketing, 80(3), 96-120

Subject specific skills

Apply a range of practical frameworks in order to create value through service and customer experience.
Identify strategies for creating and delivering value through customer excellence or innovation.
Apply the principles and concepts for responding to customer need and buying behaviour.
Use with confidence tools and techniques of service marketing and customer experience.

Transferable skills

Propose strategies and tactics to deliver exceptional customer experience.
Communicate a customer excellence culture.
Develop specific skills including use of consumer insight data and customer journey mapping.