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This study explores the lived phenomenon of customer experience (CX) across the customer decision journey of two divergent segments of customers in a naturalistic environment. Specifically, the study focusses on understanding the similarities and differences with respect to—(a) dimensions of CX, (b) consequences of CX, (c) moderators of CX, and (d) situating CX in customer decision journey. The findings are in congruence with the various theories from cognitive psychology, environmental psychology, and economic geography. The findings contribute to existing research that is primarily focussed on conceptualizing and measuring CX by providing an in-depth analysis of its formation for these two customer segments. Managers can utilize the findings to identify these touchpoints that lead to relevant customer responses. In all, the propositions drawn from the study findings are assimilated in the theoretical framework that adds to the nascent research on CX and customer decision journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to investigate the role of intrinsic and extrinsic cues on consumers' perceptions of product quality, and the moderating role of product knowledge using products that are at different stages of product life cycle. Two survey-based studies were conducted with distinct samples for products (automobiles and smartwatches) in an emerging market. The findings suggest that consumers use more (less) diagnostic extrinsic marketing cues such as country of origin (COO) effects, event sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements to develop perceived quality for automobiles (smartwatches). Furthermore, product knowledge moderates the impact of cues on the perceived quality of products, which further depends on the product life cycle stage. This research brings out significant differences between consumers with differing knowledge levels across a wide range of marketing cues, especially given that first-time buyers have limited exposure to the category before their first purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses this knowledge deficit by developing and testing a model that examines the effect of smart technologies on tourists' satisfaction and intentions to repeat visit a travel destination. This study used a longitudinal approach and collected data from 438 tourists between December 2020 and March 2021, followed by another survey between September 2021 and March 2022. Technology characteristics such as accessibility, information quality, and personalisation positively influence tourists' satisfaction, which mediates the relationship between trust and repeat visit intentions of tourists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies have empowered the consumers with ease of access to information about products and services in form of electronic word of mouth (eWOM). eWOM plays a critical role in consumer purchase decisions in the form of online reviews. The study uses the S-O-R framework to examine the impact of online reviews on online hotel booking. The data were collected using purposive sampling through an online self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the PLS-SEM technique. The results of the study show that review valence significantly impacts review credibility whereas review length does not. Furthermore, credible reviews lead to high purchase intention. The positive impact of purchase intention on purchase in online hotel booking context is a novel finding. We suggest managers to include more positive valanced reviews to develop trust and credibility while take proper measures to reduce risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to identify and propose a theoretical framework that consists of the key touchpoints, consequences, and moderators of customer experience (CX hereafter). The proposed effects in our theoretical framework are that the retailer-controlled, as well as manufacturer-controlled touchpoints, are the key dimensions of CX. In turn, CX influences retail reputation, retail quality, customer satisfaction, and customer patronage. Since CX differs with subjective and contextual contingencies, we analyse the moderating effect of a socio-demographic level factor (i.e., gender), two shopping-related self-concepts (i.e., careful shopping and smart shopping) as well as a shopping-context related factor (i.e., hedonic goals). The findings confirm that the majority of our moderators do not have a strong effect on all the proposed relationships. This enables us to confirm the presence and absence of the confounding effects of subjective and contextual contingencies on CX. Our proposed framework provides empirically testable theoretical propositions for retail managers to enable them to better comprehend and enhance CX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gyan Dairy, headed by the Agarwal brothers, was a privately held subsidiary of C. P. Milk, started as a small dairy unit in 2007. Gyan Dairy became one of the largest regional players in the state of Uttar Pradesh (India). The Indian government imposed the most strict and longest lockdown in 2019 to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. This raised severe challenges for businesses, especially the dairy industry, which relies heavily on the movement of people and vehicles to ensure the delivery of products to consumers. Gyan dairy launched Gyan Fresh app to integrate the app-based home delivery business model for its dairy products. This case discusses the story of Gyan Fresh, which enabled self-orders and brought disruptive changes in the Indian dairy market and consumer behaviour. Furthermore, the case discusses the challenges and the next steps to expand the business, retain consumers and streamline the distribution channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapport is one of the primitive human resource skills. It is considered as the essence of all commercial, academic, and executive professions as it entails a close and harmonious relationship between people. It is frequently portrayed as a warm, relaxed relationship characterised by mutual trust, understanding, acceptance, and compatibility among individuals. The ancient traders, business exponents, and industrial exponents have all realised the potential of this skill with people, and as Mike White quotes, "You want to work with people who you like and have easy rapport with". This paper highlights an NLP-oriented review of rapport science, which could generate focus on contemporary rapport building practises and enhance workplace efficacy, improve interpersonal relations, control conflicting interactions, and create the appropriate personal and professional charismatic influence using some NLP tools and techniques. A detailed insight into the modus operandi of rapport is the focal point of this article, along with the establishment of the co-relational parameters of rapport that bring about a strong interpersonal communication quotient of an individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online retailers are increasingly using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies to solve mental and physical intangibility issues in a product evaluation. Moreover, the technologies are easily available and accessible to consumers via their smartphones. The authors conducted three experiments to examine consumer responses to technology interfaces (AR/VR and mobile apps) for hedonic and utilitarian products. The results show that AR is easier to use (vs. app), and users find AR more responsive when buying a hedonic (vs. utilitarian) product. Touch interface users are likely to have a more satisfying experience and greater recommendation intentions, as compared with AR, for buying utilitarian products. In contrast, a multisensory environment (AR) results in a better user experience for purchasing a hedonic product. Moreover, multisensory technologies lead to higher visual appeal, emotional appeal, and purchase intentions. The research contributes to the literature on computer‐mediated interactions in a multisensory environment and proposes actionable recommendations to online marketers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attraction effect has been investigated primarily in Western cultures. In this research, we demonstrate that the attraction effect is mitigated in Eastern cultures. Cognitive processing styles of these cultures can explain the findings. Moreover, our theorizing also explains the empirical anomalies in the attraction effect literature. Based on our theory, we predict specific conditions under which the attraction effect will be enhanced or mitigated. In four studies, we observe: (a) no attraction effect in Eastern cultures or people primed for holistic processing, (b) for the attraction effect to occur in the Western cultures, the perceived target–decoy similarity should be significantly greater than other pair similarities, and (c) cuing perceptual similarity enhances the attraction effect for the analytic processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]