The behavior of human beings is modified as a function of time and the experiences that the individual lives, as determining factors of the individual's appreciation, two variables can be assumed:
- Consumer stage of life Generation in which the individual was born
As individuals experience one or another stage of their lives, their needs change and, as is to be expected, the success of any service is to respond to a previously identified need. The individuals that from this moment on we will call "consumers" evaluate their needs based on their experiences and environment. Specific events such as world wars, economic depressions forge the character of consumers and define values that will nuance their future choices, these are generationsthat condition, in the same way if we define age in 4 large groups, leaving these distributed as follows: Children (1 to 12 years old) Adolescents (13 to 21 years old) Adults (22 to 50 years old) Older adults (50 years old in ahead) surely pausing a bit on this small group of distinctions and with a retrospective analysis we will discover that what was good for our “I” child is not what we need today, just as there are surely things we need today that perhaps in a We will no longer need a short or long term future.
Once these aspects are understood, it is vital to remember that the consumer as a living being, locates his life according to the fact that each action he performs when he has the power to decide is aimed at something that gives him pleasure and takes him away from pain. act carried out that seeks to satisfy needs (physiological, security, affiliation, recognition, self-realization) to give an example of the conditioning mentioned above, we take into account the increasing trend of being healthy and physically active, depending on the age of the consumer will lean towards a service that, while in the background complies with providing health and physical activity (any gym), a teenager and an older adult will not use the same type of service; and as in this example it occurs in various areas.
After profiling consumers, we then proceed to fundamentally understand the role of marketers and service producers, whose primary function is to develop and make offers that meet the needs and expectations of the consumer, thereby ensuring an economic incentive, Consequently, the ability of the aforementioned actors to identify the parameters by which the consumer makes his decisions is perhaps a determining factor. Perhaps most of the aspects that refer to this area refer to goods, thus assuming that they Regarding services, they have an almost exact similarity whose premise is the purpose of this text to clarify.
Search Properties, Experience and Credibility in the Services
Search qualities: attributes that a consumer can determine before purchasing.
Qualities of experience: Qualities that can be determined during or after consumption.
Among the search qualities we can include color, price, hardness, smell; the qualities of experience also imply the possibility of use, articles (products) cars, furniture, clothing, jewelry are high in search qualities thanks to this their attributes we can evaluate them almost entirely before buying holidays and meals in their place Restaurants are high in experience qualities since they cannot be evaluated before their consumption or at least not in the way that allows us to give certainty of something, but in this way there is a third category. Credibility QualitiesThis category includes factors that even after consumption the individual (consumer) may find at least difficult to assess. For example, a surgical intervention or a car repair this occurs because consumers or a certain group of them do not have the necessary knowledge to assess whether they were really timely and the result is the best possible even after enjoying the service provided by the provider..
From the first moment, one of the key aspects to understand customer behavior is how the choice is made to satisfy the need that it experiences in this sense, there are stages for such action, in this way we can refer to this process by pointing out stages (need for recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase) (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2009) Recognition of the need this stage is of utmost importance thanks to it the buyer starts from a state of passivity towards a state in which he takes action to acquire certain good or service according to their criteria, always according to the need that I identify in it or its environment; Information searchAfter recognizing the need, consumers are hungry for information on goods or services to satisfy it, depending on the need, the consumer will inquire more or less from various sources before making the acquisition, within the sources consulted, we can divide them into two, personal sources. and not personal, it should be noted that as this leans towards services, the preferred source is the personal one for adding a greater degree of trust, thus evaluating the account of the experience that the personal sources add (Zeithaml et al. 2009). complexity in this regard does not stop there instead it rises considering the perceived riskon what consumers are preparing to acquire and how the investment will be seen or not justified when it comes to responding to the need, from this process a set of alternatives emerge that are thought to solve the consumer's need according to their criteria. stops the consumer and asks which one to choose? Understand these alternatives as the evoked set to choose from but in this evoked set we must stop to take into account a distinction between in terms of goods and services, in the latter the consumer goes to an establishment (Banks, Dry Cleaners) in places where what is offered is limited to an exclusive provider,a single “brand”, another fundamental aspect that minimizes the set evoked in the area of services, is that according to the geographical area and its density, it is not common to get different service providers with the same characteristics); situation that with the retail stores that offer Products (same place various brands) does not happen.
Once the lowest dimension of the evoked set is understood, depending on the area of the services, it is to suppose a smaller range of options to choose in this branch the potentiality of increasing this range of options is provided by the use of the internet giving real-time access to the information and offers necessary to make a better decision; Also from this situation depending on the type of service that is needed, the option arises in the consumer to do it himself or pay for the service, as we can see is a panorama that although it can be seen easily, its ability to complicate itself is obvious, since that we have the option of contracting the service, self-service and technological platforms designed to make the lives of consumers easier.
After the aforementioned process, it is time to finish the primary stage of the market dynamics. The moment of the purchase of the service is favorable to mention that in the service area, unlike the goods, the user does not normally have the privilege of experiencing the finished product that it intends to acquire with the consequence that the service that is intended to be used is partially propagated before being completely sure that it will meet the expectations set.
Consumer Experience
This aspect both in goods and in is of vital importance when it comes to a world as dynamic as the one we live in, in which an internet connection from our phone allows us in a few minutes a clear and concise idea about what we want, In the added value that consumer loyalty will give us to a specific provider, “The term customer experience is used to cover service processes that range from mundane to spectacular” (Zeithaml et al. 2009, p.60 When we refer in this way we recall famous phrases such as the coca cola "uncover happiness" is this differentiator which in the client or consumer in the information century provides reasons to "stay" with a specific provider;taking into account marketing defines 4 types of experiences that can be enjoyed (sensory, emotional, knowledge, lifestyle) these factors are essential to provide the Consumer Experience, today more than ever valued too highly.
Services as processes
Once we understand the fundamental characteristics and differences that for consumer purposes reflect in their acquisition and their experience of services with respect to goods, it is pertinent to understand services as processes, which endows them with qualities that must be managed In the right way for a successful experience, in any platform or presentation that a service is offered, this will undoubtedly become a set of finite steps from its acquisition to its completion and the respective feedback that it generates, let's put things in perspective, any of us or anyone we know surely has on their contact list a doctor, mechanic, insurance advisor and of course not even a barber,They would gladly recommend us and give us reasons to trust their word. This is not a coincidence this is the product of a process that we live when we need a service which in my opinion we can see in the following wayNeed for service, Acquisition and enjoyment of the service, Experience and disclosure. It is the result of this cycle under which or for which we must worry about giving everything to ensure that the client, in addition to being satisfied, feels in the service the confidence to share what has made him happy and, on the contrary, it is certain that It will be even faster when your friends and family ask you about it.It is imperative that when we provide a service, we understand this as a process and guide our actions to regulate it so that it flows according to the wishes of the consumer to maximize their experience.
Service provision like a theater
Seen services as a process, we now turn to the delicate but extraordinarily important issue of how we provide itor as we should, some may think that the theater has to do with the provision of a service and it is because this ancient mode of representation and entertainment is closely related to the key and the reason for this essay and is in consumer behavior (no matter what he consumes, he always consumes something) the artists of antiquity sought to generate empathy with the consumer in such a way that the feelings that they sought to represent with their works were lived by the observers suffering or celebrating in unison. ” The Walt Disney Company explicitly views its provision of services as a "performance," even using show business terms such as cast member,go on stage and show to describe operations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World ”(Zeithaml et al. 2009, p.61).
Taking this into account we discover that it is not just a coincidence its popularity and being named and acclaimed by the children of the world. Direct contact with the "actors" (providers) is essential in the delivery of services since this degree of personalization inclines the consumer to feel important and to prefer that provider over others, skill is another vital factor, nobody would feel happy if he finds out that his doctor who is going to operate on him copied his anatomy exam at university I repeat NO ONE!
How many times have we heard take care of yourself when you are in the uniform, do not do this or stop doing that? You represent the company, remember it! This in the service area could not be more true, when we think of a university we usually think of What kind of professors do they have and if they are pleasant to us or if they have a recognized academic record, we judge that it is therefore a great university. So important are the actors that consumers see when receiving a service. Once this is understood, it is of fundamental importance that our actors be sincere with the role they represent, because if they are not satisfied, the consumer will not be satisfied either.
To all this theater image is added the stage, whether physical or digital, a neat office, a concise, nourished and organized website is another element that usually comes into play when the client remembers his experience, this representation must be in tune with the projected image and the type of services no one would believe in a technology office if you get 20-year-old wheel phones and a typewriter when you enter, that could be the scene of an antique store but not for a headquarters that promotes the technological advances that the consumer needs.
Service roles and scripts
When it comes time to demonstrate all those elements in a performance with rhythm, as we already explained, the actors are very important.The role of these service actors is based on managing the consumer experience, guiding it according to their animosity and their role through the process. previously described to form the experience whose purpose is that it is positive when a consumer enters the process, will evaluate EVERYTHING from the stage, the actors, the service and how this is appreciated will depend on how well the roles are interpreted to provide the experience and the more personal the script is according to the consumer, the better perceived the service will be.
Compatibility of Clients
In the foregoing, we have just analyzed the fundamental roles of suppliers and consumers, as their actions determine the experience of the latter. But what happens when you are not alone?
Different cases and different scenarios present the challenge of consumer interaction with other consumers of "x" service.
These aspects are categorized in such a way "The way other users behave with many services, such as airlines, education, clubs, and social organizations also has an important influence on the experience" (Zeithaml et al. 2009, p.63).
The incompatibility in consumers as individuals can be very diverse, since this is a complex task to identify the homogeneity of consumers and exploit it or, failing that, the incompatibility and get around the situation is another aspect to take care of in the world of services.
Customer co-production
For a long time we have been talking about the feedback that the consumer represents when it comes to getting involved, living and communicating the experience, the new trend of the best service companies such as consultancies, for example, they see the consumer not only as that, they go a little further so that They identify a business partner whose opinion counts based on this. "Postmodern consumer behavior experts propose an even broader interpretation of this idea. They suggest that a fundamental characteristic of the postmodern era is the assertiveness of consumers as active participants in the creation of their world ” (Zeithaml et al. 2009, p.64).
Emotion and mood
The importance of emotionality in consumer experimentation was previously mentioned, this emotionality conditions their response to stimuli from their environment by modifying their perception of a fact, moods differ from emotions in their transience and they are the ones with the most We can easily identify the consumer who can interact with the experience in the following way:
Positively: A positive disposition of the consumer facilitates interaction and positive appreciation of the service
Negatively: a negative disposition can cause a total failure in the experimentation of the service due to the consumer's indisposition
Inconsistency: The lack of coherence between the experience and what the consumer is willing to perceive generates a rupture, causing a perception of emptiness before the experience, creating the possibility that they are not even willing to "remember" the service at the moment. of need.
Having explained the effects of mood states, it is important to highlight the importance of being able to identify them in time in our consumers, allowing our actors to adjust their script to take them from the state they are in to the desired state that will always be under which they are more likely to enjoy the experience provided to them.
Post-experience evaluation
We come to the section for which we have worked so much after all the experience that is articulated around consumers and together with them, as we already mentioned, this makes an opinion of the service you received and your satisfaction with respect to said service, here it is important to share aspects that will allow you to appreciate how important all the effort made up to this point is.It is the primary objective of all this act whose inspiration is a theater in order to provide its protagonists with well-being and satisfaction to be remembered and that this memory this experience is burned into the mind and personality that experiences it thus becoming the greater communicator of the benefits if the experience were valued as satisfactory otherwise it will be the first and most faithful detractor and communicator of its shortcomings.
Word of mouth communication
Post-experience evaluations significantly impact on consumers communicating to others regarding the service, highlighting its importance when we previously named the opinions of others as a determining factor in choosing a service provider, these testimonials are of such weight, that the recently designed websites have a section where testimonials from consumers who have already experienced the service are displayed and they express their appreciation in this regard, implying the importance of taking care of what will be said about the service after it was provided.
Understanding this, we remember the importance of a memorable experience for our consumers, but even more, the question arises: What to do if the experience is not positively valued?
A recommendation in this regard is to kindly notify the consumer of our sadness for his appreciation and invite him to suggest us how to improve, he will appreciate it.
Attribution of dissatisfaction
As we have already expressed, there are many factors that consumers may experience which may or may not condition the positive perception of an experience, this section in the service area is quite complex since in many cases we are presented with a shared responsibility where quality of the service provided will be conditioned, among other aspects, by the information or the assertiveness of the consumer when requesting it. This partial liability is likely to be reflected in fewer complaints due to their view of liability in some way complicating providers' ability to continually improve if failures are not reported.
Positive or negative damages
These prejudices are mostly subjective and can vary according to the personality of the individual, as some may consider a bad experience with one of the actors in the service and never want to depend on them again, as there are other consumers, let's call them more objective where they qualify the actor. already to the supplier separately allowing him in the future to redeem himself.
Brand loyalty
It is to inspire loyalty in the consumer to which any service provider must aspire in this information age where the bond of trust and sense of belonging of the consumer with the provider represents an added value that gives strength to the brand, but this loyalty it does not arrive alone it is built and from the point of view of the consumer certain aspects are considered:
.-Costs for change
.-Availability of substitutes
.-Links with the company
.-Perceived Risk
.-Past Satisfactions
The strategies should be oriented so that the consumer perceives the advantage of becoming a regular customer, thus allowing a loyalty process that satisfies both parties, allowing the provider a greater knowledge of consumer preferences, providing the provider with better knowledge to provide a Satisfactory experience. However, understanding this process also makes us discover in the competition clients that it may be difficult for us to capture due to a similar loyalty process.
In this way, as the aforementioned parameters are manipulated, we will be able to maintain or attract new consumers for our services, thus expanding our portfolio, not only of consumers but also of strong allies and communicators of the experience provided.
The role of culture
"Culture represents the common values, norms, and behaviors of a particular group, and is often identified with nations or ethnicity" (Zeithaml et al. 2009, p.69). Culture often becomes a An insurmountable obstacle if it is not taken into account when establishing strategies aimed at consumer experiences, since the experience that is invaluable for some may become unacceptable for others. For social constructions and cultural codes are aspects that govern the perception of the world of individuals.
Taking all these aspects into account, it is necessary to synthesize what is expressed here, it is essential in the information century to have a value proposition that allows us to generate loyalty due to the vast information that consumers can access in what they take to make a couple of consultations from your mobile phones to your home computer. This value proposition in services is made up of the experience that can be provided to consumers, creating a positive image in their minds and thus a relationship of loyalty and commitment,However, if we look at all of the above, it shows us that for this to happen, we need to take care of a set of characteristics that result for the consumer in a referential set that invites him to put his reality in context and his aspirations to satisfy his needs.
Bibliographic references
M.Laroche et al., "Exploring How Intangibility Affects Perceived Risk."
Grove, Fisk and Bitner, "Dramatizing the service Experience"
Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, "Service Marketing"
