Clarifying Experience Formation from the Customer's Perspective Using Critical Incident Technique

Abstract

Academic and practical interest in customer experience has grown in recent years. However, most existing studies define it as a response to a specific stimulus and lack a holistic understanding of this phenomenon. This study introduces the Critical Incident Technique to identify the characteristics of the experience from the customer's perspective and factors influencing its formation. We chose the food-related behavior as a slice of the customer's lifeworld and conducted a descriptive questionnaire survey. Using deductive and inductive analytical methods, we found that incidents that evoke emotions through actions that make people aware of their novelty create customer experience. Additionally, contextual factors (other people, individuals, and the environment) and service provider-relevant factors (direct and indirect interaction) influence the formation of customer experience. Other people and indirect interactions with service providers have the most significant impact. These findings indicate that managing the context in the consumption process in the customer’s lifeworld could be more effective in forming the customer experience.