Chapter 22. Extracting insights on service experiences from unstructured text data

Scholars and practitioners have applied various types of analytical approaches (NLP and others) to extract insights from unstructured text data (scraped from the web, obtained through surveys, and other methods). Extant literature has shown that these efforts can reveal insights into the service experiences of customers, in addition to analysis of structured (quantitative) data, providing support for service (re)design and innovation. The questions this chapter addresses include: (1) What are the sources of unstructured text data that can be utilized to gain insights into service experiences? (2) What are the advantages and limitations of research methods and approaches that have been used to analyze unstructured text data? (3) What insights and implications have been gained through these approaches? (4) What new opportunities exist for service experience researchers to engage in the analysis of unstructured text data? We conclude with future research questions.