Conceptualisation of the service experience by means of a literature review

Purpose – Service operations are currently growing in importance, with a consequent increase in academic interest in the matter. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to systematise the concept associated with the service experience by drawing from the definitions which have been established in the relevant scientific literature. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic search in the literature was conducted, aiming to identify the main articles, journals, references, and keywords on the subject of customer experience. Using bibliometric content and analysis a number of articles are analysed towards a concept of service experience. Findings – The study verifies that service experience and service quality are distinct concepts that have to be analysed separately. The construction of this proposed concept has been oriented by content analysis of the reviewed articles. Dimensions and components that categorise this concept in a singular manner have been identified. The service experience, which can be thought of as a process, is composed of the interdependent and complementary dimensions of “predispositions”, “interactions”, and “reactions”, which condition the perception of quality and affect current as well as future purchasing decisions. As a result of their strategic importance for service organisations, customer experiences therefore warrant careful analysis. Research limitations/implications – This work is theoretical so empirical studies are necessary in order to validate or reject the proposed concept. Originality/value – Very few systematic literature reviews of the characterisation and conceptualisation on service experience concept are available.