Atmospheric experiences that emotionally touch customers: A case study from a winter park

The experience of pain and its ontological modelling from a philosophical point of view: Phenomenological description and ontological revision of the McGill Pain Questionnaire

The aim of the article is to identify, on the basis of the phenomenological and ontological analysis of the experience of pain and the ways in which this experience is expressed in natural language, an ontological modelling of the language of pain and, at the same time, a revision of the traditional version of the McGill questionnaire. The purpose is to provide a different characterisation and an adequate evaluation of the phenomenon of pain, and, consequently, an effective measure of the actual experience of the suffering subject.

The Effects of Atmosphere on Perceived Values and Customer Satisfaction toward the Theme Hotel: The Moderating Role of Green Practice Perception

Theme hotels are becoming popular because of their fascinating characteristics, within which, theme hotels that feature green practices have become a niche market in the highly competitive hotel industry. Despite past research demonstrating that the cognitive image created by a green hotel exerts strong effects on customers’ favorable reactions, how guest appreciation for green practices affects the relationship between the hotel atmosphere and guest satisfaction remains unknown for hotels of this kind. This research investigated the influence of atmospheric cues on customers’ perceived value and satisfaction and the possible effects of green practices in shaping customer satisfaction. In total, 267 valid responses from persons with experience with theme hotels were used to test the model using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis of the structural equation model. Results of the research indicate that customers’ atmosphere perception of the theme hotel positively affects customer satisfaction, while the perceived value of the hotel mediated the effects of atmosphere on customer satisfaction. The guest’s appreciation of the hotel’s green practices moderated the relationship between atmospherics and customer satisfaction. Academic and managerial implications of the results, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are provided.

Exploring the Drivers of Visitor Loyalty in the Context of Outdoor Adventure Parks: The Case of Arsenal Park in Romania

Outdoor adventure parks are highly important for contemporary society, having positive social, economic, and environmental impacts. Nevertheless, to fulfill their positive role in society, and to be economically sustainable, such parks need to nurture visitor loyalty. Drawing on previous fundamental research results that ascertain that customer satisfaction has a positive influence on customer loyalty, the objective of the current research is to explore the specific elements of outdoor adventure park visitors’ satisfaction, within an applied research framework, in order to emphasize those attributes that have a significant impact on visitors’ loyalty. For that, an online survey was conducted among the visitors of Arsenal Park, Romania, one of the largest adventure parks in south-eastern Europe. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Our results show that visitors’ satisfaction with respect to the safety and equipment involved in amusement services, the ambience of the park’s food and beverage facilities, and the quality of the food are the most important satisfaction constituents for enhancing visitor loyalty in the context of outdoor adventure parks. By formatively specifying the exogeneous variables of our model (in contrast with the omnipresent reflective measurements used in previous studies), and by employing the importance–performance map analysis (IPMA), we clearly emphasize those particular aspects that are under the control of outdoor adventure parks’ managers, which significantly impact their visitors’ loyalty, as well as the way in which managers can clearly identify those attributes that need improvements.

Customer experience formation in today’s service landscape

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review customer experience formation (CXF) by first locating and analyzing how researchers approach CXF in the service literature and the theoretical underpinnings of these approaches, and then assessing which approaches are best suited for understanding, facilitating, and examining CXF in today’s service landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

This study systematically reviews 163 articles published between 1998 and 2015 in the service field.

Findings

This study illustrates how researchers approach CXF on the individual level by applying stimulus- interaction- or sense-making-based perspectives. These reflect researchers’ theoretical underpinnings for how individuals realize the customer experience within environmental, social, and temporal contexts through intermediation. Researchers further apply contextual lenses, including the dyadic and service- or customer-ecosystem lenses, which reflect their theoretical underpinnings for explaining how various actor constellations and contextual boundaries frame individual-level CXF. Finally, this study shows why the sense-making-based perspective, together with a service- or customer-ecosystem lens, is particularly suitable for approaching complex CXF in today’s service settings.

Research limitations/implications

To advance theory, researchers should choose the approaches resonant with their research problem and worldview but also consider that today’s complex service landscape favors holistic and systemic approaches over atomistic and dyadic ones.

Practical implications

This study provides managers with recommendations for understanding, facilitating, and evaluating contemporary CXF.

Originality/value

This study advances the understanding of CXF by systematically reviewing its multiple layers, approaches, and dimensions and the opportunities and challenges of each approach.

Impact of hospital atmosphere on perceived health care outcome

Purpose

– Healthcare service quality studies primarily examine the relationships between patients ' perceived quality and satisfaction with healthcare services, clinical effectiveness, service use, recommendations and value for money. These studies suggest that patient-independent quality dimensions (structure, process and outcome) are antecedents to quality. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative by looking at the relationship between hospital atmosphere and healthcare quality with perceived outcome.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from Finland, India, Nigeria and the People ' s Republic of China. Regression analysis used perceived outcome as the dependent variable and atmosphere and healthcare service quality as independent variables.

Findings

– Results showed that atmosphere and healthcare service quality have a statistically significant relationship with patient perceived outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size was small and the sampling units were selected on convenience; thus, caution must be exercised in generalizing the findings.

Practical implications

– The study determined that service quality and atmosphere are considered significant for developing and developed nations. This result could have significant implications for policy makers and service providers developing healthcare quality and hospital atmosphere.

Originality/value

– Studies concentrate on healthcare outcome primarily regarding population health status, mortality, morbidity, customer satisfaction, loyalty, quality of life, customer behavior and consumption. However, the study exposes how patients perceive their health after treatment. Furthermore, the authors develop the healthcare service literature by considering atmosphere and perceived outcome.

Measuring customer experience in banks: scale development and validation

Purpose

– The paper aims to measure customer experience in Indian banks. This study examines the 14 factors of customer experience and identifies their impact on customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this study, psychometric scale development procedure is followed comprising with the steps of item generation and selection, scale refinement and scale validation. A one-way ANOVA test is applied to identify the relationship between 14 experience factors and demographics of respondents.

Findings

– The findings of the study present a 41-item 14 factor reliable and valid customer experience scale among which “convenience” appears as the most significant among all the factors.

Research limitations/implications

– This study concentrates on a sector-specific scale, whereas a generalized scale that can be applied in other service sectors should be developed. In comparison with previous studies, the results of the current study provide a more absolute coverage and understanding of various touch points used in measuring customer experience in banks.

Practical implications

– By this reliable and valid scale, bank managers can identify the current and expected experiences of the customers and can build up effective strategies for the utmost satisfaction of the customers.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the foremost studies for developing a validated tool to measure the experiences of banks' customers.