Managing customer experience dimensions in B2B express delivery services for better customer satisfaction: a PLS-SEM illustration

• Published in: International journal of physical distribution & logistics management Vol. 53; no. 7/8; pp. 886 - 912
• Main Authors: Cepeda-Carrión, Ignacio, Alarcon-Rubio, David, Correa-Rodriguez, Carlos, Cepeda-Carrion, Gabriel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 14.08.2023; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Business to business commerce; Competition; Competitive advantage; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Customer satisfaction; Customer services; Data analysis; Delivery services; Logistics; Multivariate statistical analysis; Service industries; B2B; Express parcels; Customer satisfaction; Moments of truth; Basic service experience; Customer experience dimensions; Focus on results; Peace of mind; PLS-SEM
• DOI: 10.1108/IJPDLM-04-2022-0127
• ISSN: 0960-0035

PurposeThis article aims to open the black box of the relationship between customer experience and customer satisfaction. The authors also take a fine-grained approach to the concept of customer experience analysis in terms of four dimensions: basic service experience (BSE), moments of truth (MT), focus on results (FR) and peace of mind (PM).Design/methodology/approachA total sample of 185 industrial customers in Spain was collected via an online platform from March to April 2020. The data were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicated that the four dimensions of customer experience are the foundation of commercial success (i.e. customer satisfaction) for express parcel companies in the business-to-business (B2B) environment. Therefore, the most innovative express parcel companies should not only pay attention to providing services in accordance with the customer agreement but also go beyond that; hence, these companies must understand customer needs to be able to offer a unique experience. Therefore, these companies must design experiences that go beyond pure technical delivery services.Originality/valueAlthough previous work has linked customer experience to customer satisfaction, there is little work that does so specifically in an industry as in vogue as express parcels and less so in the B2B environment. In addition, this work analyses fine-grained customer experience in terms of grain's four dimensions, and therefore, the authors analyse how each dimension (e.g. more rational or more subjective dimensions) impacts customer satisfaction. Few studies have focussed on this type of analysis for express parcel companies in the B2B environment.