INTEREST CATEGORY: SERVICE
POSTING TYPE: Journal News

Author: Tom Saxton

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EJM Features High-Profile Paper and Commentaries on the Rising Importance of Customer Support Services (CSS)

European Journal of Marketing, Volume 57 Issue 7

During the early months of the global pandemic, customers rapidly turned in greater numbers than ever before to approaches to securing needed goods and services by other than in-person means.  Before this, interest by marketing scholars and practitioners in the broad area of customer support services (CSS) as a strategic element to the customer experience/customer success already was on the ascent, but interest in the field rapidly has been heightened out of necessity.  In EJM Volume 57 Issue 7, a conceptual article and several outside commentaries are assembled that provide some important viewpoints for consideration, and we have made them free to access until 28 October.

The core article is by Jagdish Sheth, Varsha Jain, and Anupama Ampika, titled “Repositioning the Customer Support Services: The Next Frontier of Competitive Advantage.” The authors aim to analyze the present status of CSS and advocate the re-positioning of support services away from the typical positioning as an administrative cost center and instead provide a new framework adopting a strategic profit center viewpoint. They take the approach that optimally, customer support (or after-sale services) can be reimagined and redeployed as a source of competitive advantage and actual revenue generation for firms.

The article is followed immediately by four important Commentary pieces, authored by several of the leading scholars in the field.  Leonard Berry, Victoria Crittenden, A. Parsuraman, and Arun Sharma each weigh in separately with keen insights that build on the themes offered by Sheth and coauthors.  Ultimately, this series of thoughtful contributions comprises an important read for folks seeking to broaden their perspective on the opportunistic nature of a more strategic utilization of Customer Support Services in forward-thinking firms.

You can access these articles for free until 28 October using the following links:

Repositioning the customer support services: the next frontier of competitive advantage – Jagdish Sheth, Varsha Jain and Anupama Ambika

Customer support services’ next horizon: a commentary – Leonard Berry

Customer support services: more than administrative support – it has to be strategic! – Victoria Crittenden

On repositioning customer support services: some food for further thought – A. Parasuraman

The organization of customer support services – Arun Sharma