Thesis
Analysing customer contact sequences during the pre-purchase phase for consumer durables in Germany
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2025
- Thesis identifier
- T17274
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201389852
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- This thesis investigates the customer experience, a critical field in marketing, by focusing on the customer journey from a process-based perspective. This approach aligns with contemporary research that emphasises the significance of understanding dynamic customer interactions over time. Within the domains of omnichannel and multichannel marketing, the concept of customer contact sequences was introduced, which provides a way to examine distinct customer journey stages systematically. This thesis explores customer contact sequences in the context of consumer durables, specifically automobile purchases in Germany. It examines how potential customers seek information and make purchase decisions, paying special attention to both company-controlled and non-company-controlled contact points, the sequence of these interactions, and the overall length of the customer contact sequence. These insights enhance the theoretical frameworks that are used to design seamless customer journeys and contribute to the academic discourse in customer experience research. A mixed-methods approach guided by a critical realist paradigm addressed four key research gaps. This included a qualitative exploratory study to inform a longitudinal quantitative explanatory study, marking a novel methodological contribution to the field and responding to recent academic calls for robust longitudinal research designs. The findings revealed that dealer visits (a company-controlled contact point) and word of mouth (a non-company-controlled contact point) are the most influential contact points, and they often function in a hybrid manner. Medium-length sequences with repeated interactions of the same contact point foster seamless customer experiences. Additionally, sequences that evoke high positive emotional arousal significantly increase the likelihood of a purchase. These results underscore the importance of strategically designing customer contact sequences that effectively integrate company controlled and non-company-controlled contact points, thus facilitating the acquisition of consumer durable products.
- Advisor / supervisor
- McLean, G. (Graeme)
- Gounaris, Spiros
- Resource Type
- DOI
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PDF of thesis T17274 | 2025-03-26 | Public | Download |