Enduring Connections: Recursive Customer Journey through IT-enabled Proactive Post-sales Service
(A2025-126028)

AUTHORS

Yi-Chun Ou, National Tsing Hua University; Hui-Ping Liao, National Tsing Hua University; Pei-Fang Hsu, National Tsing Hua University

ABSTRACT

IT-enabled PPS is a service encounter at the post-sales stage, helping frontlines identify when to contact, whom to communicate, and what issues to address. This study explores whether, why, and under what condition IT-enabled PPS serves as a powerful trigger to effectively extend customer journey to their next purchase. We examined PPS from firm (i.e., duration) and frontline (i.e., intensity) perspectives. We consider customers’ reservation rate as a mediator and employee competence as a moderator. We used a fixed-effect panel model and analyzed a longitudinal dataset from a hair salon chain. The results show that PPS duration does not trigger the next journey cycle, but reservation rates and employee competence are the key. PPS intensity is a trigger and reservation rates explain its impact. These results contribute a better understanding of recursive customer journey. They also provide managers guidance on how to effectively use PPS for enduring connections with customers.