Customer Experience in Colombia: Antecedents and Consequences

Retailers, with some exceptions, paid relatively little attention to the role that employees play in the experience they provide to their customers. While there seems to be a general consensus regarding both the importance of customer experience and the role of employees in delivering it, there has been no study attempting to measure the impact front-line employees have on the overall customer experience process from the consumer point-of-view. The antecedents that make up the customer experience construct will be explored through the application of previously tested models (EXQ, Kim and Choi and Brand Experience) with the addition of new components: the employee in-role brand-building behavior construct, the expansion of the word-of-mouth construct to include social media word-of-mouth and the impact of branding. Additionally, focus will be placed on the importance of employee branding behavior and the examination of its two variants: in-role and extra-role brand-building behavior. Both behaviors are engendered within the firm but companies are still struggling to differentiate between the two. The distinction between the two types is important because when developed correctly these behaviors can help companies build a competitive advantage. Since the differentiation gap between companies nowadays continues to shrink, companies must strive to develop a unique competitive advantage that cannot be easily copied by their rivals. The tailoring of such a specific set of brand-oriented behaviors to be performed by employees is one potential solution to this challenge. By directing the behavior of employees that come into direct contact with customers, a firm has a unique opportunity to align all its branding promotional initiatives with those of its representatives in the front lines resulting in a more consistent customer experience.