Essays on customer contact employees in service organizations

Abstract

The evolution of technology and the onset of pandemics have brought about significant transformations in the service landscape, compelling service companies to adapt accordingly. To effectively navigate these changes and cater to customers in the new service environment, companies must devise strategies centered around their customer contact employees. This dissertation aims to foster a comprehensive discussion on the strategic choices available to employees in response to shifting service environments, identify the most effective strategies, and elucidate the role of customer contact employees. Moreover, two distinct essays within this dissertation delve into service encounters in offline and online contexts, respectively, drawing upon data from the auto rental industry and the tourism sector as representative examples of the service industry. To facilitate the research, a longitudinal perspective was adopted, and empirical analysis employing panel analysis and machine learning techniques was conducted.