Effective customer experience management in health-care sector of Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this conceptual paper is to introduce the concept of customer experience management (CEM) as a supportive construct in customer loyalty building. In support of Smith and Wheeler (2002) stance, Cronin (2003) argued that organizations should deviate from outdated quality → value → satisfaction → loyalty paradigm to a modern and more flexible paradigm for loyalty building. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses an archival survey of the extant literature to confirm or debunk the position of CEM protagonists within the context of the health-care sector of developing countries, especially Nigeria. Findings This paper presents a new conceptualization on CEM that includes three dimensions of CEM (functional clues, mechanic clues and humanic clues) on customer loyalty in the health-care sector of Nigeria. Therefore, when a health-care organization consciously and effectively makes CEM a strategic priority, it largely leaves a long-lasting impression in the mind of the customers, which invariably retain and build customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications The authors emphasized the importance of how CEM can be used to build loyalty and the need to properly adapt CEM approach in an extremely sensitive service sector, i.e. the health-care sector in developing countries, especially Nigeria. The recommended framework initiates fresh streams of researches for the concept to be carried out empirically in developing countries. Practical implications To retain and build customer loyalty, particularly in the health-care sector of Nigeria, health-care organizations need to understand and adopt CEM clues so as to keep customers loyal in an extremely sensitive service sector. Originality/value Although there are studies on CEM and customer loyalty in the health-care sector of developed countries, research on CEM is very limited in developing countries such as Nigeria. By contributing to the body of knowledge in this area, this research adds significant value. Moreover, the research gives important information on the Nigerian health-care sector, which probably new to several readers.