Improving customer service: issues in customer contact management

Purpose - This research aims to better understand the issues of why individualised communications should be incorporated into customised customer contact service and how customer contact management should be implemented. Design/methodology/approach - The qualitative methodology of case research was used. In total nine Australian service industry case studies, involving 34 in-depth interviews, were undertaken. Findings - The analysis revealed three themes: optimisation of market factors, the process of implementation, and requirements for smooth customer contact management implementation. These findings showed minor implementation problems with service and organisational requirements driving customer contact management implementation overall. In addition, factors to assist with smooth customer contact management implementation are identified. Research limitations/implications - Limitations, which could be addressed by future research, include application to other industries, expansion to other countries, the consumer perspective and the need for statistical generalisation. Practical implications - Key practical implications include the identification of the need for firms to consider customer contact management as an avenue for differentiation and competitive advantage as well as providing guidelines for the successful implementation of customer contact management. Originality/value - This research builds theory about customer contact management for the first time.