Innovating Luxury Service Experiences Through E-Servicescapes

Abstract

The digital customer experience is a top priority and major challenge for luxury service companies, who have to connect with their target customers yet strive to remain exclusive and to innovate their core offers while preserving their heritage. After a brief review of the literature on customer experience and virtual environments in luxury service contexts, this chapter focuses on e-servicescapes as a means for innovation and improvement in delivering omnichannel experiences for luxury customers. Adopting Bitner's typology of servicescapes, this chapter is based on a three case vignettes analysis that highlights how luxury service providers can use e-servicescapes to enrich their physical service experiences. Three e-servicescape strategies are identified—integration, amplification, and substitution—that ultimately support companies in renewing and improving their overall luxury propositions.