Key account managers and customer experience: A service ecosystem approach

Abstract

Providing a positive customer experience is essential for building and maintaining long-term customer loyalty, especially when it comes to key accounts—the most strategic clients for a business. Although Key Account Managers (KAMs) are responsible for overseeing these critical relationships, there is a limited understanding of how they directly influence customer experience. Based on 43 interviews with KAMs, this study draws on the service ecosystem perspective and on the concept of crossing points. The findings reveal that KAMs play a pivotal role in refining customer experiences by better managing crossing points. Specifically, KAMs participation in the thinning of crossing points by establishing the company's credibility, building relationships with several actors, and implementing automation to improve processes. Our study illustrates that KAMs rely on their ecosystem of actors within their organization and leverage technology to create a better customer experience. Our findings also warn that KAMs need to carefully balance their approach, as crossing points can become problematic if they are either too think or too thin, potentially disrupting the customer experience. The article's broader contribution is that KAMs play an essential role in providing customer experience and can guide businesses in refining their approach to key account management and ultimately strengthen long-term customer relationships.