Designing services and experiences for enhanced customer value: The role of peak pleasure/pain sequence, anticipation, and surprise

Speaker:  Rohit Verma, PhD, Provost, Professor, College of Business and Management

(Joint research with Prof. Mike Dixon, Utah State University and Prof. Liana Victorino, University of Victoria)
The most salient or “peak” encounter (either pleasure or pain) often defines customers’ perceived value (or utility) of a service or an experience. Past research suggests that the “sequence” of pleasure or pain can significantly impact overall value, even when the core offering remains the same. Furthermore, an “anticipated” or a “surprise” appearance of a peak (either pleasure or pain) can also have significant overall impact on value, everything else being equal. This presentation will provide a summary of insights derived from a series of inter-related research studies that explore the impact of pleasure/pain sequence on perceived customer value in a service or an experience.