How does information technology (IT) transform customer service into a strategic asset? This adoption study, focusing on leading European firms, highlights IT's enabling role in clerical effectiveness, operational efficiency, and strategic transformation, nurturing customer service as a valuable product differentiator. A key finding is the direct positive correlation between IT exploitation in customer service and information orientation. Customer service is being nurtured as a valuable asset in differentiating products. There are three ways that information technology acts as an enabling tool in achieving customer service advantages: clerical effectiveness/automation, operational efficiency, and/or information generation and strategic effectiveness or transformation. The findings, encapsulated in an adoption process model, reflect best practices in leveraging IT for enhanced customer service and reflect the value of strategic management.
This paper aligns with the European Journal of Marketing's interest in strategic business practices and technological innovation within the European market. The study, which focuses on the adoption of information technology in customer service, directly fits the journal's focus on advancements in marketing techniques and how they can be strategically applied.