A Systematic Review of Customer Experience: Exploring Dimensions, Drivers, and Outcomes Using Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

Today, customer experience is one of the vital concepts both in businesses and in customer-focused research. Identifying its dimensions and contextual factors can lead to the development of successful strategies and consequently create differentiation in businesses. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the drivers, dimensions, and outcomes of customer experience using a meta-synthesis method. In this study, the researchers employed a systematic review and meta-synthesis approach, following the seven-step method of Sandelowski and Barroso, and analyzed 254 selected final articles published over the past ten years. As a result, they identified five drivers, five dimensions, and four outcomes of customer experience. To assess the reliability and quality of the research process, the Kappa method was applied to the drivers, dimensions, and outcomes, and the results indicated a desirable level of agreement. The findings of this study revealed that the drivers of customer experience include factors related to communication and information, factors related to providers (human resources), factors related to the branch environment (atmosphere), factors related to the external business environment, and individual factors associated with recipients. The dimensions of customer experience consist of biological, attachment, security, flourishing, and self-esteem dimensions. Moreover, the outcomes of customer experience include behavioral outcomes, financial outcomes, social outcomes, and brand-related outcomes.