Customer experience creation for after-use products: A product-service systems-based review

For the widespread establishment of a circular economy, the acceptance of used products among consumers is a prerequisite. This paper investigates the customer experience of product-service systems related to used products (PSSuP), such as renting, remanufacturing, and second-hand models, and aims to point out the offering characteristics that effect customer response and customer engagement. This study was conducted by means of a content analysis-based literature review of 69 empirical PSSuP studies. A frequency analysis of the categories that determine customer experience creation was conducted, as well as a contingency analysis to reveal the interrelationship between these categories. On this basis, the different PSSuP types were compared, and four strategic orientations of customer experience creation in PSSuP are pointed out: price, confidence, convenience, and delight orientation. For each of these strategic orientations, supportive PSSuP offering characteristics are specified. Building on the findings of this study, theoretical and managerial implications for product-service systems marketing are pointed out, and the need for research on the role of information and communication technology as an enabler of customer experience creation in PSSuP is highlighted. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.