The Customer Contact Approach to Services: Theoretical Bases and Practical Extensions

Abstract

This paper reviews the underlying theory of the customer contact approach to services and suggests specific ways in which this approach can be applied to a wide range of service systems. The approach holds that the potential efficiency of a service system is a function of the degree of customer contact entailed in the creation of the service product. Based upon this conceptualization, a number of propositions about high contact systems are identified and some simple heuristics for service system design and operation are proposed. Other approaches to operations management in services are reviewed and suggestions for further development of the contact approach are offered.