Purpose This paper aims to analyze the present status of customer support services (CSS) and advocate the re-positioning of support services from an administrative cost center to a strategic profit center. Authors demonstrate how customer support or after sales services can be a source of competitive advantage and revenue generation for firms. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a conceptual approach grounded in theoretical foundations of service dominant logic, customer loyalty and customer centricity along with practical illustrations from the industry. Findings Following the tenets of theory, review of existing research and analysis of the industry practices, the authors propose a new framework to enable the repositioning of customer service function. The key propositions include establishing customer support as separate business unit and insights center, introducing a new role of a C-level chief customer support officer to lead the customer support unit, adopting a customer-centric culture and process, enabling frontline IT support and investing in frontline employee skills development. Research limitations/implications Academics should examine the potential of customer support, where the strategic importance is low at present, leading to customer dissatisfaction. The new approach and positioning of customer support calls for a new direction for research in this area focusing on enablers, challenges and further implications. To succeed in this competitive era, firms should be conscious of the value of customer service and undertake concrete actions to generate value for all stakeholders. Practical implications Industry can use the new framework and re-position CSS of the organizations. The CSS unit can be different from other business units in the organizations. The CSS would evolve and emerge from the live customer insights. CSS unit can be managed by the C level chief CSS officer. Customer-centric culture would be developed and front line processes can be made customer-oriented by the officer. Thus, this paper and framework would provide new customer-centric directions to the organizations for effective functioning. Originality/value This is the original piece that has emerged from the experience and expertise of the authors.

The digital era has led to the extension of self into virtual space, resulting in changes to consumption patterns. The existing academic landscape in this area focuses on Western perspectives, in the context of early‐stage digital interventions. However, the dynamic digital world demands a constant exploration to understand the corresponding influences on consumer behavior across varied cultural contexts. This research focuses on unraveling newer dimensions of the digital self from non‐Western perspectives. We adopt an interpretive lens to understand the evolving nature of self through a grounded theory approach. The study establishes the presence of multiple independent narrative selves, co‐created with people, and technology. Each narrative addresses different segments of personal audiences, enabling new modes of self‐expression to overcome the challenges of digital expressions. Additionally, we highlight the exclusion of the digital presence of family in the formation of the narrative self. From a theoretical perspective, we extend and contrast the existing conceptualizations on self, such as dialogical selves, self‐extension and expansion, and the unified core self. Further, the practical implications emphasize the need for narrative analytic approaches to understanding consumers and avenues for brands to decode narratives, develop strategies to gain consumer attention, and become part of consumers' narrative selves.

PurposeThis paper examines what the use of an augmented reality (AR) makeup mirror means to consumers, focusing on experiential consumption and the extended self.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a multimethod approach involving netnography and semi-structured interviews with participants in India and the UK (n = 30).FindingsTwo main themes emerged from the data: (1) the importance of imagination and fantasy and (2) the (in)authenticity of the self and the surrounding “reality.”Research limitations/implicationsThis research focuses on AR magic makeup mirror. The authors call for further research on different AR contexts.Practical implicationsThe authors provide service managers with insights on addressing gaps between the perceived service (i.e. AR contexts and the makeup consumption journey) and the conceived service (i.e. fantasies and the extended self).Originality/valueThe authors examine the lived fantasy experiences of AR experiential consumption. In addition, the authors reveal a novel understanding of the extended self as temporarily re-envisioned through the AR mirror.

Immersive technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and three-dimensional (3D) views, are digitally expanding consumers’ reality, enabling never-before-seen experiences. As these technologies transform from a quirky novelty into a ubiquitous utility for consumers, we analyze the advances of the past two decades of research that elaborate on the influence of immersive technologies on consumer behavior. While the past reviews in this area have focused on a limited number of immersive technologies or their application in a sole industry, we holistically analyze and compare the influence of AR, VR, MR, and 3D on consumer behavior across various sectors. We adopt an integrated TCM (Theories, Contexts, and Methods)-ADO (Antecedents, Decisions, and Outcomes) framework to systematically review 129 studies from high-quality academic journals. The findings from this analysis present implications for future research, theory, and practice. JEL Classification: M31 Marketing

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