Sources of value co-destruction: Uber customer perspectives

Abstract

Purpose -This study aims to explore the antecedents that generate value co-destruction, the negative outcomes resulting from interactive value formation, in the sharing economy context, particularly taxi services. The focus of the study is on customers' Uber reviews that are written in English and posted online. Three keywords, ''bad'', ''terrible'' and ''awful'', were used to capture online narratives linked to customers' negative experiences with Uber. Out of the 758 online reviews, 75 negative reviews were analysed in this study. Design/methodology/approach -A grounded theory approach was used for data analysis. Findings -Two distinct themes resulted in value co-destruction: Uber drivers' bad behaviour and poor customer service. The managerial implications include that Uber clearly should invest more resources to minimise the negative experiences of its customers by clearly defining the taxi drivers' tasks and responsibilities. In addition, when customers report their dissatisfaction, they should be dealt with promptly and effectively through good customer service.Research limitations/implications -First, the netnography study, by its nature, was restricted to those customers who shared their reviews online. The study did not consider those customers who have not posted their reviews online. Second, the focus of the study was on customer reviews that were written in English. Third, only three keywords (''bad'', ''terrible'' and ''awful'') were used in the data selection process, limiting the number of review posts (75) that were analysed in this study. In addition, even if this study does not produce statistically generalizable findings, the findings are valuable in an analytical sense. Practical implications -From a managerial perspective, Uber clearly should invest more in resources to minimise the negative experiences of its customers (both domestic customers and tourists) by clearly defining the taxi drivers' tasks and responsibilities. If the drivers' tasks are unclear, then customers cannot be served in an effective manner and with consistent service quality. The taxi drivers, regardless of their full-time or part-time work shifts, should ensure that quality services are offered to customers. Providing high-quality service might reduce the number of complaints and result in positive comments and compliments. Originality/value -This study addresses the gap in previous literature by examining customers' negative experiences during the overall service encounter and antecedents of value co-destruction in the context of Uber. This study contributes to a better understanding of value co-destruction within the sharing economy.

Interactive value formation: drivers and outcomes from Airbnb guests’ perspectives

“…This was apparent in the following interpretive codes: "goodbye Airbnb", "stay away", "sadly our last", "beware of Airbnb and go with Vrbo", "do not book with Airbnb", "avoid dealing with this company", "will not be using Airbnb again", "definitely not book over Airbnb again" and "will never use this site again". These findings were in line with studies that showed poor customer service from Airbnb as one of the major complaints posted about Airbnb online (Phua, 2019) and that ineffective service recovery strategies could trigger customer-switching behaviour (Roos, 1999) and consumer discontinuance (Sthapit & Björk, 2019b). In addition, these findings emphasised the important role of service recovery staff in the IVF processes that lack of or insufficient customer support hindered value co-recovery.…”

The dark side of the sharing economy: Balancing value co‐creation and value co‐destruction

“…Likewise, a better understanding of visitors' motivations and differing needs, based on detailed segmentation according to purposes of travel, psychographic profiles, cultural backgrounds, provides a comprehensive basis for co‐creation of value (Sthapit & Björk, 2019a, 2019b). The motivational make‐up and cultural background also affect the commitment to and expression of community values and cultural acceptance (Gnoth & Zins, 2011).…”

“…Puffery by hosts creates disappointment and dissatisfaction, as well as friction in communication with hosts when guests do not receive what was promised. Dishonesty in the sharing economy led to several cases of fraud and distrust as exposed in online forums (Priporas, Stylos, Rahimi, & Vedanthachari, 2017; Sthapit & Björk, 2019a, 2019b; Sthapit & Björk, 2019a, 2019b). The proliferation of properties on sharing platforms has included uncertified properties that do not follow strict safety and security regulations, often endangering guests.…”

Airbnb Is Customers’ Choice: Empirical Findings from a Survey

“…Although social benefits significantly influence trust in Airbnb, these have no significant effect on consumer satisfaction. In the same vein, Sthapit and Björk (2019) [25] found that satisfaction largely emerges through participation, lack of an information overload, and the value created in and during the booking of accommodations on the Airbnb website. Customers will not feel more satisfied unless they actively participate in the booking, creating a certain kind of value for themselves during the process, and are able to search for information and complete transactions without the need to process a large volume of information that exhausts their processing capacity.…”

“…Similarly, research on the diffusion of innovation recognizes that economic costs are a very common aspect of the relative advantage. In addition, the study of Sthapit and Björk, (2019) [25], indicates that the functional value is one of the main causes of consumers' satisfaction in using the Airbnb website for accommodation booking because of the lower prices of different accommodations listed. Furthermore, two top motivations according to the existing literature are space and household amenities.…”