Starting conversations with new customers: a research note on the moderating effect of experience on responses to small talk

Wiener, Hillary J. D.; Flaherty, Karen E.; Wiener, Josh

doi:10.1080/08853134.2022.2128813

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Furthermore, this study suggests that small talk is essential for creating emotionally rich experiences, vital for customer feedback and improving service in hospitality settings (Wiener et al , 2023). The skillful blend of technical expertise and effective communication by frontline staff is crucial for shaping the overall ambiance and customer satisfaction, illustrating the multifaceted nature of roles in the F&B industry (Rapp et al , 2020).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genuine small talk in hospitality services encounter

Saragih

2024

CBTH

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Purpose This study proposes “genuine small talk” in hospitality settings, particularly in coffee shops and its impact on enhancing guest experiences. This study aims to delineate how genuine small talk, characterized by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, differs from traditional conversational engagements and influences service outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a case research approach, focusing on the global coffee shop industry, particularly in high-context cultural settings. Using an abductive research paradigm, it intertwines theoretical concepts with empirical data gathered from face-to-face interviews with coffee shop visitors and managers. Data analysis involved qualitative coding techniques to synthesize and interpret findings related to genuine small talk. Findings Genuine small talk in hospitality, marked by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, significantly enhances customer experiences. It transforms service encounters, turning negative experiences into positive ones and fostering customer loyalty. The study finds that genuine small talk is a strategic tool for emotional resonance and repeat patronage, yet its effectiveness depends on the staff’s ability to discern and adapt to customer moods and preferences. Social implications This study highlights that genuine interpersonal interactions are key to enhancing customer experiences in hospitality. These genuine exchanges, characterized by sincerity, mutual respect, truthfulness and empathy, not only improve the immediate service encounter but also foster long-term customer loyalty. By transforming transactional interactions into meaningful connections, genuine small talk serves as a strategic tool in the hospitality industry, potentially reshaping service dynamics and elevating the perceived value of customer service. This research underscores the importance of staff training in emotional intelligence and adaptability to customer preferences, crucial for implementing genuine small talk effectively. Originality/value This research contributes to the hospitality literature by elucidating the nuanced role of genuine small talk in service encounters. It extends existing discourses of service interactions by highlighting the potential of genuine small talk in fostering connections and enhancing guest experiences.

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Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genuine small talk in hospitality services encounter

Saragih

2024

CBTH

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“…Gilliam et al (2021) found evidence that touchpoints impact the customer experience. In a different context, Wiener et al (2022) tested a proposition concerning the moderating role of touchpoints in the customer experience. In this context, we devised our first hypothesis: H1.…”

Section: Hypotheses Formationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A value-driven touchpoints strategy for managing the customer experience process

Baidya,

Maity,

Goswami

2023

BPMJ

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PurposeManagers use several touchpoints to provide a positive experience for customers in an experience economy. Past studies ignored how the touchpoints complement one another in creating synergy, even though this issue has tremendous managerial implications. This research paper aims to examine the role of a set of value-driven touchpoints' in providing and managing the customer experience.Design/methodology/approachFour hypotheses were formulated concerning the relationship between various value-driven touchpoints and the consumer experience. Data were collected from 360 respondents, and an econometric model was fitted to the data.FindingsThe results showed that touchpoints representing economical, functional, informational and convenient values impact the customer experience and complement one another.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study should assist managers in framing a customer-facing strategy for providing a positive experience to customers.Originality/valueUsing primary data and an econometric model, this research extends the theory on the relationship between value-driven touchpoints and customer experience, hence, adding value to the existing corpus of marketing literature.

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“…Several studies have examined how small talk is used for social purposes in different contexts such as workplace (e.g., Mak & Chui 2013), service encounters (e.g., Bartlett 2005;Cheepen 2000;Garzaniti, Pearce & Stanton 2011;Wiener, Flaherty & Wiener 2022), and among family or friends (e.g., Blum-Kulka 2000). When used in service encounters, small talk creates "a mutual non-threatening relationship for the duration of the exchanges" between servers and customers (Beinstein 1975, 94).…”

Section: Phatic Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring (non-)ritual patterns of phatic interaction (small talks) at different phases of social encounters in Persian linguaculture

Eslami,

Mirzaei,

Farnia

2023

ALing

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The current interpretive study aimed to characterize the (non-)ritual, phatic clusters of speech acts that conventionally recur around the opening/closing phases of Persian speaking students' social encounters or occur during the core (or ‘business’) phase of natural interactions as small talk in Persian. The study was conducted in Iran's Persian linguaculture where considerable social-cultural-economic changes have taken place over the last decade or so impacting the form and content of phatic interaction in all sectors of the society. The participants of the study were 97 Persian-speaking university students attending a state-run university located in the southwest of Iran. The students were asked to audio-record their natural interactions in four different social encounters varied based on the standard sociolinguistic parameters of Social Distance and Power (+/−SD, +/−P). We adopted House & Kádár's (2022) pragmalinguistic and speech act-anchored model of phatic interaction to code the (non-)ritual realization patterns of small talks around the opening, closing, and core phases of interaction. The results indicate that small talks which are co-constructed by the Persian interactants at the opening and closing phases of their social encounters are highly ritualized in terms of the speech act types and pragmalinguistic structures employed. Further, interpersonal interchanges which involve differential sociolinguistic P and SD values require more tactfulness and care in adhering to the greeting and parting conventions as more face-threat is potentially implicated. In terms of the medial phase, except for a small number of ostensible realizations of different speech acts such as invites, offers, and apologies, core off-topic phaticity was perceived to be non-ritual and discursive in Persian the interpretation of which heavily relies upon shared sociopragmatic knowledge of the linguaculture.

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Starting conversations with new customers: a research note on the moderating effect of experience on responses to small talk

Cited by 4 publications

References 60 publications

Genuine small talk in hospitality services encounter

Genuine small talk in hospitality services encounter

A value-driven touchpoints strategy for managing the customer experience process

Exploring (non-)ritual patterns of phatic interaction (small talks) at different phases of social encounters in Persian linguaculture

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