Surprise, Anticipation, and Sequence Effects in the Design of Experiential Services

Abstract

T he most salient or peak aspect of a service experience often defines customer perceptions of the service. Across two studies, using the same novel form of a scenario-based experiment, we investigate the design of peak events in a service sequence by testing how anticipated and surprised peaks influence customer perceptions. Study 1 captures the immediate reactions of participants and Study 2 surveys participants a week later. In both studies, we find a main effect for the temporal peak placement, confirming the positive influence of a strong peak ending. When assessing the peak design strategies of surprise and anticipation, we find in Study 1 that surprise and anticipation moderate the temporal peak placement (e.g., early peak vs. late peak) on overall customer perceptions, with the surprise peak at the end of an experience yielding the strongest effect. In Study 2 we see that the remembered experience of a surprise peak positively affects customer perceptions compared to an anticipated peak regardless of the temporal placement of the peak. We also find that the infusion of a surprise peak ending has a lasting effect that amplifies the peak-end effect of remembered experiences. Drawing on these findings, we discuss the role of surprise, anticipation, and sequence effects in experience design strategy.

How does the peak-end rule smell? Tracing hedonic experience with odours

“…As retrospective evaluations influence subjective experiences and eventually choice, both duration neglect and an overweighting of the peak and end moments have important real-world implications, for example, when helping people increase their longterm happiness (Wirtz, Kruger, Napa Scollon, & Diener, 2003) or when trying to improve consumer experiences (Cornil & Chandon, 2016;Dixon, Victorino, Kwortnik, & Verma, 2017). This raises the question of the extent to which the results obtained using aversive stimuli generalise to positive emotional experiences.…”

Consumer anticipation: antecedents, processes and outcomes

“…MacInnis and Price (1990), for instance, have demonstrated that imagery processing stemming from anticipation has a direct positive effect on satisfaction. However, if consumer anticipation is encouraged, there is also a resulting risk that subsequent consumption may fail to meet expectations (Chan & Mukhopadhyay, 2010;Dixon, Victorino, Kwortnik, & Verma, 2017). Consumer satisfaction has long been explained through Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory [EDT], whereby (dis)satisfaction arises from discrepancy between expectations formed prior to consumption and the perceived product performance (Oliver, 1980;Oliver & Linda, 1981;Oliver & Winer, 1987).…”

The Impact of Timing and Bundling Flexibility on Affect‐Based Service Package Design

“…Similarly, Dixon et al. () investigated the impact that anticipation and surprise have on affect‐based design principles in the context of city‐tour planning. Collectively, this research suggests that behavioral‐design principles warrant additional research.…”

“…Second, planners may be faced with the task of combining events together to create bundles. Examples include academic conferences combining proposed presentations into tracks (Sampson, 2009); performing arts venues combining events into subscription packages (Dixon & Verma, 2013); music, art, and film festivals or museum exhibits combining elements (Martínez-de-Albéniz & Valdivia, 2018); cruise ship and city tours considering elements of an itinerary (Sun, Jiao, & Tian, 2011;Dixon, Victorino, Kwortnik, & Verma, 2017); and graduate management education considering topics and courses as parts of degree or certificate requirements. Bundle formation is often based on thematic characteristics of the events; for example, rival packages for sporting events, special interest tracks for conferences, genre-specific subscriptions for performing arts, packages in a film festival, and course requirements for a degree.…”

“…Das Gupta, Karmakar, and Roels (2016) investigated bundle design decisions by incorporating the behavioral principles of adaptation and memory decay into a numerical model. Similarly, Dixon et al (2017) investigated the impact that anticipation and surprise have on affect-based design principles in the context of city-tour planning. Collectively, this research suggests that behavioral-design principles warrant additional research.…”