Prime time: The strategic use of subconscious priming to enhance customer satisfaction

A customer approaches a bank’s outside ATM machine, stares in confusion at the touch screen prompts, and then either walks inside to find a teller or walks away. A patient enters a clinic, haltingly answers questions with his limited language skills, and then leaves with the wrong medicine. A taxpayer goes online to file her tax returns, overlooks parts of the form requiring entries, and is later billed by the IRS for non-payment of the correct amount plus interest. With services now comprising over 80% of the North American economy, it is increasingly important for both profit and not-for-profit organizations providing these services to ensure that customers successfully have their desired experience. Whether the service is a financial transaction, healthcare exchange, or an online experience, service encounters require customers to participate in the production of that experience in one or more ways. Successful organizations are gaining a competitive advantage by spending the time and money to ensure that their customers co-produce service experiences in ways that meet or exceed their expectations. Researchers of organizational behavior have long studied ways to improve employee performance in work settings. Furthermore, researchers of customer behavior have long studied ways to improve customer satisfaction. As the economy continues its transformation from a manufacturing to a service dominant marketplace, these two disciplines are converging, prompting examination of ways to improve customer Business Horizons (2014) 57, 269—277