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Top1. Introduction
Smartphone proliferation has exposed the avenue to use a wide variety of mobile applications (mobile apps). By 2019, smartphone users are expected to reach around 2.5 billion landmarks (Statista, 2018). Modern consumption is now driven by smartphones and other pertinent technologies, which have become a necessity of the consumer’s life (Braun, Zolfagharian, & Belk, 2016). Mobile apps act as an effecting marketing tool (Persaud & Azhar, 2012), which has enabled marketers to deliver services without having physical communication and connecting consumers irrespective of geographical boundaries (Grant & O’Donohoe, 2007). Marketers create experiential value for consumers through smartphone apps (Rezaei & Valaei, 2017). Service providers are delivering numerous services through mobile apps such as ‘Uber’ is providing riding services for consumers, ‘Just Eat’ is delivering foods for consumers, ‘Spotify’ is providing music streaming services, ‘Aliexpress’ is providing global shopping experiences and so on. All these service providers are managing electronic services (e-services), experiences and online relationships through mobile apps. According to Gartner (2011), it is expected that 85% of customers by 2020 will maintain relationships with service providers online. Online marketers are formulating their value propositions and strategy for relationship marketing (RM) through effective partnerships which ultimately lead to consumer’s satisfaction (Boateng, 2019; Kanagal, 2009). Long term profitability and sustainability in the marketplace are achieved through RM as well (Nyadzayo & Khajehzadeh, 2016). Conversely, due to lower searching cost and lack of interactivity in online bring threat to customer’s loyalty (Steinhoff, Arli, Weaven, & Kozlenkova, 2018; Ansari, Mela, & Neslin, 2008). E-services are application or software-based information systems, which establish interaction between system and users with the help of internet. E-services have earned immense acceptance and popularity because of seamless transactional efficiencies for on-demand service solutions, which strengthen the relationships between marketers and consumer (Ruyter et al., 2001). Almost every service can be availed through electronically (for example: consumers avail ride sharing services, order foods from favourite restaurants, request for repairing services, book hotel and trips, avail banking services and so on). Consumers have various options of availing or enjoying services at their finger points, so the service evaluation happens quickly and switching cost is also low. Therefore, attract and retain consumers are paramount to marketers (Featherman & Pavlou, 2003). So, both prospects and challenges are there for marketers to manage the online relationship with their valued consumers for e-services.