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Top1. Introduction
Companies require differentiating themselves to sustain in the competition (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2003). It is difficult for companies to differentiate their physical products (Guizzardi, Pons, & Ranieri 2019). Physical products are tangible, differentiation introduced in physical products is visible, and can be copied instantly. Companies focus on providing services to differentiate their offerings. Services are intangible and differentiation introduced in services is not visible instantly. Also, it is difficult for competitors to imitate the differentiation and innovation incorporated in services (Tuttle, 2013). Companies require delivering superior service quality to generate profitability. Superior service quality may mean on-time delivery, better and faster responses, or quicker resolution of complaints. Companies realize the importance of providing and delivering superior services and also of creating memorable customer experiences (Oodith, 2019). Services are gaining in importance in the current business scenario because of the scope of differentiation. Customers expect exceptional service quality from companies. Companies will not be able to deliver exceptional service quality unless they achieve excellence. Companies are willing to achieve excellence in services marketing. They focus on improving upon those parameters which help them to excel in the marketing of services (Metaxas, Chatzoglou, & Koulouriotis, 2019). Technology, e-adoption, and the internet play a vital role in the delivery of superior services. Companies require adopting technology and the internet (Zarei, Asgarnezhad Nuri, & Noroozi, 2019).
It is important for service companies to aim for customer delight and to achieve excellence. Service companies are gaining in importance in the present business scenario. So, it is essential to conduct a qualitative analysis of service companies and the strategies and the initiatives such companies adopt and to understand the ways in which such companies achieve business excellence. It is also important to understand the roles played by e-adoption, technology, and the internet in achieving business excellence for service companies. Although the issue is important, few studies have conducted in-depth analysis. The present study aims to address this research gap.
The study focuses on all those aspects and strategies which help companies to achieve excellence in services marketing citing examples of various industries from the services sector. The objective of the study is to understand the strategies and the initiatives which help service companies to achieve business excellence and the roles played by e-adoption, technology, and the internet.
The contributions and the novelty of the study lie in the fact that an in-depth discussion of the various strategies for achieving excellence in services was done. Technology, e-adoption, and differentiation have become imperative to achieve success in the competitive business environment. The roles played by e-adoption, technology, and the internet are discussed. The discussions have both theoretical and managerial implications. Based on the discussions presented, academicians may conduct a further review and analysis of the different strategies and suggest improved strategies. They will understand the importance of technology, e-adoption, and differentiation in the field of services. The discussions will sensitize managers about the importance of achieving excellence in services marketing. They will realize the importance of the applications of technology, e-adoption, innovation, and differentiation in services marketing. Efforts were made to include the latest and the relevant literature related to services marketing and the relations among strategic orientation, e-adoption, differentiation, and innovation. However, world-class service companies strive continuously and adopt better strategies for delighting their customers. Developments are happening regularly in the fields of services marketing and innovation. Researchers and practicing managers may utilize the discussions done in the study to delve more into the importance of achieving excellence in services marketing for generating better customer insights and delighting the customers. They might collect primary data, conduct empirical analysis, and generate results which are actionable. They should also keep themselves updated about the latest trends and developments to understand the roles of strategies, differentiation, and innovation in delighting customers and achieving excellence in services marketing.