Abstract
It is known that businesses are looking for different ways to reach customers, both technologically and through employees, in order to protect their existing customers as well as to gain new customers. However, today, due to the personable approaches of services, there is a need to create a bond between the business and the customer. In this context, value is an original understanding that people have, and businesses aim to create value together by reaching more customers through personalized services. Thus, the importance of studies aimed at understanding this phenomenon based on multilateral profit relationship is increasing day by day. In the current study, the approach of creating value together is discussed, and the understanding of the creation of value together in air transportation operating in the service sector is examined.
TopIntroduction
Co-creation emphasizes the common value creation between the manufacturer and the customer. The value of a product created together depends on a number of variables based on consumers' knowledge of the product. There are two conditions for creating the value together: (i) identification of a common problem by business and customers (Vega-Vazquez, Revilla-Camacho, & Cossio-Silva, 2013) and (ii) transparency of the business and customers' access to information about the product (Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004). Customer satisfaction is becoming an increasingly difficult phenomenon to achieve despite the intense efforts and high monetary expenditures of businesses. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious, proactive, strengthened, connected and complex. Confident customers collaborate with the organization with the desire to create together. this only occurs by ensuring that the customer is motivated for creation according to the perceived level of ability, with feeling good or comfortable in the service role (McKee, Simmers, & Licata, 2006).
On the other hand, considering the air transport service process, an event that does not comply with the optimum flow of experience within a standard process such as security screening, check-in and baggage delivery, security screening for the transition to cleared areas, boarding, travel process, which starts at the entrance of the airport of passengers. When it occurs, this situation can cause both the perception of the entire process provided by the airport operator as unsuccessful and dissatisfaction with the airline operators. At this point, considering all the stakeholders (passengers, airlines, commercial enterprises, ground management, users, send-offs), in order to ensure passenger satisfaction, the co-creation of the processes in the airport flow allows the passenger to derive value from the most basic service, the flight itself.
In co-creation, involving passengers in the creation of travel arrangements helps personalize the service, creating a unique experience. Especially with the advent of the internet, passengers can organize their flights themselves (Grissemann & Stokburger-Sauer, 2012). This can also increase passenger satisfaction and ensure the formation of loyalty. In this direction, the aim of the study is to contribute to a better understanding by emphasizing the importance of the understanding of creating such an important value in air transport together with business and customer partnerships.
In the following parts of the study first, by referring to the concept of value in marketing, the customer role will be scrutinized as a result of the change in the concept of value today. Then the concept of creation together will be explained. In this context, it is seen that the concept of co-creation is used in the relevant literature in place of customer participation, co-production, common design concepts (Martínez-Cañas, Ruiz-Palomino, Linuesa-Langreo, & Blázquez-Resino, 2016; Gardner, 2019; Zhang, Lu, & Chen, 2018; Fernandes & Remelhe, 2016). Thus, it became necessary to explain the concepts mentioned in the study separately. In the last part of the study, the concept of creating value together is mentioned and its applications in air transport are included.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Co-Creation: It is any interaction between the customer and the business that will provide co-creation in the process of providing the service.
Customer Satisfaction: Customers meet their expectations by purchasing the product.
Value Co-Creation: In order to provide the benefit that customers expect by purchasing the product, they should act together with the businesses first.
Customer Engagement: All actions, other than interactions and/or interactions with buyers, by including buyers in all processes in order to improve the business's goods or service processes.
Co-Production: The product to be offered is produced together by the customer and the business within the scope of the production stage and the criteria determined by the business.
Customer Participation: It is the extent to which the business and customers participate in the processes from the production stage of the goods or services to the after-sales services.
Value: It is the way an individual perceives his/her environment. The value obtained from the product, on the other hand, creates the gains of the customers by obtaining that product.