The term "prosumer" once captured a simple idea: a consumer who takes part in a company's production process.
In the service sector — as opposed to physical products — that consumer role becomes even more participatory. Trace the chain from customer to customer experience to purchase to customer value, and an invisible thread of participation runs through it all. This is what draws customers' own capabilities into the heart of a business.
That being the case, companies would do well to actively encourage and accommodate customers' desire to get involved.
The trend is rooted in a culture that prizes experience. The ease with which people can now acquire knowledge and information has amplified it further. People today want to try things for themselves — a phenomenon sometimes called the "experience economy."
The primary tool for tapping into customer capabilities is robust interaction. To make that work, companies must build interactive communication structures with customers and maximize real-time points of contact.
The result is a relationship in which customers co-create value alongside the company. In practical terms, this means drawing on customers' capabilities as a business resource — filling gaps the company cannot cover on its own. In return, customers must receive meaningful rewards for their contribution.
Sustaining active interaction and securing customer touchpoints does place a burden on companies. The payoff, however, is more precise marketing. Efficiency and effectiveness rise at the same time — efficiency measured by how well resources are used, effectiveness by how fully goals are met.
Hansik, or Korean cuisine, is a clear example of a service that naturally draws customer capabilities inward. Its appeal lies in the rich experiential world it opens up. Westerners in particular are drawn to the idea of participating in the cooking process to finish a dish to their own taste. By letting diners add various ingredients according to their preferences, hansik brings the customer directly into the preparation — unintentional, perhaps, but a seamless integration of customer capability into the service itself.
"Service is the activity of solving customers' problems through interaction with them." Even Jack Welch, chairman of GE — a company overwhelmingly focused on manufacturing — said as much during his tenure.
freiheit@heraldcorp.com
