Toward an integrative approach to designing service experiences

A critical element in designing a new service and ultimately achieving customer delight and loyalty, particularly for competitive services where the customer–service provider interface is high, deals with the delivery of memorable personal experience. Since many such services rely on attributes of theatre‐like performance, this research examines the process by which theatre plays are chosen, designed and developed with the objective of better understanding how performance excellence is realized. Theatre plays were chosen as a basis for study because of their long history of mastering the critical elements of performance staging and the reputation for opening on time at near peak performance levels. Using a case‐based, qualitative research approach, the theatre play process is described, implications are extracted and a corresponding management process model is presented. Research and management implications for new service design and service delivery excellence are suggested.