Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/261678 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM) [ISSN:] 2013-0953 [Volume:] 12 [Issue:] 1 [Publisher:] OmniaScience [Place:] Barcelona [Year:] 2019 [Pages:] 1-12
Publisher: 
OmniaScience, Barcelona
Abstract: 
Purpose: Servitization is a rising trend as companies look for new revenue streams. This paper presents a study of customer care business model evolution in the smartphone industry. The paper identifies key changes in the business models during recent years and their implications for companies seeking after-sales service excellence and new revenue sources. Design/methodology/approach: The research approach is built on the literature of product-service offerings, servitization, and business models. The empirical part is based on a multiple case study of former Nokia mobile phone business, the Apple iPhone, and Google Android. Findings: Three different customer care business models and an analysis of the changes in the smartphone industry are presented. This paper demonstrates how after-sales services have become increasingly important in generating new revenue. Moreover, the nature of after-sales services has fundamentally changed in the industry. Research limitations/implications: Due to the careful selection of the cases that represent the studied industry well, the results provide valuable insights for practitioners and researchers involved in developing after-sales service offerings in the mobile industry. However, a case study research approach may not offer a generalized picture of this phenomenon in other industries. Originality/value: A novel analysis of customer care evolution in the smartphone industry is presented. In addition, the study demonstrates that applying the concept of business models to after-sales services provides new insights into these services and their roles in business.
Subjects: 
customer care
after-sales
business model
services management
operations management
servitization
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by-nc Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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