Digital eller analog interaktion; vikten av det rätta valet

Sammanfattning: People are interacting with digital devices in more ways today than ever before. New technology means both possibilities and challenges for retailers. Customers expectations on customized products and services are increasing, and as a retailer it's of great importance to meet those expectations to compete on the market. However, the restaurant industry in Sweden is far behind in terms of digitalization. When it comes to the use of digital tools and its effects on customers, service retailing in general is barely studied compared to traditional retailing. Hence, the use of digital tools instead of analog ones in a company's interaction with its customers, through so called touchpoints, is more common in traditional retailing. Building on that, the aim of this study was to examine the differences between analog and digital touchpoints in service retailing in terms of; how it affected the customer experience with regards to engagement, interest, expectations on quality and perception of the brand, if customers were affected due to exposure of different touchpoints in services with different characteristics and finally how service retailers could use this in order to enhance the customer experience. By limiting the scope of the study to the restaurant industry, and further to fast food and casual restaurants, a survey was conducted where 152 respondents where exposed to a menu, in either a digital or an analog format, and from either a casual restaurant or a fast food restaurant. Building on that, the conclusion of this report was that a digital or analog touchpoint within service retail partly affected the customer experience in terms of engagement, interest, expectations on quality, and perception of the brand, and the main contributing factors where the digital knowledge of the customer and the characteristics of the service offered. As the digitalization goes on it is evident that service retailers must adjust their services, and type of touchpoints used, to the right customer segment.