The Customer Experience in the Sharing Economy: A Context Specific Approach to Airbnb

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The study aims to investigate the multi-phased customer experience for accommodation through Airbnb and its relation to the concepts of co-creation and expectation. Methodology: Through abductive reasoning, this study uses both qualitative and quantitative method to achieve the stated aim. The interview will be used to develop the explanations for answering the research questions. In addition they help build the questionnaire that will be used as the tool for conducting a survey among Airbnb customers. Results: For the specific context, information gathering in the pre-experience is seen as the main way to build expectations that are then measured against the actual experience in the second – consumption phase. The conclusions whether the stimulators during the accommodation meet, exceed, or do not meet the expectations are reflected in the post-experience outcome. The results also suggest that customers have a higher impact from stimulators to expectations when the host is present during the stay. In addition, customers who use the accommodation alone had higher impact than the ones who traveled with friends. There was also a significant difference for post experience outcome between the customers who had contact with the host after the stay and the customers who didn’t giving implications to co-creation through interactions. Original/value: The study contributes to relevant fields such as customer experience, sharing economy, experience co-creation and abductive reasoning. The managerial value is knowledge about means to increase customer experience outcomes.