Enhancing the acceptance of advanced services among users of complex systems

Abstract

<strong>Purpose:</strong> In order to succeed in servitization, manufacturing firms need to understand the mechanisms through which their customers accept advanced services. This research explores the customers’ readiness towards more advanced services. The goal is increased knowledge on the aspects that manufacturers need to consider when bringing advanced services into market and ways to enhance the customer acceptance of these services.<br/><strong>Design/methodology/approach:</strong> A qualitative case study design is used, to analyse readiness for advanced services and service acceptance in a manufacturer’s three customer firms. Interview data were collected among 14 persons at the different customer sites and were content analysed.<br/><strong>Findings:</strong> The results show that customers accustomed to purchasing basic services or implementing them in-house may not yet be ready to purchase advanced services from manufacturers. Customers are uncertain about the benefits and the complete costs of the service. Manufacturers can enhance the customers’ acceptance of advanced services by certain activities within the organisation and in relation to the customers e.g. by training service employees and educating the customers.<br/><strong>Originality/value:</strong> The results offer new knowledge on customer service acceptance in a business-to-business context and, thereby, complement previous studies on the supplier perspective to servitization and service acceptance in consumer business. The contributions help manufacturers to identify practices for enhancing the customer firms’ readiness and acceptance of advanced services.