The Impact of Omnichannel Customer Experience Consistency: A Study Based on Customer Journey Perspective

Although customer experience consistency contributes to omnichannel business success, few studies have investigated the influence of omnichannel customer experience consistency from the perspective of the customer journey. Based on analysis of data from two samples comprising product-based (N = 592) and service-based (N = 579) omnichannel customers, this study found that pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase customer experience consistency had significant and positive effects on the development of an omnichannel shopping habit, which, in turn, promoted face-to-face word of mouth (WOM) and electronic WOM. In addition, in the product-based omnichannel, pre-purchase customer experience consistency had a greater impact on the development of an omnichannel shopping habit than did purchase and post-purchase customer experience consistency. However, in the service-based omnichannel, no significant differences were observed between the effects of pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase customer experience consistency on the development of an omnichannel shopping habit. This study presents new insights into omnichannel consumer experience consistency and provides suggestions for managing omnichannel customer experience effectively.