ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH FOR SERVICE BUSINESSES

This book is about electronic word of mouth (eWOM) for service businesses, what motivates consumers, the importance of eWOM to other consumers, and the value of eWOM to businesses as a form of consumer advocacy. The theory and principles of eWOM are discussed, along with examples and case studies of service businesses (including TripAdvisor). eWOM is particularly important for service businesses because potential consumers cannot examine the service before making the purchase, unlike physical goods that can be viewed, touched, smelled, heard, or even tasted. A stay at a vacation resort cannot be examined prior to purchase in the same way that a car can, for example. Positive eWOM is related to social benefits, self-expression, and advocacy for a business. Negative eWOM is an opportunity for a business to engage in service recovery. Both positive and negative eWOM are opportunities for a business to learn more about its customers, using eWOM as consumer research. How eWOM can be used as qualitative consumer research is also a topic in this book.