Facilitating customer adherence to complex services through multi-interface interactions: The case of a weight loss service

Today's communication landscape affords multiple service interfaces to promote customer engagement (i.e. adherence) with complex and prolonged services, but an understanding of how customers use them is limited. This study compares personal and non-personal interfaces that provide educational and/or emotional support for customers to develop the operant resources (i.e. competence and motivation) necessary for adherence. A survey of 270 subscribers to a weight-loss programme demonstrates that booklets and a website (non-personal interfaces) provide educational support that enhances role clarity and ability to adhere, respectively. For novices, it is customer forums (personal interface) that afford the educational support needed to develop ability. Group meetings (personal interface) provide emotional support that boosts customer motivation to adhere and, in turn, encourages them to help other customers. Our study distinguishes types of support for adherence, accessed via multiple service interfaces, has implications for management and highlights needs for future research into complex and prolonged services.