ABSTRACT
The customer journey map is a user-centered design tool, which combines visual resources, and it takes the customer's point of view into account. A promising business model with relevant presence of customers' perspective, the product-service system has been widely studied since its first introduction in literature in 1999. However, only a few studies have approached the two research areas, and none of them has associated the characteristics of the visual tool of customer journey and the PSS business model. For this reason, this study proposes to explore how the customer journey map can support PSS Improvement, comparing a customer journey map from what the company imagines it occurs and what the customers have described. To achieve that, we have developed a case study with interviews of the PSS company and three different customers to avoid bias. After the collected data, we drew two customer journey maps, one representing the company's view and the other, the compilation of the customers' reports. For the analyses, we evaluated the relevant differences between the journey maps, discussed the customers feeling and emotions, and highlighted the impacts of the pandemic from Covid-19 in the customer journey. Finally, there was some recommendations suggested for the company, such as actions to improve influential touchpoints, to maintain critical services, and to prevent changes that negatively affect the user experience. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.