A model for backgrounds and implications of customer experience management in dental centers considering the variable role of word of mouth using a phenomenological approach

This research aimed to provide a model for backgrounds and implications of customer experience management in dental centers considering the variable role of word of mouth using a phenomenological approach. In this mixed-method study, the researcher used a phenomenological approach to identify the components of the customer experience in dental centers and then tested the model by a quantitative method. The data collection instrument was in-depth interview and protocol with 23 dental clinic managers and clients with which the researcher reached theoretical saturation. In the next stage, the required data were distributed among 320 patients of the dental clinic in District 2 and 4 of Tehran Municipality, and the results were analyzed by PLS software. Finally, the researcher extracted 152 open source codes, coded and selected them based on the theoretical literature, and presented the results in six main dimensions and 28 sub-dimensions. The researcher has presented the research results in the form of a model with six main dimensions, including customer experience, satisfaction of the medical staff, word of mouth of various dental services, strengthening the clinic brand, satisfaction with the clinical environment, and 28 sub-dimensions. Customer experience has had a positive and significant effect on word of mouth.