Dimensões da experiência do cliente em parques temáticos: uma perspectiva com base nas online travel reviews

Abstract

In a context where the customer experience is as important as the product or service that a company offers, this study aims to analyze the dimensions of the customer experience in the context of theme parks. Therefore, the investigation was descriptive and exploratory, with a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. The survey was divided into three stages: the first, which investigated the dimensions that make up the customer experience in theme parks, took place between the months of November 2019 to June 2020 with the use of a sample of 2,023 individual evaluations of the parks Magic Kingdom, Beto Carrero World, Efteling and Universal Studios Japan. The second, which evaluated the customer experience in the context of a specific theme park, took place between the months of July and August 2020 with a sample of 300 individuals who visited the park Beto Carrero World and, finally, the third, which carried out, with the data obtained in the previous step, a network assessment of the relationship between the dimensions that make up the customer experience in the context of a specific theme park. The research was carried out from the user generated content (UGC) within the cyberspace Tripadvisor.com, with the research method being applied to Content Analysis, after which the data obtained were processed using the software NVivo 12 Pro for the word frequency and Ucinet 6 for Windows version 6.714 [32-Bit] together with software NetDraw 2.172 for the Network Analysis method. The main results of the research showed that factors that make up the environment, services, interactions and individual perceptions significantly interfere with the theme park customer experience. Through the network evaluation of the relationship between the dimensions of the customer experience in the specific context of the theme park Beto Carrero World, it was found that the density of the network is high and with the centrality calculation it was possible to verify that the variables attractions – rides and shows- and the park's structure has a higher centrality index, closely linked to obtaining fun and building satisfaction. The variables climate, interaction with the employee, queue, price, paid attractions and drinking fountains had a significant negative impact on the perception of the customer's experience. It was concluded that visiting theme parks is directly related to the value of the experience (affective component). In addition, theme parks, as well as other entertainment sector ventures, must be resilient, creative and responsive to the needs of their consumers. Finally, the reflections arising from the theoretical and empirical implications of this study can assist efforts to recover the theme park market in the pandemic and postpandemic scenario of COVID-19, by understanding the factors that will shape the future of the sector.