A Phenomenological Study of Customer-Oriented Experiences of Employees in Ofogh Kourosh Chain Stores from the Perspectives of Customers and Employees

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore and explain the lived experience of customer orientation among employees of Ofogh Kourosh chain stores from the perspectives of customers and employees and to identify the dimensions, components, and consequences of this phenomenon within the organizational context of chain stores. This study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in nature, conducted using a phenomenological approach and Colaizzi’s seven-step method. The research population consisted of experts, employees, and customers of Ofogh Kourosh chain stores in Tehran. Participants were selected through snowball sampling, and sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Finally, 15 participants were interviewed. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures after full transcription of the interviews. To ensure the credibility and reliability of the findings, member checking, recoding procedures, and expert validation techniques were employed. The findings revealed that customer orientation in Ofogh Kourosh chain stores is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by human, organizational, and structural factors. Inferential analysis of the qualitative data led to the extraction of several core categories, including behavioral customer orientation, service-oriented customer orientation, value-oriented customer orientation, customer-oriented lived experience, organizational context of customer orientation, and consequences of customer orientation. The results indicated that employees’ interpersonal interactions, respectful behavior, patience, active listening, rapid responsiveness, accurate guidance, and accountability played a central role in shaping customers’ positive perceptions of customer orientation. Moreover, perceived economic value, service quality, product diversity, and fair pricing contributed significantly to customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. The findings also demonstrated that managerial support, employee training, and organizational empowerment facilitated customer orientation, whereas high workload, staff shortages, and structural limitations were identified as major barriers to its realization. The results demonstrated that customer orientation in chain stores extends beyond merely providing services and represents a dynamic and interactive process shaped by organizational culture, human interactions, and managerial support. Simultaneous attention to the lived experiences of both employees and customers can enhance service quality, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and improve organizational performance.