Managing the Exclusivity of Luxury Service Experiences

Abstract

Luxury services should offer consumers hedonic, extraordinary experiences. However, even the extraordinary risks becoming ordinary if consumed regularly (hedonic adaptation), undermining the appeal of the service. This chapter develops the importance of exclusivity combined with hedonic escapism to retain the uniqueness and desirability of the luxury service experience. We distinguish between four manifestations of exclusivity (monetary exclusivity, social exclusivity, hedonic exclusivity, and constructed exclusivity) and further detail how each manifestation of exclusivity can enhance the luxury service. For managers, we offer several practical insights on how to carefully manage exclusivity in the service and how to incorporate hedonic escapism to appeal to consumers.