A Study on Subjective Perception Types of Customer Experience in the Digital Transformation Environment of Hair Salons: A Q-Methodological Approach

This study explores how customers subjectively interpret and structure their experiences in hair salons undergoing digital transformation, focusing on differences in value judgment and meaning-making rather than average effects. Unlike standardized digital service contexts, hair salons involve prolonged interpersonal interaction, professional expertise, and uncertainty regarding service outcomes, which shape customers’ perceptions of digital touchpoints within the service encounter. To capture subjective perception patterns that are not adequately addressed by conventional survey-based approaches, this study adopts Q methodology. A total of 40 Q-statements were developed through a review of prior studies and in-depth interviews on digital service experiences in hair salons. These statements were sorted by 40 customers with experience using digital services in hair salons according to a forced quasi-normal distribution. The Q-sorts were analyzed using the KADE 1.3.1 program, employing centroid factor analysis with Varimax rotation. Based on Q-sorts from 40 participants, the analysis identified two distinct perception types. Type 1, labeled the digital touchpoint-oriented rational selection type, views digital platforms such as online reservation systems and information search functions as tools for reducing uncertainty and supporting rational service selection. In contrast, Type 2, termed the result- and expertise-oriented type, prioritizes service outcomes and hairstylists’ professional competence, perceiving digital services as a basic prerequisite rather than a decisive factor shaping customer experience. Together, the two factors explained 51% of the variance. These findings demonstrate that customer experiences in transforming hair salons are heterogeneous and structured by customers’ value systems, offering implications for digital service strategies.