Servicescape: Emotion and Service
1.0 Introduction
This report is going to investigate the servicescape. Servicescape was first coined by Booms and Bitner to aid service organisations highlight the impact of the environment where the service takes place. Servicescape is part of the physical evidence of a service. Services are highly intangible and the servicescape focuses on the tangible assets that the service can offer such as the physical surroundings, temperature and staff uniforms. Booms and Bitner state that the servicescape is” the environment in which the service is assembled and in which seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service” (Booms and Bitner ,1981 P 36)
2.0 Primary Dimensions of Servicescape
The servicescape affects both the employees and customer’s behaviour. There are several dimensions that affect behaviour and emotion according to Bitner (1992) These are ambient conditions, space/layout, signs, symbols and artefacts. (Rosenboum, 2007) These all have an effect on the emotions and feelings of both customers and employees notably ambient conditions plays a critical role in the effects on human behaviour (Appendix A)
3.0 Service Failures
The servicescape can affect the customer’s perception of the service and can change the customers mind to make them feel it was a positive interaction with the company. This makes the servicescape an extremely powerful tool to be used to cut the service failure rate and enhance the service offered.
Hoffman states that around 9% of service failures are directly related to the servicescape and he defines the reasons into three categories these include cleanliness issues, mechanical issues and design issues. (Hoffman, 2003) (See Appendix B)
4.0 Effects on human behaviour
4.1 Approach and avoidance
The servicescape can have two affects on both the customers and employees. Theses are either approach or avoidance (see Appendix C) Servicescape can be used
This report is going to investigate the servicescape. Servicescape was first coined by Booms and Bitner to aid service organisations highlight the impact of the environment where the service takes place. Servicescape is part of the physical evidence of a service. Services are highly intangible and the servicescape focuses on the tangible assets that the service can offer such as the physical surroundings, temperature and staff uniforms. Booms and Bitner state that the servicescape is” the environment in which the service is assembled and in which seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service” (Booms and Bitner ,1981 P 36)
2.0 Primary Dimensions of Servicescape
The servicescape affects both the employees and customer’s behaviour. There are several dimensions that affect behaviour and emotion according to Bitner (1992) These are ambient conditions, space/layout, signs, symbols and artefacts. (Rosenboum, 2007) These all have an effect on the emotions and feelings of both customers and employees notably ambient conditions plays a critical role in the effects on human behaviour (Appendix A)
3.0 Service Failures
The servicescape can affect the customer’s perception of the service and can change the customers mind to make them feel it was a positive interaction with the company. This makes the servicescape an extremely powerful tool to be used to cut the service failure rate and enhance the service offered.
Hoffman states that around 9% of service failures are directly related to the servicescape and he defines the reasons into three categories these include cleanliness issues, mechanical issues and design issues. (Hoffman, 2003) (See Appendix B)
4.0 Effects on human behaviour
4.1 Approach and avoidance
The servicescape can have two affects on both the customers and employees. Theses are either approach or avoidance (see Appendix C) Servicescape can be used