244 Chapter 10 Physical evidence and the servicescape On the servicescape and its effects, keep in mind that what is said applies to the other forms of evidence as well. How does physical evidence affect the customer experience ? Physical evidence, particularly the servicescape, can have a profound effect on the customer experience. This is true whether the experience is mundane (e.g. a bus of train ride), personally meaningful (e.g. a wedding or a birthday celebration), or spectacular (e.g. a week-long travel adventure). In all cases, the physical evidence of the service will influence the flow of the experience, the meaning customer attach to it, their satisfaction and their emotional connections with the organization delivering the experience. As marketers and corporate strategists begin to pay more attention to experiences, they have recognized the impact of physical space and tangibles in creating those experiences. Lewis Carbone, a leading consultant on experience management, has developed an entire lexicon and management process around the basic idea of ‘experience engineering’ through ‘clue management’. Clue management refers to the process of clearly identifying and managing all the various clues that customers use to form their impressions and feelings about the company. Included in this set of clues that we focus on in this chapter. Other writers and consultants who focus on managing customer experiences also zero in on the importance of tangible evidence and physical facilities in shaping those experiences. Throughout this chapter are numerous examples of how physical evidence communicates with customers and shapes their experiences. Types of servicescapes In this chapter we explain the roles played by the servicescape and how it affects employees and customers and their interactions. The chapter relies heavily on ideas and concepts from environmental psychology, a field that encompasses the study of human beings and their relationships with built (human-made), natural and social environments. The physical setting may be more or less important in achieving the organization’s marketing and other goals depending on certain factors. Table 10.3 is a framework for categorizing service organizations on two dimensions that capture some of the key differences that will impact the management of the servicescape. Organizations that share a cell in the matrix will face similar issues and decisions regarding their physical spaces. Servicescape usage First, organizations differ in terms of who the servicescape will actually affect. That is, who actually comes into the service facility and thus is potentially influenced by its design – customers, employees, or both groups ? The first column of Table 10.3 suggests three types of service organizations that differ on this dimension. At one extreme is the self-service environment, in which the customer performs most of the activities and few if any employees are involved. Examples of self-service environments include ATMs, cinemas, self-service entertainment such as golf courses and theme parks, and online Internet services. In these primarily self-service environments the organization can plan the servicescape to focus exclusively on marketing goals such as attracting the right market segment, making the facility pleasing and easy to use, and creating the desired service experience. 245 Types of servicescapes Complexity of the servicescape
Servicescape Usage Elaborate Lean Self-service Golf course ATM (customer only) eBay Car wash Simple Internet services Interpersonal Hotel Dry cleaner Services (both Restaurant Hair salon customer and Health clinic employee) Hospital Bank Airline School Remote service Telephone company Telephone mail-order desk (employee only) Insurance company Automated voice-messaging services Utility Many professional services TABLE 10.3 Typology of service organization based on variations in form and use of the servicescape At the other extreme of the use dimension is the remote service, which has little or no customer involvement with the servicescape. Telecommunications, utilities, financial consultants and mail-order services are examples of services that can be provided without the customer ever seeing the service facility. In fact, the facility may be in a different region or a different country. In remote services, the facility can be set up to keep employees motivated and to facilitate productivity, teamwork, operational efficiency or whatever organizational behavior goal is desired without any consideration of customers because they will never need to see the servicescape. In Table 10.3 interpersonal services are placed between the two extremes and represent situations in which both the customer and the employee are present and active in the servicescape. Examples abound, such as hotels, restaurants, hospitals, educational setting and banks. In these situations the servicescape must be planned to attract, satisfy and facilitate the activities of both customers and employees simultaneously. Special attention must also be given to how the servicescape affects the nature and quality of the social interactions between and among customers and employees. A cruise ship provides a good example of a setting in which the servicescape must support customers and the employees who work there, and facilitate interactions between the two groups. Servicescape complexity The horizontal dimension of Table 10.3 suggests another factor that will influence servicescape management. Some service environment are very simple, with few elements, few spaces and few pieces of equipment. Such environment are termed lean. Shopping-centre information kiosks and ATMs would be considered lean environments because both provide service from one simple structure. For lean servicescapes, design decisions are relatively straightforward, especially in self-service or remote service situations in which there is no interaction among employees and customers.
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