Chapter
Physical Evidence and the
Servicescape
10
 Physical Evidence
 Types of Servicescapes
 Strategic Roles of the Servicescape
 Framework for Understanding Servicescape
Effects on Behavior
 Guidelines for Physical Evidence Strategy
10-1
Objectives for Chapter 10:
Physical Evidence and the Servicescape
 Explain the impact of physical evidence, particularly the
servicescape, on customer perceptions and experiences.
 Illustrate differences in types of servicescapes, the roles
played by the servicescape, and the implications for strategy.
 Explain why the servicescape affects customer and employee
behavior, using a framework based in marketing,
organizational behavior, and environmental psychology.
 Present elements of an effective physical evidence strategy.
10-2
Physical Evidence
 “The environment in which the service is
delivered and where the firm and the customer
interact, and any tangible commodities that
facilitate performance or communication of the
service.”
 Physical facility = Servicescape
10-3
Elements of Physical Evidence
10-4
Examples of Physical Evidence from
the Customer’s Point of View
10-5
Examples of Physical Evidence from
the Customer’s Point of View
How Does Physical Evidence Affect the
Customer Experience?
Flow of the experience
Meaning customers attached to it
Satisfaction
Emotional connections to company
Clue management: the process of clearly
identifying and managing all the various clues
that customers use to form their impressions
and feelings about the company.
10-7
Typology of Service Organizations Based on Form
and Use of the Servicescape
Whom the
servicescape will
affect
10-8
Roles of the Servicescape
The servicescape is frequently one of the most important elements used in
positioning a service organization.
 Package:
‘wrap’ the service and convey what is ‘inside’
 conveys expectations
 influences perceptions
 Facilitator
 facilitates the flow of the service delivery process
 provides information (how am I to act?)
 facilitates the ordering process (how does this work?)
 facilitates service delivery
Eg. International traveler find the a poorly designed airport with few signs, poor
ventilation, and few places to sit or eat
10-9
Speedi-Lube Spells Out the Service Offering
10-10
Package
Facilitator
Roles of the Servicescape (continued)
 Socializer:
Helps to convey expected roles, behaviors, and relationships
 facilitates interaction between:
 customers and employees
 customers and fellow customers
 Employees and fellow employees
 Differentiator
 sets provider apart from competition in the mind of the consumer
Socializer:
Differentiator
Understanding Servicescape
Effects on Behavior
 Stimulus-organism-response theory
 Stimulus = multidimensional environment
 Organism = customers and employees
 Response = behaviors directed at the environment
 Assumption:
Dimensions of the servicescape will affect customers and
employees and they will behave and respond in different
ways depending on their internal reactions to the
servciescape.
10-16
A Framework for Understanding Environment-User Relationships
in Service Organizations
10-17
Individual Behaviors in the Servicescape
 Environmental psychologists suggest that people react
to places with two general, and opposite forms of
behavior:
 Approach: all positive behaviors that might be
directed to a place
 Desire to stay, explore, work, affiliate
 Shopping enjoyment, spending time and money
 Avoidance: negative behaviors
 Desire not to stay, etc.
10-18
Social Interactions in the Servicescape
 All social interaction is affected by the physical
container in which it occurs
 Customer-employee
 Customer-customer
 Scripts (particular progression of events)
 Physical proximity
 Seating arrangements
 Size
 Flexibility
10-19
Holland American Cruise
Line
Internal Responses to the Servicescape
 Cognition: environment can affect beliefs about a place
and the people and products found in that place
 Emotion: color, décor, music, scent affect mood
 Pleasure/displeasure
 Degree of arousal (amount of stimulation)
 Physiology: volume, temperature, air quality, lighting
can cause physical discomfort and even pain
 Ergonomics:
 the understanding of the interactions among humans and other
elements of a system, and the profession that applies
theoretical principles, data and methods to design in order to
optimize human well being and overall system
10-21
Variations in Individual Response
 Personality differences
 Arousal seekers vs. arousal avoiders
Enjoy high levels of stimulation/prefer lower levels of stimulation
 Environmental screeners
Able to experience a high level of stimuli but not be affected by it
 Purpose for being in the servicescape
 Business/pleasure
 Temporary mood state
A person after a day at work/ a person after holiday
10-22
Environmental Dimensions
 Ambient Conditions: affect the 5 senses, but may be
imperceptible or affect us subconsciously
◦ Temperature, lighting, noise, music, scent, color
 Spatial Layout and Functionality: size, shape, and arrangement
of machinery, equipment, and furnishings and the ability of such
to facilitate customer and employee goals
◦ Accessibility, aesthetics, seating comfort
 Signs, Symbols, Artifacts: explicit or implicit communication of
meaning; often culturally embedded; important in forming first
impressions
◦ Way-finding, labels, rules of behavior, creating aesthetic impression
10-23
Guidelines for Physical Evidence Strategy
 Recognize the strategic impact of physical evidence.
 Blueprint the physical evidence of service.
 Clarify strategic roles of the servicescape.
 Assess and identify physical evidence opportunities.
 Update and modernize the evidence.
 Work cross-functionally
10-24
Homework:
 Use Global Feature on page 300 as a guideline
to give example of a service firm (global brand)
that adapts to fit with different cultures
Give at least example from two countries
with pictures of the firm’s servicescapes and
other details.