Physical Evidence and

Servicescape

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Understanding the Physical
Evidence
• One of the generic characteristics of services is that they are
intangible – or at least intangible elements dominate in value
creation.
• Intangibility gives services experience properties.
• Consequently, customers use the physical evidence as a
proxy/marker for service quality.
• Physical evidence – the environment in which the service is
delivered and in which the firm and customer interact, and any
tangible commodities that facilitate performance or
communication of the service.
• Also referred to as servicescape.

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Understanding the Physical
Evidence
• Need to consider the strategic and functional use of the
physical evidence.
• Physical evidence impacts on the behaviour of both customers
and service personnel.
• The importance of the servicescape, and what is considered to
be part of the servicescape, depends on the level (and type) of
contact that occurs between the service organisation and the
customer.
• Lovelock, Patterson, & Walker (2001) talk about three broad
options – customer visits the service site, the provider comes to
the customer, and an arm’s length transaction.

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Roles of the Servicescape
• Package
• 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
• Socializer
• facilitates interaction between:
• customers and employees
• customers and fellow customers
• Differentiator
• sets provider apart from competition in the mind of the 4
consumer

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 The Role of the Servicescape
 The service environment influences buyer behaviour in 3 ways
 Message-creating Medium: symbolic cues to communicate the
distinctive nature and quality of the service experience.
 Attention-creating Medium: to make the servicescape stand out
from other competing establishments, and to attract customers
from target segments.
 Effect-creating Medium: colors, textures, sounds, scents and spatial
design to enhance the desired service experience, and/or to
heighten an appetite for certain goods, services or experiences
 Helps the firm to create a distinctive image & positioning that is unique.

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Bitner’s Servicescape Model
• Identifies the main dimensions in a service environment and
views them holistically.
• Customer and employee responses classified as emotional and
psychological which would in turn lead to overt behavior
towards the environment.
• Key to effective design is how well each individual dimension fits
together with everything else.

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

Dimensions of the Service
Environment
• Service environments are complex and have many design
elements. The main elements of the servicescape model
includes:
• Ambient Conditions.
• Music - for example fast tempo and high volume increase
arousal levels.
• Scent – has a strong impact on mood, affect and evaluative
responses, purchase intentions and in-store behaviour.
• Colour – for example warm colours are associated with
elated mood states and arousal, but also increase anxiety.
Cool colours reduce arousal and can elicit a peaceful and
calm state.
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7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

Perceptions of Colours
WARM COLOURS COOL COLORS
• Red – courage, danger, fire, • Blue – coolnes, calmness,
warmth, excitement. masculinity, assurance.
• Yellow – sunlight, warmth, • Green – coolness, restfulness,
openness, friendliness, glory, naturalness, freshness,
brightness. softness, richness.
• Orange – Sunlight, warmth, • Violet – coolness, shyness,
openness, glory. dignity, wealth.

7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Dimensions of the Service
Environment (con’t)
• Spatial Layout and Functionality.
• Layout refers to size and shape of furnishings and
the ways it is arranged.
• Functionality is the ability of those items to
facilitate performance.
• Signs, Symbols and Artifact.
• Explicit or implicit signals to communicate the
firm’s image, help consumers find their way and to
convey the rules of behavior.
• People.
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7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

people
• Appearance
• Behaviour
• Uniforms
• Speech/ interaction with guest
• Movement
• Guest behaviour and appearance

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7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305

 Physical Evidence from
the Customer’s Point of View

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7/25/2019 Services Marketing | BBA-305