ROLE OF EMBARRASSMENT IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND

MARKETING WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO CONSUMER-

SALESPERSON INTERACTION

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH PROJECT

FOR THE BATCH 2020-22

UNDER
HONOURS SCHOOL SYSTEM
AT
UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
PANJAB UNIVERSITY
CHANDIGARH

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
DR. ANUPAM BAWA ARADHANA JHA, ARJUN VERMA, ISHI THAKUR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MBA-A
UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH

ROLE OF EMBARRASSMENT IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND

MARKETING WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO CONSUMER-
SALESPERSON INTERACTION
ABSTRACT

Emotions are an integral part of humans and play an important role in many interactions that
we have, emotions can heavily influence our how we deal with certain emotions.
Embarrassment is one such strong emotion, it is a self-conscious emotion, it is an emotion we
try to avoid feeling and can go to extreme lengths to do this.

Consumer embarrassment or embarrassment in general is a self-conscious feeling and can

arise in situations where the consumer feels uncomfortable and self-conscious and this can
affect the consumer’s cognition and behavior. This behavior influences the salesperson-
consumer interaction heavily. In this paper we will analyze the effect of consumer
embarrassment specifically during salesperson-consumer interaction while buying products
that may seem embarrassing and how both the sides (salesperson and consumer) handles or
avoids it. As mishandling such a situation would have a negative impact on the
marketer/salesperson’s behalf and could have consequences, so understanding the consumer
embarrassment is an important thing. It helped us to understand how to handle/avoid such
situations with the consumers.

The study is conducted using synchronous online focus groups, so that the responses from the
participants can be spontaneous and unfiltered, i.e., the answers can be honest. Using
synchronous online focus group can helped to ensure that. The participants were selected
using judgmental sampling technique.

From this study we discovered that the embarrassment of consumers in such situations
mainly arise due to, firstly the stigma attached to the product or the situation leading to the
purchase of that product, secondly the realization of the embarrassment on the salesperson’s
side which to the consumers feel like they are doing something wrong and hence feeling
embarrassed and lastly presence of another customer in the stores while buying such
products.

We also discuss the different implications of the consumer embarrassment and how to avoid
such situations using strategies and techniques which a salesperson/marketer can use to
mitigate such situations and help the consumers without them feeling embarrassed and avoid
the negative consequences of consumer embarrassment.

Keywords: consumer embarrassment, emotion, self-consciousness, consumer behavior

INTRODUCTION

IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONS IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Profitability of any organisation lies in the hand of a consumer, i.e., on how a consumer
reacts to their offerings. The success of any product/ service depends on whether it fulfils a
consumers wishes/needs or wants for which we need to understand consumer behaviour.
Understanding consumer psychology is the backbone in understanding consumer behaviour.
Emotions are huge influencing factor in consumer psychology and are basically
psychological reactions. According to the American Psychological Association (APA),
emotion is defined as “a complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioural and
physiological elements.” Simply put emotions can be defined as how a person reacts to some
situation or matter and how it deals with it. Emotions can play a huge role in consumer
buying behaviour, i.e., for example an impulsive buying of a product which was not needed
in a sale can be attributed to the rush of emotions the consumer had in this moment. So
understanding the relationship between consumer and its emotions can be the key to success.

EMOTION SELECTED AND THE CONTEXT

The emotion selected by us is embarrassment and the context is during a salesperson

consumer interaction. Embarrassment is a strong emotion in any context, it plays a huge role
in a person’s social interactions. Embarrassment can be considered as a negative emotion,
i.e., a person feels embarrassment if he/she says/does something that is not considered normal
in that situation. Every person has its own definition of what is considered normal and what is
not, it is one’s own perception of things, one thing can be considered embarrassing to one
person and normal to another. Embarrassment can also be a huge motivator in any king of
social behavior, for example if a person feels doing a thing will lead to a embarrassing
situation, he/she will go out of their way to avoid this situation. Please note that
embarrassment does not equals shame, it is rather a self-conscious emotion.

This emotion plays a large role during a salesperson-consumer interaction, as embarrassment

is largely induced during a public setting, as we have already discussed it is a self-conscious
emotion. This is not a common emotion have a consumer haves during a salesperson-
consumer interaction but this emotion is reserved to only specific products/services. As we
already know that any product/service is based upon its customer need/want, the emotion
arises not due to the product/service, it arises due underlying need/want. For example, the
most common product that approximately 50% of the population uses but is still considers
embarrassing to buy is sanitary pads, it is not that sanitary products are embarrassing, it is the
fact that it is a “sanitary” product which relates to menstruation is embarrassing. This leads to
an uncomfortable salesperson-consumer interaction, to avoid which customer may shift
online to buy such products.

RESEACH OBJECTIVE / RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Our research objective is to study “Consumer Perception and attitude towards buying
products that are considered embarrassing”.

And our research questions are:

 How consumer handles salesperson interaction while buying such products?

 How salesperson/marketers avoid such situations and is it okay?

REASONS FOR SELECTING RO & RQs

According to Krishna et. al. “Offering consumers more inconspicuous means of purchase and
consumption, such as online sales or discreet packaging strategies, can provide consumers
some protection from social observation and hence public embarrassment.” Our research
questions are stemmed from this statement clearly states that it is a type of an unspoken role
to offer consumer more inconspicuous means to hide whatever they are buying. It is
preconceived notion that these products embarrass consumers but it cannot be true all the
time or wrapping it in more inconspicuous means are what makes them embarrassing.

To uncover the basic attitude of the consumers towards these types of products, are they even
embarrassing or it is just something that is ingrained in the consumers mind and has been
promoted by salesperson/marketers. The research questions stem from this basic objective,
whether it is the consumer that is being embarrassed or the salesperson and how he/she
handles such type of situation, by acting completely nonchalant or acting weird. Whether or
not there is an actual need to avoid such situations and the ways that the salesperson/
marketers handle these situations from their end and is it really necessary.
CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND

To understand the role of embarrassment in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with

reference to salesperson consumer interaction, the first thing is to know about embarrassing
emotion. Embarrassment as a human emotion is known to be very unique. It impacts many
aspects of social behaviour. Stefano Puntoni, Ilona E. de Hooge and Willem J. M. I. Verbeke
(2013) after reviewing writings on Embarrassment came to the conclusion that
embarrassment is a negative self-conscious emotion. It was found to raise individuals’
negative self-evaluation or unwanted self-exposure, which further arouses their intention to
flee the situation. The service provider, the target customer, and fellow customers was
identified as three basic sources of embarrassment in service interactions and was largely
cantered on embarrassing stimuli. Luorong Wu et al (2011) identified embarrassment as one
of the self-conscious emotions. Self-conscious emotions appear later in life and the elicitation
of these emotions involves elaborate cognitive processes that have, at their heart, the notion
of self. Elicitation of embarrassment typically involves negative self-evaluation, or unwanted
self-exposure and consequently causes real damage to a person’s identity.

Models explaining the Elicitation of Embarrassment:

Social evaluation model: It suggests that any undesired evaluation, whether positive or
negative, will result in embarrassment.

Dramaturgic model: It postulates that embarrassment primarily comes from a disruption of

social interaction due to a person’s inability to act his or her given social role. In other words,
once the person perceives him/herself failing to follow a social script, the embarrassment will
occur.

Centre of attention model: It proposes that merely being the centre of attention can be
embarrassing, even when there is neither a loss of esteem nor dramaturgic failure.

Loss of self-esteem model: It emphasizes on the consequences from a loss of self-respect or

dignity as a result of perceiving negative evaluations from others.

Personal standards model: It focuses on the role of the embarrassed person, and suggests
that embarrassment results from a discrepancy between one’s behaviour and one’s self-
imposed ideals.
Transgression of others’ expectations model: It focuses on the fact that the person is
threatened with the possibility of acting in a way that is contrary to the expectations of the
other people who are present to witness the behaviour.

According to Miller (1992), there are two contending theories of what makes a social
situation embarrassing: the Social Evaluation Theory and the Dramaturgical Theory.
Embarrassment can cause real damage to a person’s desired identity and hurt one’s “need to
belong”. At times, individuals overestimate the severity of negative social consequences of
their misbehaviour and therefore risk their long-term well-being to evade temporary, short-
term embarrassment.

Embarrassing Elements in Service Interactions

In front of others, we may be uncertain of how to behave or unable to sustain a particular

identity, which prompts uncertainty and embarrassment. Embarrassment can also occurs due
to a self-perceived discrepancy between one’s personal standards and how one has actually
behaved.

Public embarrassment has been tested in a variety of consumer experiments, the majority of
which focus on sensitive products such as condoms. Consumer face higher level of
embarrassment when purchasing sensitive product, they are less familiar with. Although
products embarrassment may influence consumer behaviour in a variety of other public
contexts such as speed dating or concerns about how to dress in a fancy restaurant (Kumar,
2008; Wan,2013). Even mundane consumption practices such as redeeming coupons may be
seen as embarrassing in a public context. Embarrassment arises due to concerns of others’
negative evaluations of one’s presented self. the transgression occurs in private, without
anyone present; however, the individual imagines the possibility of observation and appraisal
by others. Embarrassment is caused by concerns about possible negative evaluations of these
imagined others.

We recognize that embarrassment is often experienced when one violates a socially accepted
convention or personal code of conduct, which the character of the transgression may differ
supported who is appraising the situation. While other-appraisal reflects a social convention
violation, self-appraisal may lead to embarrassment when either a social convention or
personal code of conduct is violated.
Aradhna Krishna et al (2018) after reviewing writings on the Consumer Embarrassment as a
Public and Private Emotion came to the conclusion that in service interactions there are three
basic sources of embarrassment: the service provider, the focal customer, and fellow
customers. There are six categories of embarrassing situations: criticism, awkward acts,
inappropriate image, forgetfulness or lack of knowledge, environment/surroundings, and
violations of privacy.

Triggers of Consumer Embarrassment:

Edelmann (1981) , proposes a classification of triggers of embarrassment with six categories:

failure to confirm the self-image that was presented to others (e.g., performing poorly in a
presentation to colleagues), loss of poise and social skill (e.g., stumbling on a rug or
forgetting someone’s name), failure to mesh (e.g., realizing a person is more important than
one assumed), breach of privacy (e.g., bodily noise), overpraise (e.g., being made the
undeserving centre of attention), and empathic reaction to someone else’s embarrassment
(e.g., watching an extremely bad comedian).

Much of the marketplace involves interacting with another human being—whether a

salesperson or a service provider, or with other consumers. Certain triggers in such
interpersonal interactions in retail settings can prompt embarrassment, and influence a variety
of consumer behaviours, even when the product or service itself is not embarrassing. These
triggers include awkward social encounters and center of attention effects, which both require
the presence of others (public context). Though the center of attention triggers embarrassment
through other-appraisal, awkward social encounters may prompt embarrassment through
other- or self-appraisal.

Embarrassment due to awkward social encounters with service providers is particularly

damaging, leading to greater felt embarrassment and a higher likelihood of avoiding shopping
at that store again compared to triggers by other consumers. Marketers can offer careful staff
training and standardize service encounters (e.g., design service protocols) in order to
mitigate this sort of consumer embarrassment.

Esmark, Nobleb, and Breazeale (2017) after reviewing writings on this topic came to the
conclusion that being the center of attention, both negatively, such as when being the subject
of criticism, but also positively, such as when receiving excessive praise, can also prompt
embarrassment. In consumption domains, such negative or positive attention may come from
salespeople or other consumers, and may trigger embarrassment. In fact, they demonstrate
that simply perceiving that an employee is watching a shopper can create embarrassment,
causing the shopper to either permanently or temporarily leave the store. The authors find, in
a field study, that shoppers are significantly more likely to abandon their purchase.

Krishna et al., 2015) demonstrated that purchase and consumption of embarrassing products
and services, such as contraceptives, erectile dysfunction drugs, or treatment for impaired
hearing, are generally deemed embarrassing. A predominant portion of such products pertain
to bodily- or sex-related topics and some medical services such as venereal disease treatment,
vasectomies, and abortions. More commonly, products and services are embarrassing if
consumers need or want them but are reluctant to seek them out or are uncomfortable
discussing openly. The majority of research considering these triggers emphasizes public
context and others’ appraisal, though some research has begun to consider how and when
these triggers may also prompt consumer embarrassment in private contexts and due to self-
appraisal.

Also, clumsiness and involuntary physical actions can generate consumer embarrassment if
the triggering incidents occur as part of consumption domains—as in the case of knocking
down a pile of cans in a supermarket display.

Uncertainty or intellectual errors when consumers might feel stupid for not knowing or for
forgetting something expected.

Coping with Consumer Embarrassment

Consumers often develop their own specific strategies to avoid, escape, or repair
embarrassment within the marketplace. Anticipated consumer embarrassment, can also lead
individuals to leave or avoid potentially negative service experiences. For example, many
consumers report avoiding certain health-related services, and once they do seek healthcare,
they report a bent to avoid discussing potentially embarrassing healthcare questions with their
service providers, which has important health, social, and economic consequences for people.

When public embarrassment is anticipated, some consumers may choose to do online

shopping, to minimize exposure to others when buying embarrassing products, and other
consumers may shop in physical stores but in low-store-traffic hours, so as to attenuate
exposure to the observation and appraisal of others. Consumers may also avoid potentially
embarrassing experiences by not shopping in their own neighbourhood for sensitive products.

Dong et al. (2013) reported a different behavioural strategy to avoid social attention. They
find that when prompted with embarrassing scenarios, consumers prefer to wear larger and
darker sunglasses in order to symbolically “hide their face” and avoid social attention.

Our conceptualization acknowledges that embarrassment is sort of similar across public and
personal contexts—often with similar triggers, measures, and negative consequences.
However, as little is understood about private embarrassment, more research is required to
know its consequences and the way best to avoid and deal with this type of embarrassment.
One central goal of this work is to stimulate new research on embarrassment specific to
consumer domains, both publicly and personal.

COMPILATION OF ADVERTISEMENTS RELATED TO EMBARRASSMENT

1. DOVE, 2021
Take the pledge to #StopTheBeautyTest | Dove - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEpTa2cMl_I
Here it has been shown the girl feels either due to them being overweight or having a
dark skin. Though they are comfortable in their own skins but the people around
create such a situation that left the two ladies embarrassing.
2. THE BODY SHOP, 2021
Periods are #BloodyNatural | Let's end period shame | The Body Shop India - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XVihCBaX-g
 This advertisement throws light over the embarrassing situations girls face in day-to-
day life due to their menstrual cycle which is absolutely normal.

3. FAIR AND LOVELY AD, 2007

Fair & Lovely Ad - India - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWls3U7ZZ1E
 This advertisement elucidates how not having a fair and white skin can leave you
embarrassed and bereft of great opportunities.

4. SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH

Disclaimer || Akshay Kumar || New 2018 || smoking Is Injured To Health || Video 2018 ||
Free Video - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVhY3WK9zs4

This Ad aptly shows how men feel embarrassed while talking about the menstrual
cycle of women.
5. HEAD AND SHOULDERS, 2021
Head & Shoulders - 100 % Dandruff Free - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rLa1AQ3Hbw
This Ad depicts the embarrassment caused due to dandruffs.
 6. COLGATE TOOTHBRUSH, 2014
Get rid of food stuck between your teeth with Colgate Zig Zag - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnpSrFKC2Ww
This advertisement depicts the embarrassment caused due to not brushing the teeth
adequately.

METHODOLOGY
The research was conducted with the help of online focus groups. There are many advantages
of conducting online focus groups for research purposes and especially for our topic. As we
already know that embarrassment is a self-conscious emotion, conducting research on this
topic is not easy as most respondents generally avoid negative emotions. So conducting
research with the help of online focus group gave them the anonymity that they require to talk
about such topic. They were able to freely share their experiences and opinions without
feeling too embarrassed and judged. The online focus group also provided a sense of comfort
to the respondents as they answer invasive questions in front of unfamiliar people, as they
were likely to be more comfortable space of their choosing

Type of online focus group

With the agreement of all the team members’ conducting synchronous focus groups was
chosen. The other two types of focus groups were not optimal specifically for our topic as it
is such a sensitive topic and we wanted to listen to their first thoughts on their knee jerk
reactions to our questions which will not be possible with asynchronous focus groups as it
would give time for the respondents to make up “perfect” answers. And the other type, i.e.,
conducting focus groups in virtual worlds will distract the respondents too much and neither
the team members nor the respondents were familiar with it.

Sampling technique

The sampling method to be used for the research work is Judgmental sampling method.
Judgmental sampling, also known as purposive, selective, or subjective sampling, is a form of
non-probability sampling in which researchers rely on their own judgment when choosing
members of the population to participate in their study. Researchers use purposive sampling
when they want to access a particular subset of people, as all participants of a study are
selected because they fit a particular profile.

Recruitment of participants

The participants were recruited using a more personalized approach, i.e., that is we already
mentioned that we used purposive sampling for our research, and each team member was
given a task to recruit 4 people, that by their judgment was an adequate fit for our study. This
approach was chosen because there were both time and cost constraints while conducting this
study.

Groups and Participants

  Total focus groups conducted during the course of this study: 3.
 In each focus group constructed there were 4 participants excluding all three of the
team members.
 The participants were given the topic of the study beforehand but no questions or
anything other than a vague idea about the contents of the study was provided, so that
the responses were more sincere.
 The suitability of each of the participant was assessed by setting a basic criteria for
the participants, i.e., the participant should not contain the combination of
characteristics given, at some point in time they have bought similar products as that
which are used in this study and lastly the participant must be of sound mind.
 Out of the three focus group conducted two were homogeneous in nature and one was
heterogeneous in nature, i.e., the two homogenous focus group conducted has each
has one characteristic that was similar, i.e. gender, they were either all female or each
male. The heterogeneous focus group conducted has both male and female
participants.
 As we can see that each focus group conducted was dissimilar to another, this was
done on purpose, for both the participants comfort and for adding to the study of
whether speaking in front of different gender about such product produces a more
hesitant answers. The groups were similar in sense that we tried to include members
of diverse age group and economic status in each focus group.
 The languages used while the focus group conducted was a mixture of both Hindi and
English, so that the participants can use the language they feel comfortable in.
 The durations for all of the focus groups conducted were between 1-11/2 hours.
 For each of the groups conducted there was a moderator and a transcriptor
respectively and neither were repeated, i.e., if a member was transcriptor once he/she
was not repeated for that role.

Discussion guide:
Preamble

Good evening and welcome to our session. Thanks for taking the time to join us to talk about
role of embarrassment salesperson consumer interaction. We're from University Business
School, Chandigarh. We are doing a research project. We want to understand the role of
embarrassment in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with reference to salesperson
consumer interaction.

We want you to understand that there are no wrong answers but rather differing points of
view. Please feel free to share your point of view even if it differs from what others have said.
Keep in mind that we're just as interested in negative comments as positive comments, and at
times the negative comments are the most helpful.

Introduction

Tell us your name and where you live.

Past experience:

1. Have you ever felt embarrassed while buying any product? If yes, please elaborate the
incident.
2. Please elaborate how you feel during purchase process of sensitive products from
pharmacy?
3. What situations embarrass you in day-to-day life?
4. Purchase of which products/services make you feel embarrassed?
5. Do you feel more conscious about acquiring such items in the presence of other people or
when the store is vacant?
6. Do you feel more comfortable interacting with salesperson of any specific gender(m/f)
while purchasing sensitive product? Why so?
7. Have you noticed any improvements in salespeople's/service providers' behaviour in the
last several years to reduce consumer embarrassment?

Medium of purchase of such product:

1. What platforms do you use to buy sensitive products? Why so

2. Describe your purchase process of sensitive products? ( People mostly do not buy
sensitive product from their own neighbourhood)
3. Do you buy sensitive products yourself or do you get someone else to buy them for
you? Why is this the case?

Coping mechanism:

1. How do you handle an embarrassing situation in a store?

2. Do you try to avoid such situations? If yes, how do you avoid it?
 3. What changes would you suggest that a salesperson can adopt to minimize consumer
embarrassment?

The techniques used to probe the participants and to facilitate a discussion among
them:

We used following techniques:

Probing questions

Probing questions are meant to elicit in-depth thought on a particular subject. They're usually
open-ended, which means the answers are largely subjective. Probing questions are designed
to encourage critical thinking as well as allow the person being questioned to examine their
personal feelings and opinions about a certain topic. Some of the probing questions that we
asked are:

 Do you feel more comfortable interacting with salesperson of any specific

gender(m/f) while purchasing sensitive product? Why so?
 What platforms do you use to buy sensitive products? Why so
 What changes would you suggest that a salesperson can adopt to minimize consumer
embarrassment?

Image boards

Image boards are an effective way to probe the participants and to facilitate a discussion
among them. We used following image board for our study:

 Which of the following products is the most embarrassing to buy? Why is this the
case?
The techniques used to prevent the focus group from descending into a group interview:

While providing the general instructions for the focus group discussion we informed the
participants that if anyone wished to add to the discussion, they should raise their hand. We
also asked each participant for their response to each question personally to keep everyone
involved.

Managerial Recommendations

By employing certain tactics, marketers can assist consumers in reducing embarrassment.

According to our findings, consumers feel embarrassed to carry sensitive products due to the
social stigma attached to them. To address this problem, sanitary product packaging can be
adjusted so that product information is presented on only one side of the package, which can
easily be flipped to reveal only a brown cover. Women will no longer feel self-conscious
about carrying feminine hygiene products in this manner. Additionally, sanitary products will
not need to be wrapped externally.

Also, markets need to address the social stigma associated with certain products by hyper
marketing. Marketers need to normalise the use of sensitive products through advertisements,
social media, and other campaigns.

Efforts to shift cultural norms and embarrassment associated with the usage of certain
products need to be made so as to reduce consumer embarrassment.

Marketers can modify the product packaging of hearing aids, anti-lice creams, etc. in such a
way that, instead of looking like a medical product, it looks like a sophisticated product.
The salesperson must also be trained to deal with customers delicately. According to our
research consumers feel more at ease engaging with a salesperson of the same gender when
purchasing sensitive products. To avoid consumer discomfort, pharmacies, lingerie stores,
and other businesses should hire salespeople of both genders.
FINDINGS

EXPERIENCES

Every participant agreed that they have felt embarrassed quite a few times at least while
buying a product or having a conversation with the salesperson. It mostly happened while
buying sensitive products like sanitary pads, hair removal cream, hair growth oil, condoms,
contraceptive pills, lingerie, pregnancy test kits, etc. while buying this product, most of the
participants who were involved in the purchase of such products felt embarrassed whereas
sometimes they were quite indifferent while buying the product but the attitude and behavior
of the salesperson made them conscious and embarrassed.

There have been times when they went to buy sensitive product like sanitary pads and the
salesperson will start behaving awkward and will create scenes like packing them in wrappers
or black polythene. They felt like if they are buying something illegal. While buying hair
growth oil, the buyer felt embarrassed out of consciousness or out of his notion that people
around him are going to judge him. While buying contraceptive pills, initially the salesperson
gave them an unusual look.

SITUATION FACED BY A FEMALE PARTICIPANT

She says “I went to a chemist store to buy a condom and the kind of looks the employees started
giving to each other and me made me feel embarrassed and so conscious as if I was asking some
illegal things. I was quite confident, had no shame in buying the same but the people around
made the whole situation so embarrassing that I had to leave the store without buying the
condoms.”

In day-to-day life, having dandruff or foul smell makes them embarrassed. Sweat stains and
itching in the private areas were source of embarrassment. Those with either excessive hair
on body or less hair on head face embarrassment almost every day. Girls having body hair or
upper lips and those people who are either too skinny or too fat undergo embarrassment
phase.

Most of the people prefer buying such items when either the store is vacant or is surrounded
by less no. of people. They usually avoid visiting stores during peak hours. Most of them
were conscious while buying such products under the presence of people.

SITUATION FACED BY A MALE PARTICIPANT

He says “My wife was under terrible pain due to her periods. So, she asked me to buy sanitary
pads for her as the stock that she usually maintains was over. This was the first time I was buying
a sanitary pad. Despite being so educated, I was feeling literally embarrassed and was quite shy
while buying the same. I went to a nearby store, Chacha (owner) knows me but he was unaware I
have recently got married. The moment I asked him for a sanitary pad, he gave an unusual glare
and I wasn’t able to figure out what was going in his mind. He stopped for fraction of seconds
and then started asking me weird questions like for whom I am buying, why I am buying, etc. I
felt like my privacy has been intruded by someone who almost holds no concern in my life. I was
so embarrassed that I wanted to leave the store there and then but keeping my responsibilities in
mind, I bought the pad finally. Somehow I summoned the strength and told Chacha to be modest
and respect privacy of people and left.”

Over the years, people have experienced lot of improvement in the behavior of salesperson
and service providers. Now they act more sensitive and sensible. They respect the privacy of
an individual and makes them feel more comfortable as if this is a part of normal routine.
Whereas earlier their behavior made the situations worse for the buyer that they had to think
number of times before visiting stores to buy the products.

MEDIUM OF PURCHASE

Earlier everyone used to visit stores for buying such products but with digitalization and
availability of platforms like amazon, flip kart, etc., most of the consumers prefer buying
online rather than visiting stores. This way they are being able to avoid any awkward
situation.
Most of the participants avoid buying such products from the nearby stores as most of the
localities keep visiting the same store. Most of the women agreed that they ask the male
counterpart to buy such products as it becomes quite uneasy for them to buy sensitive
products and carry the conversation with the salesperson. Many of them agreed that while
buying lingerie, it is very uncomfortable for them to visit the store if the salesperson is a
male. So, they usually go with their spouse.

COPING MECHANISM

Embarrassing situations while purchasing sensitive products can be avoided by either

purchasing the products online and hence cutting off face to face interaction. Few of them
suggested if we reach out the salesperson confidently, this encourages the salesperson and the
people around to take the situation lightly and also provide them the incentive to everyone at
the store to act the same way in future and start treating sensitive products as necessary
products and bringing them into our routine.

A participant suggested that many a times everything around us is absolutely normal but out
of self-consciousness, we start feeling embarrassed and make the whole situation worse for
none other than ourselves. So, it is us from where the revolution will begin. First of all, we
have to persuade ourselves that everything is normal then everything around us will itself
seem normal.

Many female participants recommended store owners should employee few female
salespersons keeping in mind the comfort of some of the customers who find it easier to
converse with the female while purchasing such products. Salesperson should act quite
normal while delivering such products. They should use their prior experience to make the
customer feel comfortable. They should win the confidence of the customer that their privacy
is maintained at all levels. Dividing the stores into sections or putting aside a different
segment for sensitive items create anxiety in the minds of the customers while visiting that
side. Store owners should try to mix sensitive items with the daily routine products.

A participant added that if such things are available at a hypermarket or supermarket store
where you buy many products altogether and stands less chances of being judged, it will be
much easier to buy them from such stores than local chemist stores.

In nut shell, avoiding such situations will take collective efforts on the behalf of the
consumers as well as the shop owners.

DISCUSSION

Emotion selected for our research project “Embarrassment” plays a significant role in all
spheres of interactions and is counted as a negative emotion. Product in itself is not the
source oif embarrassment but the underlying situation turns it into. The whole research
project revolves around how a consumer handles the interaction with the salesperson while
buying products that draws embarrassment and the coping mechanism to avoid such
situations.

The research objectives arise from the dilemma, whether it is the consumer who is being
embarrassed or the salesperson and how he/she handles such type of situation, by acting
completely carefree or acting awkward. Whole research provides us the mean to evaluate if
there is an actual need to avoid such situations and the ways that the salesperson/ marketers
handle these situations from their end and is it really necessary.

If we go through the various models that elucidates the emotion “embarrassment” i.e., social
evaluation model, dramaturgic model, Centre of attention model, etc., we can easily relate to
the findings. Findings of our research totally synchronize with the explanation of these
models in one or another situation.
As truly argued by Aradhana Krishna, (2018) in service interactions there are three basic
sources of embarrassment: the service provider, the focal customer, and fellow customers.
Our findings replicated the exact conclusion. It is either the salesperson or the felloe
customers or the self-conceived notions of the customers himself that draws the
embarrassment.

Similarly, the demonstration by Krishna (2015) regarding the embarrassing products and
services, such as contraceptives, erectile dysfunction drugs, or treatment for impaired
hearing, are generally deemed embarrassing. our findings support the same as it is not the
product but the mentality of the people regarding such products.

Report by Dong (2013) highlights different behavioural strategy to avoid social attention.
They find that when prompted with embarrassing scenarios, consumers prefer to wear larger
and darker sunglasses in order to symbolically “hide their face” and avoid social attention.
Our report too indicated similar strategies like buying online where your identity is hidden or
from a supermarket store where one stands less chances of being judged while buying large
number of goods.

We came to the conclusion as proposed by Edelmann (1981) regarding the classification of

triggers of embarrassment with six categories. failure to confirm the self-image that was
presented to others (e.g., bald or people with less hair try their best to grow hair back), failure
to mesh (e.g., people give more importance to the judgemental people rather than their
needs), breach of privacy (e.g., buying of sanitary pads and condoms), empathic reaction to
someone else’s embarrassment (e.g., looks given by salesperson when someone buys
contraceptives or erectile dysfunction drugs), etc.

Our conceptualization acknowledges that embarrassment is sort of similar across public and
personal contexts—often with similar triggers, measures, and negative consequences.
However, as little is understood about private embarrassment, more research is required to
know its consequences and the way best to avoid and deal with this type of embarrassment.
One central goal of this research was to stimulate new research on embarrassment specific to
consumer domains, both publicly and personal.

MANAGERIAL RECOMMENDATIONS/ IMPLICATIONS

By employing certain tactics, marketers can assist consumers in reducing embarrassment.

According to our findings, consumers feel embarrassed to carry sensitive products due to the
social stigma attached to them. To address this problem, sanitary product packaging can be
adjusted so that product information is presented on only one side of the package, which can
easily be flipped to reveal only a brown cover. Women will no longer feel self-conscious
about carrying feminine hygiene products in this manner. Additionally, sanitary products will
not need to be wrapped externally.

Also, markets need to address the social stigma associated with certain products by hyper
marketing. Marketers need to normalise the use of sensitive products through advertisements,
social media, and other campaigns.

Efforts to shift cultural norms and embarrassment associated with the usage of certain
products need to be made so as to reduce consumer embarrassment.

Marketers can modify the product packaging of hearing aids, anti-lice creams, etc. in such a
way that, instead of looking like a medical product, it looks like a sophisticated product.

The salesperson must also be trained to deal with customers delicately. According to our
research consumers feel more at ease engaging with a salesperson of the same gender when
purchasing sensitive products. To avoid consumer discomfort, pharmacies, lingerie stores,
and other businesses should hire salespeople of both genders.

REFERENCES

Krishna Aradhna, (2018). A Review of Consumer Embarrassment as a Public and Private

Emotion. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 29

Li Yiting et al., (2018).A Literature Review of Consumption Embarrassment and Prospects.

American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 8(3) Retrieved from
https://www.scirp.org/html/19-2121149_83320.htm
Stefano Puntoni, Ilona E. de Hooge, Willem J. M. I. Verbeke, (2013). Advertising-induced
Embarrassment, Journal of Advertising, 44(1)

Wharton (2014). Shhh! Marketing embarrassing products in the age of social media.
Retrieved from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/marketing-embarrassing-
products/.

Wu Luorong, (2011). Investigating Consumer Embarrassment in Service Interactions.

International jounal of Hospitality Management, 33 , 196-202

Zhang Yang et al., (2019).Self-Conscious Emotions: Characteristics, Coping Strategies, and

Consequences. Advances in Consumer Research, 35