PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND THE

SERVICESCAPE

SESSION-
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Physical Evidence

 A sporting event is packed full of physical evidence.

Your tickets have your team's logos printed on
them, and players are wearing uniforms (i.e. the
team colors/colours and clothing). The stadium itself
could be impressive and have an electrifying
atmosphere. You travelled there and parked quickly
nearby, and your seats are comfortable and close to
restrooms and store. All you need now is for your
team to win!
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 Packaging.
 Internet/web pages.
 Paperwork (such as invoices, tickets and
dispatch notes).
 Brochures.
 Furnishings.
 Uniforms and employee dress.
 Business cards.
 Mailboxes.
 The Strategic Role of Physical 11-4

Evidence
 Physical evidence can
fall into 3 broad
categories

 Facility exterior

 Facility interior

 Other tangibles
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Elements of Physical Evidence

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Servicescape
 Physical facility ---
(interior & exterior)
 Ambient conditions
---(temp. colors,
noises, smells)
 Other tangibles
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Purpose of Service Environments

 Helps firm to create distinctive image and unique positioning

 Service environment affects buyer behavior in three ways:
 Message-creating medium: Symbolic cues to communicate
the distinctive nature and quality of the service experience
 Attention-creating medium: Make servicescape stand out from
competition and attract customers from target segments
 Effect-creating medium: Use colors, textures, sounds, scents
and spatial design to enhance desired service experience
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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 consumer
 Specific Tactics for Creating Service 11-9

Atmospheres
A) Sight Appeals
1. Stimuli that result in perceived visual
relationships
 Size/Shape/Colors: the three primary visual
stimuli that appeal to consumers on a basic level
 Harmony: visual effects associated with quieter,
plusher, and more formal business settings
- Contrast/Clash: visual effects associated with
exciting, cheerful, and informal business settings
Specific Tactics for Creating
11-10

Service Atmospheres
2. Size Perceptions- Actual size of the firm’s facility,
signs, and departments convey different meaning
to different markets.
3. Shape
 Created from a variety of sources, such as the use
and placement of shelves, mirrors, and windows,
and even the design of wallpaper
 The use of several different shapes in one area
might be utilized for emphasis
 Specific Tactics for Creating
11-11

Service Atmospheres
4. Color Perceptions
 Hue: the actual color, such as red, blue, yellow or green

 Value: the lightness and darkness of the colors

 Shades: darker values

 Tints: lighter values

 Intensity: the brightness or the dullness of the colors

Specific Tactics for Creating
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Service Atmospheres

5.The Location of the Firm

6.The Firm’s Architecture

7.The Firm’s Sign

8.The Firm’s Entrance

9.Lighting
 Specific Tactics for Creating Service
11-13

Atmospheres
B) Sound appeals
1.Appeals associated with certain sounds,
such as music or announcements

2. Three major roles

 Mood setter
 Attention grabber
 Informer
 Specific Tactics for Creating
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Service Atmospheres

3. Music
Background music affects sales in at least two
ways
 Enhances the customer’s perception of the
store’s atmosphere

 Influences the amount of time spent in the

store
 Specific Tactics for Creating
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Service Atmospheres

4. Announcements- Made over the intercom

systems, such as
 to alert restaurant patrons when their tables
are ready

 to inform airline passengers of their current

location

 to page specific employees within the firm

Specific Tactics for Creating Service 11-16

Atmospheres

 Scent appeals
 pleasurable scents vs foul odors
 Touch appeals
 shaking hands with service providers
 Taste appeals
 the equivalent of providing the customer with
free samples
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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.

 Be prepared to update and modernize the

evidence.