PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND

THE SERVICESCAPE

BY
DR S SENA
SENIOR LECTURER
BUSINESS STUDIES DEPT
 Chapter
Physical Evidence and the 10
Servicescape
 Physical Evidence
 Types of Servicescapes
 Strategic Roles of the Servicescape
 Framework for Understanding Servicescape
Effects on Behavior
 Guidelines for Physical Evidence Strategy

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Objectives

 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.

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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

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Elements of Physical Evidence

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Examples of Physical Evidence from
the Customer’s Point of View

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How Does Physical Evidence Affect the
Customer Experience?
Flow
Meaning
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.
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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

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A Framework for Understanding Environment-User
Relationships in Service Organizations

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Understanding Servicescape
Effects on Behavior
 Stimulus-organism-response theory
 Stimulus = multidimensional environment
 Organism = customers and employees
 Response = behaviors directed at the environment

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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.

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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

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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

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Variations in Individual Response
 Personality differences
 Arousal seekers vs. arousal avoiders
 Environmental screeners
 Purpose for being in the servicescape
 Business/pleasure
 Utilitarian/hedonistic
 Temporary mood state

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 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

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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.

 Update and modernize the evidence.

 Work cross-functionally
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