Question

Please give an example of a professional service firm and explain how servicescapes play each of the following strategic roles: package, facilitator, socialiser and different. Explain why everyone is not affected in exactly the same way by the servicescapes.

Answer 1

Professional services are occupations in the tertiary sector of the economy requiring special training in the arts or sciences. Some professional services require holding professional licenses such as architects, auditors, engineers, doctors and lawyers. Other professional services involve providing specialist business support to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors; this can include tax advice, supporting a company with accounting, IT services or providing management advice.

Roles of Servicescape:

Packaging:

• The Service packer offer and communicate an image to the Customer
• The physical setting of the service is wrapped and convey an expernal image of what is inside to the Customers
• To evoke an image, particulor sensory or emotional reaction
• Important for new customers
• Includes dress and general appearance of personnel (dress for success)
• Example: FedEx - Providing the customer with strong metaphors & Service packaging that convey the brand positioning

Facilitating:

• Ensuring the efficiency in service delivery
• Make the service consumption comfortable and convenient for customer
• Example: Airport International traveller and babnking services

Socialising:

• Convey expected roles and behaviours of both the employee and the customer
• Ease the customer / employee relationship
• Provide the balance
• Example: A new employee in an Organization / Private bank Vs. Public bank.

Differentiating:

• A segmentation device - the design of the physical facility can differentiate a firm from its competitor
• Example: Shopping mall - signage, color, music and Washington mutual bank

Servicescape is a concept developed by Booms and Bitner to emphasize the impact of the physical environment in which the service process takes place. The concept of service scape can hep assess the difference in customer experience between fast food franchise restaurant and small, family run restaurant. Where the quality of food may be same, the customer may perceive higher quality in the latter over the former based on the environment in which the service is provided.