Disadvantages Of Servicescapes

1. Introduction The role of the interaction between a service provider and a customer in influencing customer satisfaction and behaviour has been deeply studied in the services literature, including the domain of hospitality and foodservice management (Namasivayam and Mattila, 2007). Research typically accords priority to the service encounter to increase sales and customer satisfaction (Lin, 2004). However, from the point of view of the customer, typical service encounters are not limited to the human contact as most services are produced and consumed simultaneously in the service environment also known as “servicescapes”. Normally, hospitality and foodservice consumers encounter the service environment prior to their interaction with a service provider. The ability of the servicescapes to influence behaviours and to create an image is particularly apparent for service businesses such as hotels, restaurants and retail stores (Baker, 1987; Bitner, 1992; Hudson, 2008). Servicescapes, defined as “the environment in which the service is delivered and in which the firm and customer interact, and any tangible components that facilitate performance or communication of the service” (Hudson, 2008, p. 150), are particularly salient for services (Bitner, 1992; Wirtz et al., 2000). Therefore, it is not surprising that retailers, including hospitality and foodservice operators, manipulate environmental cues to elicit pleasurable experiences which in turn lead to favourable