Activity

The human element in service is the essence of service provision and consumption. Being in-service of others (e.g. consumers) is an inherently social process where meaningful frontline employee-consumer interactions are a hallmark of service quality. However, the COVID -19 pandemic brings forth the need to practice social distancing and challenges traditional conduct of service provision to achieve service value. The pandemic is leading both companies and consumers to develop coping mechanisms and resilience to handle vulnerable situations and reinvent themselves to achieve wellbeing. In the post-pandemic era, a need for social distancing and futureproofing for the crisis will drive more businesses to redesign servicescapes.

Imagine your team is hired for re-designing an existing caf/library/restaurant/movie theatre/hotel reception/Gym/hair Salon (CHOOSE ANY ONE SERVICE SCAPE) to achieve social distancing outcomes while delivering service value and service quality.

Ensure you choose a servicescape you are familiar with; identify lines of employee-customer interaction; as well as customer-customer interactions where physical distancing may be required. In addition, consider the use of signage, information, social messaging posters, contactless deliver points, that will help customers and employees to change their behaviour and practices physical distancing.

Make use of The MehrabianRussell Stimulus-Response Model and Servicescape Model An integrative framework to develop your designs – please refer to Week 9 lecture slides