approaching service experiences trough servicescape design

Holopainen Helkkula Chłodnicki

Approaching Service

Experiences

TROUGH SERVICESCAPE

DESIGN

QUIS 11, June 11th to June 14th 2009, Wolfsburg, Germany Thursday, June 11th at 13:45, Room 3.1, Session 1.5

Mari HolopainenAnu HelkkulaMarcin Chlodnicki

Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

Hanken School of Economics, Finland

Poznan University of Economics, Poland


Process: Introduction. Phenomenological Approach. Servicescape Design. Empirical Studies on Servicescape Design. Research Methods. Findings. Concluding remarks.

THE SERVICES CONFERENCE QUIS11


Introduction

The study explores the design of service experiences. We introduce how professional designers approach customer and employee experiences through purposeful servicescape design. In the empirical part we studied two servicescape design processes in Finland and Poland.



Phenomenological (experiential) approach to servicescape design

Phenomenology: the study of phenomena as they appear in an individual’s experience (Woodruff Smith 2008)

Experience: -Individually subjective, context-specific and at the same time socially inter-subjective (Husserl and Heidegger). -Experience can be related to other phenomena, such as servicescape design (Woodruff Smith 2008). -Always context-specific (events), and intra-subjective as well as inter-subjective (c.f. Vargo, 2008; Vargo and Lusch, 2008).



Servicescape Design

Servicescape (Bitner 1992) is often measured as its components but not how individual people experience it in a subjective way. Accordingly, the objective of servicescape design is the servicescape itself, but we consider servicescape as facilitating experiences customers and other beneficiaries have related to the servicescape.



We explored through two empirical projects carried out in Finland and Poland how servicescape design was realized. The main parties in both projects were customer representatives, architects and designers, end customers and personnel.Purpose of these projects was to redesign servicescape, and change through it the traditional logic and customer perceptions of the service. Focus was on the most intensive phases in the beginning of the projects.

Empirical StudiesServicescape Design



Research Methods

Participant observation and interviews were the main methods applied. Researchers were present in the field and used informants as their main sources of information. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out in Finland.


Findings

Servicescape design phases

Knowledge sourceDesign phase outputs

The Design Team End CustomersPersonnel and Management

Strategy phase

Identifying the needbriefingresearch/visuals auditinterviews

Analysis of secondary data | Benchmarking | Interviews | Mystery shopping | Observations | Group works |

Reports on customers preferences and behavior

Interviews | Group works | Observations

Concept programming phase

Design descriptiondesign settingdesign requirementsdesign solutions

Benchmarking |Group works | Presentation of outcomes

Customer perspective paradigm (expected experiences)

Group works | Voting on best ideas

Design phase

Design creation and extensionsconcept developmentresearchconcept refiningpilot branch execution

Interviews | Group works | Architectural design | Rendering 3D models | Presentation of outcomes | Execution of the pilot branch

On-site experience of the pilot branch |Interviews | Service drama | Personas

Group works | On-site experience of the pilot branch | Voting on best ideas

Implementation phase

Design controls and application program preparing implementation program and launch overall support and control productiondirection and monitoring implementationevaluation sessions and refining

Group works | Evaluation of pilot branch design | Refining of pilot branch design

Interviews | Interviews | Group works |

Main phases and methods of servicescape design


Holopainen Helkkula ChłodnickiKIOSK/informationKIOSK/informationcash transactions

non-cash trans.

waiting places

Servicescape design | customer experiences perspective

CUSTOMER PATH

Strategy phase


Design phase





CUSTOMER PATH

Strategy phase


Design phase




Strategy phase


Design phase


I always know how to operate within the bank, it’s all clear to me

I know, what’s being promoted, even without entering the bank

if there are more people in the bank and I have to wait, I know at least how long it will take

I can have a sit when queuing and arrange other things in the meantime


customer experiences checklist design evaluation tool



Concluding remarks

The focus on servicescape design has been on its components and on the servicescape itself.

A more holistic approach of servicescape design is needed.

In this study, the customers’ and service provider representatives’ subjective service experience was taken as a starting point.

We showed key steps and methods used to reach that goal.

We argue that there is a need to gain deeper understanding of experiences when moving towards a more holistic approach of servicescape design.



Thank you for your attention!

Mari Holopainen [email protected] Anu Helkkula [email protected] Marcin Chlodnicki [email protected]

approaching service experiences trough servicescape design

Education