The document discusses the importance of physical evidence and tangible aspects of services, referred to as the "servicescape". It provides examples of how the appearance of facilities, signage, cleanliness, and other physical factors can influence customer impressions and experiences. These tangible aspects are especially important for services that involve customers visiting physical locations but also apply to remote services through factors like website design and call center interactions. The document stresses the importance of considering customer and employee needs and preferences when designing service environments and facilities.

1. Process
The
Seventh ‘P’

2. Physical Evidence
What is Physical Evidence?
Physical evidence that a service provider presents is
any tangibles that may result in an impression being
formed about the service brand-its buildings, parking
lots,
signage,
appearance
of
company
people, stationery, bills sent to customers, visiting
cards etc.
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3. Servicescapes
Servicescape is a term popularised by Zeithaml and Jo
Bitner, two American researchers. Kotler has used the
term “Atmospherics”. Like a landscape, a servicescape
creates a mood, a longing, an attraction or a desire to
visit the service provider. Examples- a well-laid out mall
where a youngster may hang out with friends,
or
student “canteens” in college
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4. Physical and Remote Services
Obviously, the servicescape, or the design of the service
facility, has the maximum impact when the customer
physically uses the facility. There are some services that
he may be able to access over the phone, or on the
internet. There, the tangibles may be the quality of the
voice on the phone, or the design of the webpage he
goes to.
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5. Signage of a brand
For example, the ICICI logo and colour (deep
orange) are visible from a distance, and look good.
The SBI logo and colour scheme at the ATMs are
relatively unimaginative and dull. This may give a
casual observer a positive impression about ICICI
Bank relative to SBI, whether or not it is correct.
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6. Parking-a USP?
Parking space availability may attract or repel customers
from
a
service
establishment.
Many
successful
restaurants and shopping complexes in the U.S. have
abundant parking space. On the contrary, many Indians
avoid going to a crowded shopping area (such as M.G.
Road or Commercial Street in Bangalore) due to lack of
adequate parking.
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7. Pleasure in Transacting Business
 Bank A is pleasantly decorated, with an airconditioned
reception hall and its people greet customers with a
friendly smile
 Bank B- the surroundings are dingy, and poorly ventilated.
Broken windows, dirty curtains, unpainted walls, unswept
floors greet customers.
 WHICH BANK would you choose?
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8. Post-purchase
Even after the customer has consumed a service, he may
remember the tangible features of the service brand, and
look forward to going there the next time, if they were
pleasant. Dissonance may set in if he has been in
unpleasant surroundings at the service provider.
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9. For Whom is the Design Anyway?
All designs are highly subjective, and a matter of
individual taste. But here, the provider is not doing it
for himself. It is for customers and employees.
Therefore, the views of customers or employees can be
used in designing the facilities, because they will be
used mostly by these two groups.
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10. Design Issues…contd.
The functional utility of the place needs to be kept in
mind too. If there is going to be a queue, for
example, adequate comfortable standing space has
to be provided for. Serving arrangements in a selfservice restaurant need to take into account scope
for expanding the counters during rush hour, with
adequate sitting area for people to eat their food in.
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11. Light, Sound, Music
For example, a theme restaurant with an aquarium, and
a waterfall, may provide one kind of ambience. A rural
theme can bring out plantain leaves instead of plates and
different seating arrangements from the usual table and
chair. A dance floor may bring in certain types of
customers, while others may prefer a quiet ambience.
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12. Theme Parks
Theme parks offer differing ambience. Some are built
around cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, or Asterix.
There
are
others
with
a
variety
of
water
slides, swimming etc. Sea-shore parks have shows in
which marine animals like Seals, Sea Lions, and Dolphins
perform. Each of these parks tries to create an ambience
suitable to its audience, its theme, and its surroundings.
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13. Petroleum Outlets
 In India, Bharat Petroleum has created a uniformly
branded, visible chain of retail outlets across the country.
The existing outlets have been given a makeover, with highly
visible signage in attractive colour schemes.
 Cleanliness, modernity are as important as the fuels and
services sold by them.
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14. Buses
In
most
states,
govt.
buses
are
poorly
maintained, unwashed and look neglected. This gives a
poor impression to the person travelling in them. On the
same routes in some states, there are colourful and wellmaintained buses run by private operators. In terms of
physical evidence as well as comfort, many long distance
bus routes are dominated by the private players
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15. Movie Theatres
Movie-going is now an experience, and needs to be
marketed as such, to differentiate it from the VCD or
home theatre. One of the major attractions should be
the ambience, or the physical evidence of the
“servicescape”. The new multiplexes in are trying to
attract all types of audiences, including families, who
have largely disappeared from movie theatres.
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16. Six Sigma Methodology to Improve
and Redesign Customer Service
Processes
Process Improvement Process Design/Redesign
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
 Identify the problem
 Define requirements
 Set goals
 Validate problem/process
 Refine problem/goal
 Measure key steps/inputs
 Develop causal hypothesis
 Identify root causes
 Validate hypothesis
 Develop ideas to measure
root causes
 Test solutions
 Measure results
 Establish measures to
maintain performance
 Correct problems if needed
 Identify specific or broad problems
 Define goal/change vision
 Clarify scope & customer requirements
 Measure performance to requirements
 Gather process efficiency data
 Identify best practices
 Assess process design
 Refine requirements
 Design new process
 Implement new process, structures and
systems
 Establish measures & reviews to
maintain performance
 Correct problems if needed