An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation

Background: Initial analyses of the impact of physical attractiveness in a business context have supported the ‘what is beautiful is good’ contention. However, in circumstances characterised by negative emotions, duress and stress, very little is known about how human beings respond at the subconsci...

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Main Author: Christo Boshoff
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2017-06-01
Series:South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1612
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author Christo Boshoff
author_facet Christo Boshoff
author_sort Christo Boshoff
collection DOAJ
description Background: Initial analyses of the impact of physical attractiveness in a business context have supported the ‘what is beautiful is good’ contention. However, in circumstances characterised by negative emotions, duress and stress, very little is known about how human beings respond at the subconscious level to the attractiveness of frontline service providers. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess whether consumers who complain to a frontline service provider about a service failure respond differently at the subconscious level when the service provider involved in the service encounter is attractive compared with one who is less attractive. Method: Forty respondents were exposed to a video clip of a service failure and service recovery situation. While viewing the hypothetical scenario, two neuro-physiological measurements were used to collect data at the subconscious level, namely galvanic skin response (GSR) and electroencephalography (EEG). Results: The results suggest that, at the subconscious level, customers respond differently to the service recovery efforts depending on the attractiveness of the frontline service provider who attempts to rectify the service failure. Conclusion: The results seem to suggest that the physical attractiveness of a frontline service provider moderates (or softens) the negative emotions that a complaining customer might experience during a service failure and complaint situation – consistent with the ‘what is beautiful is good’ contention.
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spelling doaj.art-b99aa52fb36c417d968a0f7af7de0ce42022-12-21T20:55:18ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences1015-88122222-34362017-06-01201e1e1310.4102/sajems.v20i1.1612590An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situationChristo Boshoff0Department of Business Management, University of StellenboschBackground: Initial analyses of the impact of physical attractiveness in a business context have supported the ‘what is beautiful is good’ contention. However, in circumstances characterised by negative emotions, duress and stress, very little is known about how human beings respond at the subconscious level to the attractiveness of frontline service providers. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess whether consumers who complain to a frontline service provider about a service failure respond differently at the subconscious level when the service provider involved in the service encounter is attractive compared with one who is less attractive. Method: Forty respondents were exposed to a video clip of a service failure and service recovery situation. While viewing the hypothetical scenario, two neuro-physiological measurements were used to collect data at the subconscious level, namely galvanic skin response (GSR) and electroencephalography (EEG). Results: The results suggest that, at the subconscious level, customers respond differently to the service recovery efforts depending on the attractiveness of the frontline service provider who attempts to rectify the service failure. Conclusion: The results seem to suggest that the physical attractiveness of a frontline service provider moderates (or softens) the negative emotions that a complaining customer might experience during a service failure and complaint situation – consistent with the ‘what is beautiful is good’ contention.https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1612service recoveryneuro-physiological researchphysical attractiveness
spellingShingle Christo Boshoff
An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
service recovery
neuro-physiological research
physical attractiveness
title An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
title_full An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
title_fullStr An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
title_full_unstemmed An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
title_short An assessment of consumers’ subconscious responses to frontline employees’ attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
title_sort assessment of consumers subconscious responses to frontline employees attractiveness in a service failure and recovery situation
topic service recovery
neuro-physiological research
physical attractiveness
url https://sajems.org/index.php/sajems/article/view/1612
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