Reexamining the place of servicescape in marketing: a service-dominant logic perspective

TLDR

Servicescape research has traditionally focused on physical environments, but the rise of the Internet and digital social media as virtual places calls for a critical review of its relevance. This paper extends the servicescape concept through a service‑dominant logic lens to clarify how sense of place shapes customer expectations and satisfaction. The study adopts a conceptual design to explore these relationships. The authors find that servicescape adds meaning to a provider’s value proposition, is a socially co‑created context that extends beyond physical spaces to fluid web‑based settings, and enhances the understanding of value‑in‑use within service‑dominant logic.

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to extend understanding of the sense of place captured by the servicescape concept, as a means by which customers clarify their service expectations and their satisfaction with service experiences. Design/methodology/approach – The design is conceptual. This article critically examines and extends the servicescape concept in the light of insights from the service-dominant (S-D) logic. Findings – First, we explain how servicescape adds meaning to a service provider’s value proposition, part of a pattern of customer expectations which are later confirmed or disconfirmed as value-in-use. Second, the servicescape is a more socially imbued context than has previously been recognized, because the service experience is co-created by customer and service provider. Third, the context for service is not restricted to the traditional physical servicescape, as other more fluid and web-based settings are now common. Practical implications – Extending the understanding of place as a context for value determination in new ways. Originality/value – The literature on servicescape is extensive, but it is anchored to the physicality of the service environment. Given the rise of the Internet and, more recently, digital social media as a virtual “place” of business, the relevance of servicescape is due for critical review. Our critical examination adds to the experience value of service and also extends the S-D logic understanding of value-in-use.