Synopsis

A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF

SERVICESCAPE, AND REPATRONAGE
INTENTIONS IN UPSCALE RESTAURANTS –
MUMBAI
1.1 INTRODUCTION
In achieving customer expectations, it is clear that the servicescape plays a number of
roles, often simultaneously (Zeithaml and Bitner, 1996, ch. 18). The servicescape is the
outward appearance of the organization and thus can be critical in forming initial
impressions or setting up customer expectations. The servicescape, or service setting,
plays a critical role in shaping customer expectations, differentiating service firms,
facilitating customer and employee goals, and influencing the nature of customer
experiences (Bitner, 1992; Sherry 1998). This chapter talks about the dilemma between
the impacts of servicescape on customers seeking quality perceptions. The researcher also
talks about the gaps between management perceptions of customer expectations and
customer expectations.

The concept of a servicescape was developed by Booms and Bitner to emphasize the
impact of the physical environment in which a service process takes place. Booms and
Bitner defined a servicescape as "the environment in which the service is assembled and
in which the seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that
facilitate performance or communication of the service" (Booms and Bitner, 1981, p. 36).
Service employees also will be influenced by dimensions of the servicescape, as will the
interactions between and among employees and customers.

Servicescape of a restaurant or any other environment can be modified by moving things,

removing things, and adding to or destroying to the environment and physical
surroundings.
1.2 FRAMING OF THE RESEARCH ISSUE
This study attempts to measure customers perceptions of service quality in upscale
restaurants of five star hotels in Mumbai, India using a modified version of the
DINESERV. This dissertation will construe the role of services cape and the level of
importance of services cape in regards to the hospitality industry and the service sector.

Mainly, this study is aimed at finding out the impact of services cape on customers
involved in quality perceptions. The researcher would also like to discover if services
cape enhances customer satisfaction and customer retention. After the primary research,
the researcher will also articulate a few servicescape effects and propose an integrated
framework for restaurant managers, Assistant food & beverage managers and Executive
Assistant Managers for food & beverage.

The underlying assumption in Bitners (1992) model of servicescape is that each

customer comes to a service organization with a goal or purpose or might be aided or
hindered by the physical surroundings. The servicescape has been defined as the built
environment surrounding the service (Bitner, 1992).

This definition and the servicescape framework flowing from it focus exclusively on
dimensions of the physical environment; however, because people within the built
environment can shape and influence the physical space and its impact, the social
environment is included here in an expanded definition of the servicescape (Baker,
Grewal and Parasuraman, 1994; Baker, Levy and Grewal, 1992).

Although, the researcher could expand the concept of servicescape or setting even further
to include natural, cultural, temporal, or political environment, these definitions of
environment are beyond the scope of the researcher and the current effort.

Thus, the researcher has confined the notion of servicescapes to the immediate physical
and social environments surrounding a service experience, transaction or event.
Figure 1.1 the New Marketing Concept: Customer Goals

The servicescape influences goals at all levels of the pyramid. Clearly the design and
presentation of the servicescape can serve to attract customers into a restaurant or any
other service facility. Signage, colours, attractive design, music, or scents can be used to
draw customers into a place. The researcher believes that servicescape will help shape the
customer‟s experience and influence his or her satisfaction with the service delivery. He
also believes that servicescape may even be a determining factor in whether the customer
returns to the particular restaurant.

1.3 STATEMENT OF AIM

The study aims to graph a ranking of servicescape dimensions that the customers would
perceive in restaurants of five star hotels in Mumbai, India.

1.4 LIST OF OBJECTIVES

• To define and delimit the servicescape concept.
• To study and interpret the literature review of servicescape, quality perception
and servicescape marketing in a more comprehensive way.
• To study specific research hypothesis done by analyzing the problems of previous
studies.
• To examine the method used to test the hypothesis by adapting questionnaire as a
tool for data analysis.
• To describe the factors related to Servicescape for restaurants and other service
industries in relation to Bitner‟s work on Servicescape (Bitner, 1992).
• To analyze and verify the data collected during the research to be carried out in
restaurants of Five Star Hotels in Mumbai.
• To establish the importance of servicescape in the customers overall service
experience.

• 1.5 SCOPE
• The researcher would like to learn the diverse aspects of servicescape.
• The researcher would like to examine various customer responses linked with the
servicescape.
• The researcher would then analyze the data collection.
• The researcher would then establish the importance of the servicescape in the
customer’s overall service experience.
• Although the researcher could expand the study of servicescape or setting even
further to include the natural, cultural, temporal, or political environment, the
definition of environment is beyond the scope of the current effort.
1.6 LIMITATIONS
• This research is limited to respondents‟ views in Mumbai and should not be
generalized geographically elsewhere.
• This research is limited to studying the role of the servicescape in an upscale
restaurant environment.
• The results should not be interpreted for a different service setting.