Rituals in Service: A Literature Review

Abstract

Although service rituals are widely used in service practice, theory researches on them have not received enough attention. Service rituals are a series of process-based, repeatable, symbolic actions that occur during the service contact process and are usually provided by enterprises or service personnel. By sorting out relevant literature, this article defines the concept and classification of service rituals. Service rituals can enhance consumer experience, enhance customer-enterprise relationship and promote brand value, and the cultural background of consumers will affect their service ritual experience. At the end of this paper, the future research directions of service rituals are proposed. The future researches should aim to deepen qualitative research, increase empirical research, and explore influencing factors.