Social and Physical Aspects of the Service Encounter: Effects on Trust and Customer Loyalty to the Service Provider

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of twostrategic service encounter dimensions on consumer beliefs and serviceloyalty. A conceptual model was generated with the aim of seeking toreveal the contribution of the physical environment and socialinteractions with front line employees on customer's evaluation of theservice provider. An empirical study is conducted based on a sample of400 customers of fitness centers. Collected data was analyzed using astructural modeling that highlight the contribution of each predictors.The results revealed that physical and social cues differently influencecustomer trust and loyalty to the service provider. Overall, the jointeffect of servicescape and social interactions positively influencecustomer trust and lead to service loyalty. This paper providesempirical evidence on the contribution of two service encounter cues:servicescape and social interaction on customer trust and serviceloyalty. The survey is limited to just one context, fitness centers andTunisian customers. However, it offers a conceptual framework that canbe tested in a variety of services. Managerial recommendations focus onimproving relational aptitudes of frontline employees, particularly inpersonal services such as fitness centers