An empirical investigation of the impact of non‐verbal communication on service evaluation

Abstract

Considers the role of non‐verbal communication in consumers’ evaluation of service encounters. Non‐verbal communication has been extensively studied in the psychology and psychotherapy disciplines and has been shown to have a central effect on participants’ perceptions of an event. As services are essentially interpersonal interactions it follows that non‐verbal communication will play a major part in service evaluation. Uses an experimental methodology based on video scenarios to demonstrate the effect of this type of communication on consumers. The results indicate significant differences in respondents’ reactions to the scenario according to the non‐verbal behaviour of the service provider.