Inclusive Service Experience Management: a Framework from the Perspective of People with Visual Impairment

Bibiana Conrad,Graziela Alperstedt,Aline Santos

doi:10.7819/rbgn.v21i5.4027

Bibiana Conrad, Graziela Alperstedt + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7819/rbgn.v21i5.4027

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Abstract

Purpose – This article proposes a framework for service experience management from the perspective of people with visual impairment. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on design science research and characterized as qualitative, using its respective methodological framework for technical collection and analysis. The combination of Booms and Bitner’s (1981) theory of the 3 Ps of Service Marketing (physical evidence, people, and processes) with the three propositions of Bolton et al. (2014) formed the backdrop to this proposal. Findings – Based on 32 subcategories of analysis connected with Physical Evidence, Service Cycle, and Personal Interactions, besides 12 subcategories created to highlight the service segment cited by the interviewees, the study shows a high degree of unpreparedness in the service offer when it is consumed by people with visual impairment. Lack of empathy and communication were the most expressive problems in the interviewees’ statements. Originality/value – The proposed framework can be used as a brainstorming, planning, or check list tool for current or new services in existing businesses as well as for the creation of a new business from scratch. All categories are related to each other, which means that the consumption profile for the service will directly impact on what kind of experiences could be provided, how the physical evidence needs to be thought out; what the standard service flow is like, and which options could be considered as a customized service.

Highlights

Being different and becoming memorable to consumers and partners is one of the great challenges for managers in the service industry, as ways of thinking and consuming are constantly evolving and often aspects that were once perceived as differential are today considered parity attributes
For Aken and Romme (2009), design research has the following characteristics: research questions are driven by field problems, as opposed to problems of pure knowledge; there is an emphasis on a knowledge-oriented solution, as the key to solving the field problems; and the justification of research products is largely based on pragmatic validity
Visual impairment affects more than 285 million people worldwide and the vast majority of the cases are concentrated in poor or developing countries, which is the case of Brazil (WHO, 2014a)

Summary

Introduction

Being different and becoming memorable to consumers and partners is one of the great challenges for managers in the service industry, as ways of thinking and consuming are constantly evolving and often aspects that were once perceived as differential are today considered parity attributes. Seeking to build a global view on the scientific research on services and to support businesses in order to set them apart in the market, Ostrom et al (2010) and Ostrom, Parasuraman, Bowen, Patricio, and Voss (2015) identified the greatest gaps between the research priorities and current knowledge evidenced by scientific production. These studies englobe service researchers’ perspectives throughout more than 37 countries and show that “improving well-being through transformative services” is the second theme with the greatest gap between the importance of a social and economic issue vs the current knowledge about it (Ostrom et al, 2015), “Stimulating service innovation” and “Enhancing the service experience” research subjects are in fourth and seventh place in these studies, respectively. From which perspective should service experiences be looked at when consumers are visually impaired?

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