THE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS SERVICE ENCOUNTER: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN THE IRAQI BANKING SERVICE

Raafat Awad Mosa

doi:10.46827/ejmms.v7i1.1200

Abstract

In the midst of a business environment that gave the customer an advanced position in the interests and orientations of marketing organizations, the method of nonverbal communication comes to occupy an important and integrated space with verbal or word communication in the field of interaction with customers in order to achieve the best response to them and build the image and positive view towards service organizations. Therefore, the current study sought to measure the influence of nonverbal communication behaviors and signals practiced by frontline employees in service organizations on the perceptions of customers during the encounter that happens between the two parties. The banking sector was chosen as a domain of study, and the quantitative approach and the random sampling method were adopted through the participation of 397 customers who received different services from banks operating in Basra Governorate - Iraq. The results indicated that the behaviors and cues related to nonverbal communication used by the frontline employees of the respective banks positively affect the perceptions of the customers surveyed, and among the silent cues in this form of communication, body language had the strongest influence on customer perception in service encounters. The study recommended that banks should strive to create a friendly climate in providing service in which work is based on the principle of customer friendship, where nonverbal communication is integrated with verbal.  Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0970/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

Highlights

With the expansion of global interest in the service industry, the adage "actions speak louder than words" has become relevant to the language of communication and understanding with customers in service marketing (Bailey, 2018)
It is clear that the nonverbal communication variable recorded a reliability coefficient (0.893), and the body language dimension achieved the highest value (0.934), while the lowest value was achieved in the dimension of the physical appearance (0.854)
The study sought to delve into one of the marketing variables that the previous literature has proven that its measurement is the entrance to develop and provide distinguished services is customer perceptions, and highlighting the extent to which these perceptions are influenced by the nonverbal communication variable, which several studies in psychology have confirmed its role in promoting communication and understanding between humans

Summary

Introduction

With the expansion of global interest in the service industry, the adage "actions speak louder than words" has become relevant to the language of communication and understanding with customers in service marketing (Bailey, 2018). The method of communication used either contributes to the creation of a passable road between the two parties or on the contrary, generates a storm that raises negative perceptions towards the services and the organization as a whole (Vo, 2016), this method is considered as "the beating heart of the relationship with customers". The intimate contact and interaction between frontline employees and customers are the critical foundation for building the best service scenario and superior service organizations (O'Hair et al, 2008; Weng et al, 2016). That a service organization whose work involves high levels of interaction with customers’ needs to develop nonverbal communications in order to paint a positive image of its services in the minds of those customers (Irabatti, 2012). Measuring customer perceptions is an indispensable step in formulating the marketing strategy of any organization seeking to develop and deliver premium services (Raji & Zainal, 2016). Studying and understanding customers' perceptions will inevitably reflect on the ability to positively influence those perceptions and build long-term relationships with them (Lake, 2009)

Objectives

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Conclusion