Mediating service experiences with online photos: the role of consumers' perceptions of the mediated servicescape

Abstract

PurposePhotos are powerful tools to attract individuals’ attention and convey service experiences. Yet exactly how visual cues in a photo contribute to the perceptions of the staged servicescape, and how these perceptions inspire online booking/reservation behaviors, remains underexplored. Addressing the gap, this study aims to uncover (1) how perceptual information mediated by an online photo contributes to the formation of consumers' holistic perceptions of the service environment and (2) how such consumers' holistic perceptions further influence customers' online purchasing behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts an innovative crowdsourcing approach and refers to field data on consumers' online hotel booking behaviors to examine relationships among inferred servicescape dimensions, consumers' holistic perceptions of the mediated servicescape and their actual online booking/reservation behaviors (e.g. page-view and meta-click behaviors).FindingsConfirmatory factor analysis and path analysis indicated that five mediated servicescape dimensions (i.e. color, lighting, furnishings, layout and style) contribute significantly to consumers' perceptions of the mediated servicescape (CPMS) and exert different impacts on CPMS. Connecting the crowdsourced rating and consumer behavioral data, CPMS is found to influence consumers' aggregated page-view and meta-click behavior, especially in the US market.Originality/valueBuilding upon servicescape theory, the medium theory and the online booking literature, this research proposes a novel conceptual framework of CPMS to theorize the process by which visual cues in online photos contribute to CPMS and subsequent online purchase behaviors. Findings from this research extend Bitner's servicescape framework to mediated service contexts and provide practical implications for promoting service businesses.

How Inspiring! The Impact of Repurposed Design on Customer Inspiration and Repurchase Intention

“…For example, the artifacts and decorations adopted in a servicescape can significantly shape individual consumers' aesthetic impressions about the business (Z. He et al, 2022;Lin, 2016).…”

“…On the other hand, the aesthetic aspect of a servicescape, in particular its incorporated décor and artifacts, can create desirable impressions and communicate symbolic meanings (Bitner, 1992). For example, the artifacts and decorations adopted in a servicescape can significantly shape individual consumers’ aesthetic impressions about the business (Z. He et al, 2022; Lin, 2016).…”

“…After all, the aesthetic aspect of a servicescape (e.g., décor and artifacts) are meant to facilitate impression formation, to communicate service concepts, and to evidence differentiation (Bitner, 1992). Previous research shows that the aesthetic aspect of servicescape is particularly prone to the interpretations of communicative staging (Bitner, 1992; Davis, 1984; Z. He et al, 2022; Lin, 2016).…”