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1. To evaluate service quality and visitor experience at
Service mapping is a process that allows you
to fully understand an event as it depicts
intangible elements alongside tangibles. Bitner
(1992) states how people may use beliefs
about the servicescape as surrogate indicators
to form beliefs about service quality.
Objectives -
1. Assessing visitor experience arriving, during
and departing the event using service-mapping.
2. To analyse customer interaction and
participation using Pine and Gilmore’s four realms
of experiences.
3. To make recommendations on how to improve
visitor experiences.
Method
Service mapping helps to improve service quality
and therefore visitor experience. This technique
was the main experimental method used, with
primary researchers completing a checklist
through participant observation. Visitors and staff
members were observed at the event, without
being disturbed, where observers recorded
behaviours as belonging to one of a number of
identified discrete categories. Using Pine and
Gilmore’s model will help to further analyse the
on-site experiences section of the service map.
Photos were also taken throughout visits to assist
in the final analysis.
‘The Language Show Live’
Results and Analysis
Analysis of the results are displayed above
graphically in Figure 1.
For service-mapping to be used to it’s full
advantage, it is recommended to combine the
inputs from management, staff and visitors (Getz et
al, 2001).
The event is unique each time it is offered and so it
should be brought to attention that the service map
was generated from observations conducted on the
Saturday. Saturday was very busy with
professionals aged 30+ but Sunday was quiet,
almost as if the show was finished. This creates an
awkward atmosphere for visitors which could form
false judgements on the quality of the event as a
whole.
Many visible staff contacts were present, wearing
Language Show Live t-shirts which drew them out
of the crowd. Over all staff contact resulted in
positive visitor experience due to their willingness
to help and friendly attitude.
There is a range of learning and teaching
resources available to download online for free.
There was slight confusion whether the Language
taster lessons increased in difficulty over all the
days.
References
Bitner, J. (1992) Servicescapes: The impact of physical
surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of
Marketing. 56, 1, p57-71.
Getz, D., O’Neill, M. and Carlsen, J. (2001) Service
Quality Evaluation at Events through Service Mapping,
Journal of Travel Research. Vol. 39, p380-390.
Pine, I. and Gilmore, J (1998) Welcome to the
experience economy, Harvard Business Review. 76, 4,
p97-105.
Personal Information
Rebekah Marnell
University email:
rem0348@londonmet.ac.uk
Recommendations and Conclusion
It might be beneficial for Upper Street Events to
consider moving the event from Sunday to the
Thursday. There could be a growth in the total
number of visitors seen across the show which in
turn, heightens visitor perceptions of service quality
and experience across the three days.
If it is not plausible to move the designated days,
management should seek an alternative strategy
which will improve attendance on the Sunday;
offering a key speaker for example. Re-assessment
of ticket allocation is another approach to solving
who attends what day of the show.
Visitor experience could be improved by providing
more visible signs to the event and by making on-site
signs more accurate. This in itself will not
substantially improve visitor experience as staff
members were a very capable substitute. Also, many
visitors had their own agenda of what they wanted to
do at the event so it wouldn’t be practicable to try
and force direction or participation.
Over all the event was successful in it’s professional
and educational delivery. There were no major
problems experienced over the three days and many
who attended seemed completely satisfied with both
what was on offer and their surroundings; the service
map validates this conclusion.
Walking from Earl’s Court, there were no signs upon arrival of
the controlled area until we were directly outside. No
directional signs for walking around the main arena; two lifts
were in use to maximise visitor comfort between floors.
It is clear that Upper Street Events know exactly who attend
this event and much consideration is taken into finding out
what they expect. This creates a sense of involvement from
attendees and an increase in the quality experienced.
Understanding how customers interact and participate can
give indications on customer involvement and quality they
receive from the event. Experiences can be sorted into four
broad categories of experiences (Pine and Gilmore, 1998).
Entertainment – live cultural performances.
Educational – young professionals looking to start careers in
Language, teachers gaining insight into new methods, tasters
in new languages.
Esthetic – not much needed in terms of decoration.
Escapist – sharing a common passion creating a sense of
belonging, visitors immersed in demos and talks.
The show offers notable educational experiences in the form
of language classes, seminars and throughout the career
forum. Visitors participated actively with questions forming the
direction in which the conversation went. The Piazza located
in the middle of the room allowed visitors to come and go
participating on the sidelines; however having people walking
freely around the area could be distracting.
An example of a sign
telling visitors the seminar
rooms are up a level
Site orientation – picture
below shows how the
colour coding worked
During a particularly
active seminar group