Topics Covered:
Services Exclusion
Exclusion in the servicescape and e-servicescape
Enhancing diversity and inclusivity in physical and virtual service environments.
Definition: Unfairness in services where providers fail to include or adequately serve customers fairly (Fisk et al., 2018).
Vulnerable Consumers:
Definition: Consumers disadvantaged in the marketplace due to conditions affecting service quality.
Examples: Chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, vision loss, cognitive disorders.
Notable risk: Vulnerable consumers may experience diminished transactional value in fast food drive-thru services.
Source: Discussion on racial bias and profiling against Black consumers in retail settings (Pittman, 2020).
Definition: The collective spending power of disabled consumers.
Key Statistics:
16 million disabled individuals in the UK.
Represents £274 billion annual spending power in the UK.
Definition: An egalitarian system providing fair access, treatment, and exit opportunities in services (Fisk et al., 2018).
Four Pillars of Service Inclusion:
Enabling opportunities
Offering choice
Relieving suffering
Fostering happiness
Impact of environmental factors (lighting, sounds, smells) on vulnerable consumers.
Example Practices:
Morrison’s “quieter hour” for autistic shoppers.
ASDA and TESCO's inclusive hours.
Visual guides for shopping from Tesco.
Sainsbury and Argos support Purple Tuesday: Implement disability lanyard scheme to aid inclusion in servicescapes.
Factors affecting accessibility:
Long waiting areas, change-room accessibility, product visibility.
Design of service stations and checkout processes (e.g., ALDI’s fast checkout).
Self-Service Technologies (e.g., Talking ATMs).
Adaptations for e-servicescape:
Websites for visually impaired individuals.
Innovations like AI-assisted shopping and priority delivery schemes for vulnerable consumers.
Examples: Morrison’s Doorstep Deliveries, Waitrose & Partners Rapid.
M&S launches clothing range tailored for children with disabilities: "Adapted for Easy Dressing."
Sainsbury’s in Bath renamed "Signsbury’s": UK’s first supermarket where staff communicate in sign language.
Recognition of service quality failures among diverse consumers is crucial.
Understanding diverse backgrounds enhances marketing strategies.