The influence of service employees' nonverbal communication on customer-employee rapport in the service encounter. (20th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lin, Cheng-Yu; Lin, Jiun-Sheng Chris
• Is Part Of: Journal of service management. Volume 28:Number 1(2017)
• Page Start: 107
• Page End: 132
• Publication Date: 2017-03-20
• Subjects: Store atmosphere -- Customer positive emotions -- Customer-employee rapport -- Employee affective delivery -- Employee behavioural mimicry -- Employee nonverbal communication; Service industries -- Management -- Periodicals; 658.005
• DOI: 10.1108/JOSM-08-2015-0251
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1757-5818

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Rapport between service employees and customers has been suggested to be an important determinant of customer relationship management, yet existing marketing literature still lacks a sufficient understanding of how service employees' nonverbal communication affects customer-employee rapport development in service encounters. The purpose of this paper is to fill this research gap by proposing and testing a model that explores how service employees' nonverbal communication (employee affective delivery and behavioral mimicry) influences customer positive emotions and customer-employee rapport. The mediating role of customer positive emotions and the moderating role of store atmosphere in the process of customer-employee rapport development were also assessed. Design/methodology/approach: Using an observational methodology in conjunction with a customer survey, multi-source survey data collected from 303 customer-employee pairs in the apparel retailing industry was examined through structural equation modeling and regression analysis. Findings: Results showed that employee nonverbal communication positively influenced customer positive emotions and customer-employee rapport. The partial mediating role of customer positive emotions and the moderating role of store atmosphere in the process of rapport development were also confirmed. Practical implications: Service firms should train and motivate employees to use nonverbal communication to develop and strengthen customer-employee rapport. The importance of customer positive emotions in the service process should be addressed in the customer-employee rapport development process. Moreover, service managers should also allocate firm resources to create a well-designed store atmosphere for target customers. Originality/value: This research represents one of the earliest studies to explore and empirically test the influence of employee nonverbal communication on customer-employee rapport development in service encounters. The partial mediating role of customer positive emotions and the moderating role of store atmosphere on the relationship between employee nonverbal communication and customer-employee rapport were also proposed and confirmed.