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Service worker appearance and the retail service encounter: the influence of gender and age

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  • Carley Foster
  • Sheilagh Resnick

Abstract

This study explores how the age and gender of service workers influence customers' perceptions of the retail service encounter in a health and beauty retailer. An analysis of qualitative interviews with 40 customers and 20 service workers suggests that customers seek reassurance in the service encounter by ‘matching’ and ‘mirroring’ the age and gender of customer-facing staff with their expectations of who should deliver appropriate service during the retail service encounter. These non-verbal cues, as a way of assessing the credibility of the service provider, are particularly important when customers are involved in high-involvement purchase occasions.

Suggested Citation

  • Carley Foster & Sheilagh Resnick, 2013. "Service worker appearance and the retail service encounter: the influence of gender and age," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 236-247, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:33:y:2013:i:2:p:236-247
    DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2011.614341
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    Cited by:

    1. Juliet Elizabeth Kele & Catherine Cassell & Jacqueline Ford & Kathryn Watson, 2022. "Intersectional identities and career progression in retail: The experiences of minority‐ethnic women," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 1178-1198, July.
    2. Quach, Sara & Jebarajakirthy, Charles & Thaichon, Park, 2017. "Aesthetic labor and visible diversity: The role in retailing service encounters," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 34-43.
    3. Otterbring, Tobias & Bhatnagar, Roopali & Samuelsson, Peter & Borau, Sylvie, 2021. "Positive gender congruency effects on shopper responses: Field evidence from a gender egalitarian culture," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    4. Sung-Bum Kim & Seunghwan Lee & Dae-Young Kim, 2018. "The effect of service providers’ facial hair on restaurant customers’ perceptions," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 12(2), pages 277-303, June.

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