The Effects of a Service Provider's Messy Appearance on Customer Reactions

Abstract

This study examines the effects of cleanliness and neatness in employee appearance on customer approach to a service interaction, identifying customer emotions and cognitions as mediators. Participants (n = 209) viewed one of six video clips, comprising two sets of three, showing a bank employee at work. The two sets were identical in all respects except for the cleanliness of employee appearance. Participants expressed more interest in approaching and in doing business with a service provider whose attire was clean and neat (as opposed to messy and dirty). Customer emotions (feelings of pleasantness) and cognitions (attributions of power) mediated the effect of cleanliness. Implications for research and management of employee appearance in customer service delivery are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• cleanliness
• emotion
• employee appearance
• employee dress
• power attribution
• uniform

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We wish to thank Techiya Ramati for her contribution to this research project.

Notes

Note. N = 209, eigenvalue >1; factor analysis rotation method = varimax.

^a Marked cells indicate items with high loading on factor.

**p < .01.

**p ≤ .01. ***p ≤ .001.

Note. N = 209. Customers' feelings of pleasantness and power attributed to the service provider were entered as covariates, while cleanliness served as a predictor.

*p ≤ .05. **p ≤ .01. ***p < .001.