THE GUEST

AND THE
SERVICE
SETTING

C H A P T E R 4
 Introduction

The setting of the service contributes to the

overall experience of a guest. This is why even
though the service delivery is impeccable, it
seems that there is something lacking in the
process.

 Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter, the students should be

able to:

understand the importance of service settings

or environments;
determine how the service environment
affects guests and employees; and
identify the reasons why providing a safe and
secure service environment is important for
the guests.


Reality
Bites
A famous Chinese restaurant in
the metro is known for its dim
sum and noodles. This restaurant was built in the 1950s and it is

still operated by the same family, still utilizing the same

ingredients. Upon eating, a person can see the steam equipment
where there are fresh buns in the dining room. The entryway has
no doors, but a curtain made of beads serves as its opening. The
scent of eggs and oil cooked together emanates within the
restaurant's premises. That is why when dining, a person can get a
rustic feeling while eating the sumptuous dim sum. Do you think
the atmosphere of the dining room affects the dining experience
of the guest here?

CONTENT

The Servicescape

physical environment
The servicescape is the actual,
where the act of service is performed, delivered, and
consumed. It is very important because it is the area
where the service team and the guest interact with each
other.
- All areas where there is an encounter between a guest
and the service staff can be considered part of the
servicescape.

 CONTENT
The Servicescape

examples:

desk of a hotel
the cabins in an airplane
the entire grounds of a theme park
the client rooms of a day spa

Front Desk in Hotels

Cabins in Airplane
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

Albert J. Rutledge introduced certain principles on how to effectively

design establishments for the purpose of both the guests and the
employees as they are the ones who usually utilize establishment spaces.

1. Everything should have a purpose. If there is a good use of the land

and the spaces, there should not be any area without any function.

Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism

and Leisure-related
Establishments

Therefore, there should be a good relationship between the different parts of

an establishment or, in a bigger scale, a complex. The parts are as follows:

1. Natural Elements - These areas include the land itself, water

areas, and plants.

2. Use Areas - These are areas where there is an interaction

between the guests and the service staff most of the time, such
as the dining room floor, parking area, and game rooms.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related

Establishments

these pertain to buildings
3. Major Structures - In large complexes,
and dams.

4. Minor Structures -These include utility areas, benches for guests,

walkways, and pathways.

5. Forces of Nature - These include wind, sun, and rain effects.

Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

2. Design should be for both employees and guests.

When planning for space allocations of the
servicescape, it is important to consider the physical
strengths and weaknesses of the site. If the area tends
to be hot because of the direction of the sun, then in
the planning sessions, avoid placing center of guest and
employee activities in these use areas.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments
3. Function and aesthetics
should be present. In
designing the hospitality an tourism workplace and
guest experience, both the concept of function and
aesthetics should be considered. Function pertains to
the technic aspects of the operation, such as the height
of a chair in relation to th table, the quality of material
used in making that chair, and the comfort gives to the
guest or employee.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related
Establishments
4. Set up a substantial experience
for the guests and employees.
It is important that when a guest or an employee comes in
contact with the servicescape, he/she can immediately answer
the question, "What is." "What is in store for me?" Or, "What is the
reason that I am here?" In an instant, a guest would want an
answer to these questions. That is, a service setting should have
a holistic view on what it is that we want a guest to experience.
To set this up properly, the resort to "theming" is usually
established.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

Theming refers to the use of an overarching concept

to create a holistic and integrated organization of
the guest experience.
 Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

for guests and employees. If
5. Set up an appropriate experience
principle 4 discussed the answer to the question, "What is," then
this principle will now answer the question, "Why it is." Why is it
there? Are the elements of the site supposed to be in such fashion?
To aid in delivering a holistic experience, it is important that
elements of design are appropriately placed in reference to the
type of the place, whether it will be a resort, restaurant, or leisure-
linked facility.
 Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

Scaling - pertains to the proportion of the sizes of the design

pieces used in the concept.

1. Human Scale - determines the appropriateness in size of an

element with respect to the average size of a human
himself/herself.
2. Speed Scale - refers to statue and place it in the center of the
resort.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

6. Adhere to technical requirements. This design element is a

little bit easier to understand but entails a lot of resources to
comply with. For a facility to function properly and serve its
guests and employees, it is required rod or for the owner and
the management to follow and procure necessary
procedures for proper implementation of design. In the
Philippines, an organization known as Protected Area
Management Board (PAMB) is in charge for monitoring the
activities and facilities in a designated protected site.
Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism
and Leisure-related Establishments

7. Comply with needs in the lowest possible cost. For

developers of hospitality and tourism establishments, it is very
important that the lowest possible cost be utilized for
maximum profitability. To others, this would be getting the
lowest price for a certain amenity or facility bought; but for
technical designers of a site, this would mean considering
development as well as maintenance costs.

Rutledge's Principles of Design for Tourism

and Leisure-related Establishments

8. Establish design with less supervision. It is the dream of

any owner, developer, or designer that a concept be
implemented with least supervision possible, as this would
also cut on costs for the facility. However, doing this is
difficult because supervision and monitoring usually go
hand in hand.
 Importance of Servicescape

The concept of servicescape is very much significant in

designing the entire guest experience within the context of
tourism and hospitality. It makes it easy for the owners,
management team, and staff to deliver the image they
would want to project to their guests. Below, this concept is
highlighted into view to further emphasize its importance.

 Expectations

The environment largely influences guest expectations,

even before the service process. This can be reflected as
the guest would expect cleanliness as a primary concern in
most cases. For example, if a casual dining restaurant's
exterior is dirty, the guests would have a negative
impression, which affects their entire experience.

 Mood and Emotion

Another importance of the servicescape is that it sets the
mood for the g and somehow evokes their emotion along
their experience. The mix of the different elements will
considerably affect the guest's mood even before he/she
enters an establishment.

 Mood and Emotion

Ellis (2008) highlighted in his study that experience staging
is very important, most especially in recreation
establishments. This concept includes traditional
organized programs which extends to guest interactions,
activities, programs, events services, and ultimately, the
venue (servicescape) itself.

 Employee Satisfaction
The service setting also has an impact on the workforce-
the employees or also known as the team-who do not even
use the service but are affected by it. It is a very significant
part of the employees' daily routine because they work in
these places most of the time, hence the exposure.

A bartender can freely do flairtending if he/she is confident that this

workplace is safe and secure.

 Service Production Factory

To some, the setting may only be a service backdrop; but
in reality, it is where the guest co-produces the experience
with the different aspects of the service product. This is
why the service setting is often referred to as a service
production factory.

A flight would be seamless if the cabin crew and the passengers are happily
participating in the service process.

 Service Production Factory

Heide (2007) also emphasized the role of architecture in
shaping the guest experience and how they react on it.
Hotel managers, as part of the planning process of the
service setting, regarded ambience as a very important
aspect in the operations, nourished by staff attitude
through friendliness and care.
 Function Value
Lastly, service setting is important because of its functional
value. With the guest as its central concern, the
establishment's focal reason for existence is to provide safe
and easy to use and understand place. Safety and security
could not be more highlighted than before as there are a lot of
technological advances that can be accessed by other people.
This is why it is a major task for people of safety and security
to convince probable guests to come in the property and
enjoy the facilities.

 Discussion Questions
I. What is a servicescape?
2. What is the importance of servicescape in service itself?
3. Who is Albert J. Rutledge? What is his contribution in
hospitality, leisure, and tourism design?
4. What are the principles of design for leisure spaces?
5. How is design connected to guests staying longer in a
place?