Role and Script Theories
A knowledge of role and script theories can help to understand, design and manage both customer behavior and emloyee behavior during a series of encounters which constitute service processes.
Roles – a role can be defined as „a set of behavior patterns learned through experience and communication, to be performed by an individual in a certain social interaction in order to attain maximum effectiveness in goal accomplishment”. In service encounters employees and customers each have roles to play. Employees must perform their roles with reference to customer expectation or risk dissatisfying or losing customers altogether. A customer must „play by the rules”, too, or risk causing problems for the firm, its employees or even other customers.
Scripts – a service script specifies the sequences of behavior that employees and customers are expected to learn and follow during service delivery. Employees receive formal training. Customers learn scripts through experience, education and communication. The more experience a customer has – the more familiar that particular script becomes.
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