Physical appearance stereotypes for service occupations

Abstract

Purpose This series of of five exploratory studies aims to investigate the idea that consumers have visual appearance expectations (stereotypes) for service providers in different occupations and how these visual stereotypes might affect provider choice. Design/methodology/approach Subjects were given color photos of white men and a list of service occupations and asked to infer the most likely occupation for each photo. A separate group of subjects reported the visual elements they most associated with the typical appearance of providers in various occupations. Other groups chose from a set of photos the depicted individual they would most want as their attorney or accountant. Findings Two studies confirmed that photo was a significant predictor of inferred service occupation, suggesting that consumers have visual appearance stereotypes for what a service provider should look like. A counter-intuitive finding was that the most stereotypical appearing service provider in an occupation was significantly less desired by subjects as their service provider than a less stereotypical appearing provider displaying a Duchenne (genuine) smile. Research limitations/implications Only visual stereotypes of male service providers were explored, confined to the un-met provider condition. Also, the reported studies were exploratory, using small samples. Originality/value The results imply that impression formation and relationship marketing begin with the viewing of an un-met service provider’s photo by a potential client at a business website or social media. Further, the findings suggest that providers will want to display a Duchenne smile in their photo, as this visual element is favorably interpreted by consumers.