Logic for observing electronic insurance servicescape

The proposed structural model suggests that when a customer enters into the electronic service environment, the elements of visual outlook especially in a form of “illustrative attributes”, such as pictures, colors, and animations, appear (or should appear) for the cus-tomer as the first layer (i.e. the evidence) of the electronic servicescape. This conceptionThis conception is drawn on the basis of the empirical research results indicating that the “visual outlook”

FIGURE 31. ATHEORETICAL MODEL OF ELECTRONIC INSURANCE SERVICESCAPE VISUAL

OUTLOOK Illustrative Attributes

INFORMATION

Navigational Elements

TRANSACTIONS

Supporting Elements INTERACTIVE

FEATURES

PERSONAL ASSISTANCE Organizing

Attributes

embraces all the other dimensions of the electronic servicescape especially through illustrative attributes (e.g. pictures, colors, animations) as illustrated in the Figure 31.

Further, the empirical results propose the information as the second layer of the elec-tronic servicescape which, similarly as “visual outlook”, embraces the other dimensions of the servicescape as is depicted in Figure 31. In addition to the written text presented onIn addition to the written text presented on the Web sites, the information dimension is characterized by the organizing attributes.

Through “organizing attributes” the amount and the structure of the information are de-termined in the electronic service environment as discussed in the chapter 7.3.2.

As Figure 31 illustrates, the information appears through the visual outlook dimen-sion. This statement can be confirmed by referring to the empirical results, which clearlyThis statement can be confirmed by referring to the empirical results, which clearly emphasize the crucial role of illustrative attributes, such as using colors, in structuring the information on the Web. On the other hand, too many colors should not be used. Other-wise customers may get confused. The following citations support this argument:

P17: That that they’ve just been listed, as you said, not even the headings are in any way highlighted, and it’s just one chunk.

P4: I think this still made it very apparent, when one thinks about the first point,

”content”, that how much does the appearance affect it [content]. Because that left one really is sort of outrageously grey [traditional example]

P10: … and it doesn’t mess up the first page too much, if it has not been made too color-ful.

Moreover, the empirical results supported by the prior research (e.g. Bebunan-Fich 2001;

Palmer 2002) indicate that the relationship between the visual outlook and the informa-tion is somewhat stronger than it is in case of other dimensions of the electronic servic-escape. In the context of this study, this notion especially refers to the use of animationsIn the context of this study, this notion especially refers to the use of animations on the Web sites (e.g. the “insurance cover evaluator” service concept), and thereby, the visualization of the information. According to the empirical results, customers desire theAccording to the empirical results, customers desire the information to be visualized in order to make the absorbing of information easier and more appealing for them:

P12: … playing around, where you end up finally, it’s the hard facts that you receive.

So even if it’s so easy, you just need to throw cats and dogs and women and men and bicycles around, still you get your hands on in [factual data], like right, these [insurance types] you should take and those and those and have you considered this [insurance type] and this…

Although the model indicates, that the visual attributes are involved throughout the electronic servicescape, especially animations are not desired to be utilized all over in the

electronic servicescape. As the discussion on the visual outlook in chapter 7.3.1 indicates, visualizing the information through the animations is suitable especially when the cus-tomer is getting himself more familiar with insurance on the Web. However, the focus group interviews reveal that especially playful elements, such as animations, should not be utilized too much in the electronic service environment as the following citation indi-cates:

P15: The playfulness has it’s limits of course, [like] how far should the playfulness go…

it has to stop at some point and from there you only have facts.

An interesting aspect, however, is the future since the empirical results reflect that the use of animations might well be the reality. In the model the utilization of the animations is restricted to concern the information only. Who knows, but at least according to the opinion expressed by the interviewee it might be possible to utilize the animations also in the context of buying as a supporting construction tool:

P4: But moving certain parts into a basket, why couldn’t you use that when building up an insurance where you need different [components], since you’re not going to take all [components] necessarily, for example a young person… You could use [the idea of

”insurance cover evaluator”] in principle just about anywhere.

As the model indicates, the overall content and the other dimensions of the electronic servicescape (i.e. interactive features, transactions, and personal assistance) are actually observed through “visual outlook” and “information” dimensions by the customers. In principle, the features of visual outlook (illustrative attributes) and information (organizing attributes) illustrate and organize the essential content of the electronic servicescape to the customers.

Further, to contribute to the discussion on service design, this study introduces a logic according to which the essential service processes are included and depicted in the electronic insurance servicescape. Concerning “interactive features”, the importance of “illustrative attributes” is clearly emerged through the empirical data. In the case of the navigational elements the use of colors was perceived as a feasible way of illustration. Similarly, in case of the supporting elements the symbols illustrate the essential functionalities for the custom-ers, and therefore, are recommended to be used:

P7: I think in this kind of thing where you progress from one phase to the next, colors bring clarity about which phase you are in and how many phases might be left, if you intend to finish it.

P13: Well, at least there are [novel example] enough question marks, so you can get further information.

Furthermore, the empirical results reveal that navigational elements are reflected by the information dimension through the organizing attributes (structure). One of the respon-dents suggested that links on the Web sites could be larger in order to facilitate the cus-tomers in their electronic operations. In addition, (insurance) service providers should pay attention to the length of the links as the latter citation indicates:

P6: … and then the links a little bit bigger… where is the insurance being offered and where can you go get the offer.

P10: In general in the right one [traditional example] those headings are much too long. If you have to [search], what would you really find under the page. Probably just a long chunk of text.

As depicted in the servicescape model, personal assistance appears alongside with the “in-teractive features” dimension. In this regard, the empirical results indicate future visions according to which, for instance, chat, or maybe even voice connection with picture, might be a convenient way to get real-time personal assistance on the Web in the future:

P1: … because at some point the development is probably going in that direction that there will be less and less of [offices] so. So then there would be some other way of get-ting in touch with [the insurance clerk], for example the chat or a videophone…

In fact, chat or voice and picture connection are the only interactive real-time forms of contacting a service provider in the electronic servicescape. Phone is certainly real-time and also interactive but not in the electronic servicescape since the customer has to switch service channels. E-mail is certainly interactive but not real-time. Therefore also e-mail cannot be considered as a pure feature of interactive personal assistance.

However, although not fully interactive (as it is interpreted in this context) the empiri-cal results clearly indicate that e-mail and especially telephone options are still particularly important forms of contact from the customers’ point of view, and thereby, they are desired to be displayed clearly and visibly in the electronic service environment. The following cita-tion supports the above presented insights:

P18: Well there it’s easy… there’s ”one slash two”, so there’s probably another page. But that picture of a phone is easily visible so if there’s some problem you can call there.

P5: This is really good because there’s that ’Need help’ -box. You can send email with it and there are the phone numbers and opening hours and where to call.

Transactions dimension refers to the activities in which the money transfer between the customer and the (insurance) service provider is concerned, such as buying and reporting

a claim. In principle, it is constituted by the visual outlook, information, and interactive fea-tures dimensions. In addition, the personal assistance dimension is involved if the “support-ing elements” of the “interactive features” dimension are not sufficient enough to solve the customers’ problems, and the customer experiences a need for contacting a service provider. This is illustrated with the dashed arrow running from the ”personal assistance”This is illustrated with the dashed arrow running from the ”personal assistance”

to the centre of the model (transaction) in the Figure 31.