Experience of the Consumer Vulnerability in High Contact Services Encounter

Abstract

The concept of vulnerability originated in the disaster/hazard literature and provides the theoretical underpinning to research in several other contexts too. Consumer researchers seem to have used vulnerability as a theoretical angle to explore the difficulties and challenges experienced by consumers in the marketplace. Later, in consumer literature, a clear distinction developed between studying the experience of pre-identified vulnerable groups (e.g. differently able individuals) and the experience of vulnerability of any consumer due to the contextual factors. While the former has received wider attention of scholars, the later still needs further research. Thus, the current study investigated consumer vulnerability in general rather than limiting the scope to predetermined vulnerable consumer groups. In this backdrop, the high contact service delivery context was chosen to explore as researchers argue that there is a high probability that consumers will become more vulnerable during high contact service encounters. Therefore, the main objective was to investigate the causes of consumer vulnerability in high-contact services in Sri Lanka. To this end, a qualitative inquiry was conducted to capture the consumer vulnerability as experienced in the high-contact service setting. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 individuals who had experienced various challenges during high contact services encounters and, the participants were selected using snowball sampling and purposive techniques. . Though a ‘thematic analysis’ was conducted to analyze the narratives shared by participants three themes emerged as causes of vulnerability: (1) Lack of experience, (2) poor communication, and (3) unkind behaviour. This paper contributes to the consumer vulnerability literature by empirically drawing on new insights from consumers who experience vulnerability during their interactions in the market rather than the experience of consumers who are already identified as vulnerable. Furthermore, this study will assist service marketers and policymakers in developing strategies to provide better service to consumers.