Approacher be-wear? Increasing shopper approach intentions through employee apparel

Employee-customer interactions have been shown to influence perceptions of service quality, but what encourages customers to approach an employee has yet to be explored. As technology is increasingly integrated into service and retail environments and employee presence is decreasing, much of the responsibility for initiating service encounters has shifted from employees to customers. However, many customers are reluctant to approach employees. This manuscript examines the process through which a customer decides whether to approach an employee. Apparel is among the most noticeable cues customers' use to evaluate employees, thus, signaling theory is used to examine employee apparel's effect on consumers' approach intentions. Additionally, embarrassment is shown to moderate the approach decision process. Three studies, including a 360° video experiment and a behavioral lab study, are used to assess the relationship between apparel and approach decisions. These findings provide evidence that expertise-signaling apparel may be more effective at increasing approach intentions.