Imagine walking into Starbucks. Cozy chairs, dimmed lights, and calming music surround you. What is the first thing you do? Most people would go “claim” a spot. Specifically, a table to spread out all of their belongings when they do some work. Basically, to establish territory. 

These places that seem home-like so customers relax and enjoy their time with products, like Starbucks, are considered “Third Place” servicescapes. “Third Place” servicescapes can both positively and negatively impact service establishments. For example, it can build loyalty in customers, but also decrease the rate of turnover that there are new people coming in to enjoy the establishment. 

In these establishments, customers become territorial as they “claim” spaces to work. How and why does this happen? How does this influence the cafe environment? How do personal and public agendas regarding psychological ownership concierge and diverge in servicescape? 

A study by Merlyn A. Griffiths of the University of North Carolina and Mary Gilly of the University of California Irvine addresses these questions, helping us better understand the consumer psychology of cafes.

Methodology of the Studies on Customer Territorial Behavior

Study 1: Literature Review. A literature review was conducted to understand territorial behaviors in “Third Place” servicescapes, homes, and work. 

Three main themes emerged from the review: the human instinct to gain territory, territories provide a sense of identity, security, and simulation, and aggression towards peers when being territorial. They also found that despite the natural instinct of customers in third palace servicescapes to feel comfortable and socialize, it is not positively reacted to as a social norm and most people go to be by themselves (McGrath, 2006). 

The researchers found that people spend a lot of time and resources to create a space that reflects their personality at home. Work also seems to have a similar territorial importance for people but literature acknowledges how this is changing as technology in the workplace evolves. For example, Slack and the ability to work anywhere that has wireless access can change the importance of a work setting.  Despite work changes, many people still crave a sense of territory in cafes. 

Study 2: Research Method. Study 2 explored the entire humanistic picture of territorial behavior and how other consumers respond to it. Data were collected through observation, photographic documentation, depth interviews, and narrative inquiries. 

The observations collected information on actual territorial behavior. Photographic documentation enabled the researchers to reference a visual while the participants are in an interview or providing a narrative. The depth interviews provided insight into the motivation and interpretation of the territorial behavior of consumers and employees. Lastly, the narrative inquiries asked participants to reflect on their experiences with territoriality. 

General results suggest that consumers mark space, use cafes as if it is their home, work, partake in the paradox of undistracted privacy, and have negative body language to defend their space. The paradox of undistracted privacy is when consumers believe they are less distracted in a cafe than at home despite the loudness and movement that occurs in a public cafe. Results suggest that this occurs often in “Third Place” servicescapes. 

Results also showed the interactions and behavior toward other individuals. For example, some people accommodate others who can’t find space by moving their belongings. Others might engage in intentional deception, the act of intentionally telling fake information such as “someone is sitting there” even if no one is. 

Findings also focused on “rights”. Many participants believe first come first serve gives rights to someone to have space. In addition, they believe that purchasing a good from the cafe gives someone the right to stay there (some say until it is finished). Renting in perpetuity came up as a common behavior in this study. Renting in perpetuity is the act of a consumer to show they have paid for the product. For example, someone will finish their coffee but will not throw it away to prove that they have the right to be there because they purchased something. 

Lastly, researchers found the customers have differing interpretations of beliefs, which leads to conflicts that employees have to intervene in. For example, some people believe in first come first serve, but others do not.

Results and Implications of Territorial Behavior on Consumer Behavior 

Although cafes are designed for collaboration and socializing, many people go to study and be by themselves without distractions. In order to be comfortable and achieve their goal of undistracted productivity, they claim territory. Claiming territory decreases the number of new customers that will come into the cafe and negatively impacts the environment of the space. For example, body language and gestures towards any threats to an individual’s space are hostile. And the instinct to be territorial negatively affects service establishments. 

The researchers believe that it is crucial to understand consumer’s territorial behavior in “Third Place” servicescapes. By understanding how this behavior impacts other consumers, companies can improve business and know how to handle conflict from a management perspective. 

Next time you go to Starbucks, remember not to challenge anyone that has their belongings marking their territory. Consumer behavior can be quite aggressive when it comes to claiming space!  

Your Consumer Behavior Insights: 

• “Third Place” servicescapes act as a home and workplace for many consumers 

• The natural instinct of humans to be territorial can negatively impact business for “Third Place” servicescapes 

• There are common behaviors that occur at “Third Place” servicescapes, but many people have different interpretations of how space should be used

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References

Griffiths, M. A., & Gilly, M. C. (2012). Dibs! Customer Territorial Behaviors. Journal of Service Research, 15(2), 131–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511430530

McGrath, Ben (2006), ‘‘The Latte Class,’’ The New Yorker. (accessed May 9, 2006), [available at http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/060109ta_talk_mcgrath].