Appearance as Social Code in Commercial Bank Service Encounter in Ibadan, Oyo State

Abstract

For service organizations like banks, the interaction between bankers and 
the customers is crucial as it can enhance the quality of service encounter 
and minimize service breakdown. Using four purposively sampled banks 
and Chandler’s framework for code types, the study explores physical 
appearance as social code explored by bankers in commercial banks 
during service encounters in Ibadan, Nigeria. Still life photographs were 
taken of appearance codes employed during banker- customer service 
encounters and discussed along the framework of Chandler’s typology of 
social codes. Findings reveal that appearance as non-verbal social code is 
used by commercial banks as a way of projecting the credibility, 
professionalism, trust worthiness and authority of the service provider 
which is particularly important in the corporate banking sector. This is 
done through the use of formal attire, same colour code, bank logo lapel 
badges and visual uniformity.