Nature and Patience

Xu and Ding report that “exposure to nature will lead consumers to be more patient in their waiting decisions. . . . marketers can reduce customer churn during peak or out-of-stock periods by decorating the store with potted plants or playing background music with natural elements. . . . marketers should minimize natural elements when they want to exploit consumers’ impatience to promote services. . . . pictures of natural environments also elicit our proposed effect. . . . In areas with low greening rates, companies should focus on improving service efficiency and delivery speed to reduce consumers’ potential waiting time and launch VIP services on reducing waiting time to increase overall profits. In contrast, in areas with high greening rates, companies should prioritize service quality and product attractiveness, as consumers may be willing to wait longer for the chosen alternative.”

Sunxu Xu and Ying Ding. 2023. “The Impact of Exposure to Nature on Consumers’ Willingness to Wait.”  Journal of Business Research, vol. 168, 114206, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114206