Touching Leads To Compliance, Study
Christopher Philip
The benefits of touch have been studied for some time. That said, real life situations are rarely used to collect evidence, as the variables can sometimes be tricky to control.
However, French researchers led by Nicolas Gueguen Universite Europeenne de Bretagne, routinely devises small experiments to verify what we know already believe in a theoretical sense.
In the current study, the researchers employed servers in a restaurant to test the idea that touch could lead to compliance. The servers were instructed to either make or not make a suggestion about a meal. In one condition, the servers followed their recommendation with a brief touch on the forearm of the patrons and in the other, no touch was performed.
For illustrative purposes (and in case you’d like to use touch to encourage) here is the step-by-step of the tactic used to encourage the choice of a patron:
1. At arrival, the patron was picked up by the waiter or waitress and invited to sit down at an available seat.
2. They were then told “I will be back to give you the restaurant’s menu. Would you like to drink an aperitif before eating?”
3. The server waited for the response and then left.
4. 1-3 minutes later the server came back with the menu and said: “Here is the restaurant’s menu sir/madam.”
5. According to random chance the server either slightly touched the customers forearm for 1 second or did not.
6. The server then said “Today, I recommend to mister/madam to order one of the chef’s specialties, la choucroute de poisons.”
7. In the control condition no suggestion was made by the server, but the dish was present in the menu.
8. After smiling, the server said “I will now let you select your dish.”
9. The server then left for 5-7 minutes before returning to accept the customers choice.
10. During the interaction, no further touch or suggestions were made.
In total, 256 patrons were tracked.
Results showed positive results when touch was used:
a) When touch and suggestion was used 49/83 patrons complied for a 59% success rate.
b) When no touch and suggestion was used 37/89 patrons complied for 41.6% success rate.
c) When no touch and no suggestion was used 17/83 patrons complied for 20.3% success rate.
Obviously the results speak for themselves. When compliance is desired, touch and verbal suggestion yield the best results.
Other studies have shown similar findings.
Whether one is a business or restaurant owner, politician or just someone looking to get a good deal, a brief touch can yield positive results. Tailoring a tactic to include small impersonal touching is a great way to improve the results you desire.
Image Credit: Adikos
Resources
Gueguen, Nicolas; Celine Jacob; Gaelle Boulbry. The Effect of Touch on Compliance With a Restaurant’s Employee Suggestion. Hospitality Management. 2007. 26: 1019-1023.