ABSTRACT
In this very competitive society organisations have to make signifi cant efforts to attract and retain customers and talented staff. For this reason organisations try to distinguish themselves from other organisations by low prices, better products and services, a good price/quality ratio, innovations, being service oriented, and operating in a socially responsible way. In addition to company logos, a company’s accommodation, facilities and services can also be used as a means to evoke a positive image and communicate brand values (Van Kempen, 2008; Zoetemelk, 2010; Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2010; Khanna et al. 2013). This may be seen as supporting a corporate’s image by FM/CREM. Real estate and other facilities can have image effects that are hard to imitate or substitute with other means. It is assumed that this might reduce communicating costs in advertising campaigns (Heywood and Kenley, 2008). An example of evoking a positive image by facilities and real estate is the way modern hospitals express their hospitality by providing a pleasant entrance area, a reception desk with friendly and welcoming staff, voluntary hosts that help visitors and patients to fi nd their way, and the availability of a coffee bar, fl ower stand and professional restaurant. The Rotterdam Eye Hospital delivers valet parking as a means to reduce the stress of their patients and accompanying visitors and to give them a feeling of being welcome and comfortable (Van der Zwart et al., 2009) – a good example of customer intimacy (Treacy and Wiersema, 1995).
