Beyond Limits: Sensory Compensation Belief and Its Influence on Consumer Perceptions of Service Staff with Disabilities

This research examines consumer perceptions of service employees with disabilities and introduces the concept of sensory compensation belief—the belief that a sensory impairment leads to heightened abilities in the remaining senses. Through a series of studies, the authors demonstrate how this belief shapes consumer judgment and decision-making. Specifically, when a sensory-based product (e.g., headphones) is recommended by a service employee with a sense impairment different from the focal product attribute (e.g., a blind employee), consumers perceive the product to be of higher quality compared to recommendations from non-disabled employees. This enhanced product quality judgments subsequently increases purchase intentions. The findings challenge the dominant narrative in the existing literature that primarily focuses on the perceived limitations of people with disabilities. The practical implications for employee representation in enhancing consumer trust are also highlighted.