Abstract
This chapter examines sociopragmatic research on commercial service encounters. It offers a précis of the studies that have utilised service encounters as a vehicle to examine (Im)politeness manifestations. It addresses the methodological advantages of the service encounter as a relatively formalised interactional site in which sociability and efficiency are managed, hence as a locus for the emergence of (Im)politeness orientations. The chapter traces the evolution of (Im)politeness research and discusses the complexities of capturing (Im)politeness practices in transformation: from face-to-face and telephone-mediated encounters to newer communicative arenas resulting from technological advances such as online websites. In so doing, it discusses the analytic challenges involved in understanding (Im)politeness across a multiplicity of prior and current interactions with other parties alongside the exchange with service provider.