Hyunju Shin

Service Recovery, Justice Perception, and Forgiveness: The “Other Customers” Perspectives

ABSTRACT While extant research has examined the effects of service recovery on customer attitude and behavior, little is known about whether customers react differently to the same recovery depending on whether they are victims or observers of a service failure. Adopting the “other customers” perspectives, this study used a quasiexperimental design using scenarios in a professional services context with 267 U.S. respondents recruited from Qualtrics national online panel. We found that when compensation is offered, victims will perceive a higher level of distributive justice than observers. However, the effects of service recovery on forgiveness intention is stronger among observers than victims.

Toward the Identification of Consumer Retailer Nostalgia: An Abstract

While nostalgia has received considerable attention in the marketing literature, relatively little research has been conducted as to the role of consumer nostalgia in the retail setting. In addition, while previous research has found that autobiographical memories are evoked naturally and spontaneously in response to various marketing stimuli and many consumption memories involve retail experiences, little is known about the types of nostalgic memories evoked by remembering a retailer and the elements of retailing that are associated with such memories.

Customer Responses to Service Failure in Direct and Indirect Harm Context: An Abstract

While extant research has examined customer evaluations of service recovery aimed at other customers, little is known about whether customers react differently to the same recovery depending on whether they are victims or observers of a service failure. This paper aims to compare the influence of service recovery on customer responses to service failure directed at themselves vs. other customers. This study used a 2 × 3 between-subject quasi-experimental design using written scenarios and surveys to test the research hypotheses in a professional services context. The analysis reveals that the effect of service recovery is weaker on customer forgiveness among victims than observers. In addition, when compensation is offered, victims show higher levels of distributive justice but lower levels of interactional justice than mere observers. This research sheds light on findings in the service recovery literature by outlining the differential reactions customers demonstrate at the experience of service failure directed at themselves vs. others. This study provides insights into how practitioners might attenuate the negative effect of service failure for those who are either directly or indirectly affected by failed service encounters.