Taj: I will prevail. Exemplifying customer service in times of crisis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Rik Paul
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Recovery Paradox ◽  
Taj Mahal ◽  
The Relationship

Subject area Marketing Study level/applicability The case is suitable for MBA/MS students. Case overview The famous Taj Mahal Palace and Towers became the centre of one of the most deadly terrorist attacks in the Indian sub continent on the night of 26 November 2008, which became famous as “26/11”. Terrorists created havoc shooting guests on sight and throwing grenades. The attacks lasted for three days but all of the four terrorists who entered Taj were killed. The terrorists had killed 160 people across Mumbai. Of these, 36 died at the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, Mumbai. The dead included 14 guests, most of whom were foreign nationals. However, due to the selfless and extraordinary behavior of the employees and the staff of Taj, many guests were saved. They put forth an extraordinary example justifying the Indian code of conduct towards guests, “Atithi Devo Bhav” meaning “Guest is God”. In spite of knowing back exits and hiding spots, the employees did not flee, instead helping guests. The employees' behavior during the crisis saved the lives of nearly300 guests. This gesture of Taj employees was much talked about, but it was amusing even for the management to explain why they behaved in that manner. The condition of Taj after the attacks was so disastrous that it would have been profitable to leave the hotel as it was rather than reopening it. This, however, would have dented the Taj brand as a whole, as well as the spirit of all employees and staff who had behaved bravely. Taj started its restoration and reopened a part of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers on 21 December 2008. It became operational by August 2010. The case provides an opportunity to closely examine employee behavior in an extreme crisis situation, and the possible reasons and motivation behind such exceptional behavior which ultimately helped to sustain the Taj brand. However, the scope of the case can also be extended to illustrate recovery efforts typical to service industries. Expected learning outcomes The case is designed to enable students to understand: the employees role in service delivery; the service profit chain; the relationship between profitability, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction and loyalty, and productivity; service failure; service recovery; and the service recovery paradox. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available. Please consult your librarian for access.

Guilt no longer a sin: the effect of guilt in the service recovery paradox

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 836-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin-Hui Cheng ◽  
Chia-Jung Chang ◽  
Shih-Chieh Chuang ◽  
Ya-Wei Liao
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Failures ◽  
Service Recovery Paradox ◽  
A Company ◽  
Better Than

Purpose – Research on the service recovery paradox (SRP) effect has indicated that after recovery from failures in customer service, customers will commonly rate their satisfaction higher than prior to the service failure. However, thus far there has been little research on the cause of this phenomenon. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of “guilt” emotions in the context of consumer service. Design/methodology/approach – Three experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. Data were collected from 532 undergraduate, graduate students and the general people. Findings – The results of the experiments demonstrate that if customers are compensated for service failures by receiving better than anticipated service, they will commonly experience feelings of “guilt.” In an attempt to alleviate this guilt, customers will project their feelings in evaluating a company, and will rate their customer satisfaction more highly. In doing so, the customer feels relief in reciprocating the kindness of the firm; in this way, the firm wins over the customer’s heart. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to discuss the effect of guilt in the SRP effect. This research shows that relying on the emotion of “guilt” for receiving exceptional service helps companies to overcome service failures and successfully rebuild their relationships with customers.

The service recovery paradox in B2B relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Hübner ◽  
Stephan M. Wagner ◽  
Stefan Kurpjuweit
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Subjective Perceptions ◽  
Service Recovery Paradox ◽  
Operating Level ◽  
B2b Relationships ◽  
Exploratory Model

Purpose This study aims to explore the service recovery paradox (SRP) in business to business (B2B) relationships. Previously, this phenomenon has been identified in consumer-facing industries. The research advances the marketing literature by highlighting the ways in which the antecedents of the service recovery paradox differ between B2B and consumer markets. Design/methodology/approach This research draws upon findings on the SRP in the consumer setting and service failure literature in business to consumer and B2B contexts. For the analysis, interview data were collected from 43 informants among clients and service providers in the aftermath of a service failure. Findings The authors propose an exploratory model of the SRP for B2B relationships. In the B2B setting the propensity of eliciting the SRP depends on (1) the characteristics of the service failure, (2) the attributes of the service recovery and (3) the shared subjective perceptions among boundary spanners. Practical implications Empowered operating-level employees, straightforward communication, immediate responses and action plans that ensure future conformance are the key factors to turn service failures into increased customer satisfaction. Originality/value This study is the first to transfer the SRP from consumer marketing into the B2B domain. Moreover, it derives an exploratory model of the SRP, which can be refined by future research.

Customer centricity for growth – Yes Bank experience

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhananjay Bapat ◽  
Asha Naik
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Executive Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Customer Centricity ◽  
The Relationship

Subject area Marketing, strategy. Study level/applicability This case is suitable for post graduate and executive development students. Case overview The case provides perspectives of customer centric practices of Yes Bank which has the objective of becoming the best quality bank of the world in India. The case study outlines how Yes Bank has become the fastest growing bank by its strong focus on customers through its committed and innovative employees. The customer centricity develops strong existing relationships and focuses on providing exceptional customer service, leading to better financial performance. Expected learning outcomes These include: highlighting the characteristics of customer centric organizations; discussing how Yes Bank practised customer centricity despite the limitation of being a new bank with no experience; describing the key differentiators and comparing with those of other banks; and establishing the relationship between customer centric practices with financial performance. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Examining the relationship between e-service recovery quality and e-service recovery satisfaction moderated by perceived justice in the banking context

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1951-1980
Author(s):  
Sonia Mathew ◽  
Ajay Jose ◽  
Rejikumar G ◽  
Dony Peter Chacko
Keyword(s):  
Information Quality ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Justice ◽  
Recovery Satisfaction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe study focuses on the core issue faced by bankers on how to retain existing customers who have encountered an e-service failure and who are skeptical about the justice received through the service recovery process. It further endeavors to create an internal bench-marking model for assessing e-service recovery satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachBy the experimental study, the authors confirm a measurement model using structural equation modeling for examining the impact of perceived service recovery quality antecedents on e-service recovery satisfaction moderated by perceived justice. In total, responses from 399 e-banking customers, who had experienced a e-service failure, were recorded using a 5-point Likert scale with a structured questionnaire.FindingsThe perceived e-service recovery quality antecedents identified were perceived information quality, digital commitment, perceived employee performance and perceived service orientation of organization. The empirical results revealed that “perceived information quality” was the most significant predictor of e-service recovery satisfaction. Perceived justice moderates the relation between perceived service recovery quality and e-service recovery satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe research does not contemplate the e-service recovery satisfaction of customers who have undergone multiple service failures.Practical implicationsThe conclusions of the investigation suggest that the four antecedents of perceived e-service recovery quality model are suitable instruments for creating benchmarks for e-service recovery satisfaction for banks, and that perceived justice moderates the relationship between e-service recovery quality and e-service recovery satisfaction. Therefore, policymakers in banks can use this model to assess the e-service recovery quality, and they ought to enhance the perceived justice feel of the customers who have experienced a service failure.Originality/valueThere remains scarcity of empirical research focusing on perceived information quality and digital commitment as antecedents of perceived e-service recovery quality and its effect on e-service recovery satisfaction in the banking context. Furthermore, similar studies within the banking sector have rarely considered perceived justice as a moderator variable. Hence, this paper attempts to accomplish the research gap by empirically testing the e-service recovery satisfaction level of a large sample of the population toward four antecedents of perceived e-service recovery quality rendered by banks and create a benchmark model to ascertain e-service recovery satisfaction.

Service recovery in unaffected consumers: evidence of a recovery paradox

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Wardley
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Service Recovery Paradox ◽  
Recovery Effort ◽  
A Minor ◽  
A Company

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effects of a general service recovery effort in consumers who were not victims of the service failure. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a 2 × 2 between-subjects design comparing a service failure announcement with apology and an anniversary event announcement, either with a 15% discount or no discount on purchase intentions. Findings A service recovery effort involving an apology and 15% discount leads to higher purchase intention in consumers who were not victims of the service failure in comparison to a control. The unexpected apology generates surprise, which amplifies the effect of the discount, leading to higher purchase intention. Practical implications The results of this study suggest that apologizing and offering a discount for a minor service failure can have positive effects on consumers who were not victims of the service failure. Thus, if a company is unsure which consumers have been affected by a service failure, this study shows that issuing a general apology for the failure does not have negative effects in unaffected consumers. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to examine the effects of a service recovery effort in consumers who were not victims of the service failure and the first to find evidence of a service recovery paradox in unaffected consumers.

Perceived justice and CSR after service recovery

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suna La ◽  
Beomjoon Choi
Keyword(s):  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Justice ◽  
Recovery Satisfaction ◽  
Failure Severity ◽  
Justice Perceptions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between perceived justice and perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the impact of perceived justice and CSR perceptions on customers’ behavioral responses, such as satisfaction and repatronage intention after service recovery. The authors also investigate the moderating role of service failure severity in the relationship between perceived justice and perceived CSR.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using individually completed questionnaires. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling, and the moderation effects of failure severity in the relationship between perceived justice and perceived CSR were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression models.FindingsThe results suggest a path from satisfaction to CSR perceptions, which indicates that the link between CSR perceptions and satisfaction is reversed in the context of service recovery. The authors further reveal recovery satisfaction in two ways: It has a direct influence on repatronage intentions as well as an indirect influence via perceived CSR. Finally, the results demonstrate that the severity of a service failure intensifies the impact of distributive and procedural justice perceptions on perceived CSR, and perceived CSR serves as a partial mediator in the path from recovery satisfaction to repatronage intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe results demonstrate that perceived justice of service recovery affects perceived CSR after a service failure and that the severity of a service failure moderates the impact of justice perceptions on perceived CSR. However, the possibility of intercausal relationships among distributive, procedural and interactional justice may need to be further explored in future research.Practical implicationsGiven that the impact of distributive and procedural justice on CSR perceptions has become more critical as the severity of service failure increases, companies should prioritize allocating a fair amount of monetary compensation in a timely manner, particularly for those who experience a severe service failure.Originality/valueThe authors propose a model of perceived justice – perceived CSR – repatronage intentions within the service recovery context in an attempt to deepen the understanding of the antecedents of repatronage intention and the relationship between repatronage intention and recovery satisfaction following service recovery encounters by introducing perceived justice and CSR. Moreover, the authors discover the moderating effect of service failure severity on the relationship between justice perceptions and perceived CSR.

scholarly journals Influence of emotions displayed by employees during service recovery

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Sicilia ◽  
M. Carmen Caro-Jiménez ◽  
Estela Fernández-Sabiote
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Consumer Experience ◽  
Service Experience ◽  
Content Type

Purpose While research evidences how customers’ emotions can influence their consumer experience, understanding of how employees’ displayed emotions affect the customer service experience is more limited. Drawing on affect transfer theory, the authors test for the mediating role of attitude towards the employee, which is proposed to mediate the effect of employees’ displayed emotion on customers’ satisfaction with recovery. As service recovery entails a critical service experience in which emotions can easily rise, this paper aims to highlight the pivotal role of employee-displayed emotions during service recovery. Methodology A scenario-based experiment in the context of an airline service failure recovery (3 × 2 between-subjects design) manipulates frontline employees’ emotions (anger vs happiness vs no specific emotion) and the quality of the solution (bad vs good). Findings Employees’ displayed emotions directly affect attitude towards the employee and indirectly affect service recovery satisfaction. Moreover, attitude towards the employee is affected more by the employee’s displayed emotion when the solution offered is bad compared to good. Practical implications Employees’ emotions displayed during service recovery can enhance or damage service recovery strategies. Employees should control for negative emotions in the case of service failure, especially when unable to provide a good solution. Originality Emotions displayed by employees can influence the customer’s service recovery evaluations. There is an interesting interaction between the quality of the solution and employees’ displayed emotions. Additionally, the mantra of “service with a smile” may not be valid in the case of service recovery: rather, employees should avoid displaying negative emotions.

Explanation information and source in service recovery initiatives

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Baker ◽  
Tracy Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Source Credibility ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Full Account ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Failure And Recovery

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to specifically consider two interactional aspects that are likely to contribute to the success of an explanation of why a service failed: the adequacy of information provided and role of the person providing the information. Design/methodology/approach – Two empirical studies were conducted using a between-subjects 2 (information: low vs high) × 2 (employee: frontline vs manager) experimental design. The first study was designed to better understand when the information provided might have a more positive impact on the customer. The second study was conducted to understand why the effects exist. Findings – In Study 1, an interaction effect was seen that suggests that the most positive outcome is when the manager (vs the frontline employee) provides a full explanation (vs limited explanation) of the mishap. Results from Study 2 indicate that source credibility is in play. Research limitations/implications – Participants were asked to respond to service failure and recovery scenarios using the same service context. The means of the outcome variables suggest that the recovery effort could be improved upon with other methods. Practical implications – Contrary to suggestions that frontline employees be responsible to resolve service failures, our studies reveal that service recovery initiatives involving an explanation only are best received when the manager provides the customer a full account of what went wrong. Originality/value – This research provides empirical evidence of when and why more information regarding the cause of a service failure is most positively received by the customer.

Service recovery for moderate and high involvement services

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 331-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Bambauer-Sachse ◽  
Landisoa Eunorphie Rabeson
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Level Of Service ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Failure Severity ◽  
Future Consumption ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine which level of tangible compensation for a service failure leads to high levels of customer satisfaction for moderate- versus high-involvement services as well as for different conditions of responsibility for the failure and failure severity. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a 4 (tangible compensation: gift, discount, credit for future consumption, refund) × 2 (responsibility for the failure: restaurant vs customer) × 2 (failure severity: low vs high) × 2 (involvement: moderate vs high) design using scenarios in a restaurant context. Findings – The results reveal that, for moderate-involvement services, all types of compensation are equally appropriate, except for when customers are responsible for a severe failure. In this condition, they expect tangible compensation of higher benefit. For high-involvement services, the more severe the failure, the higher the benefit of tangible compensation should be, independent of responsibility. Practical implications – The findings suggest that managers should consider the level of service involvement as well as responsibility for and severity of the failure when choosing the level of tangible compensation. Originality/value – The results of this study provide new insights into how to choose appropriate and efficient service recovery measures.

When service providers fail: outsourcing help and consumer attitudes

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 22-30
Author(s):  
Aaron Gazley ◽  
Hamish Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Service Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Delivery Channel

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of outsourcing and offshoring on brand loyalty in a service recovery context. In addition, the effect that consumer ethnocentrism has on these relationships is examined. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was designed using a series of service recovery scenarios that manipulated whether the recovery effort was conducted by an in-house/outsourced or local/offshored party. Findings The study shows that while outsourcing service recovery within the home country has no effect on loyalty, outsourcing to an offshore location does. In addition, the effect of offshoring of loyalty is greater for consumers who hold ethnocentric tendencies. Practical implications This research suggests the need to consider the delivery channel of service recovery to recover a service failure and retain customer loyalty. The results show that outsourcing within a local country may be effective, but the risks associated with offshoring are much greater. Originality/value Despite previous attempts to understand outsourcing and offshoring in a range of service scenarios, their role in service recovery is not well understood. Similarly, the impact that ethnocentrism might have on this process is overlooked. This paper therefore responds to calls within business theory, practice and consults for further study in this under-researched area.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document