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The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of other customers on consumption behavior in shared consumption environments. The proposition is put forth that, like other factors that make up the consumption atmosphere, the mere presence of other customers has a significant impact on customers' attachment to service organizations. Accordingly, this research proposes a framework that specifies the nature of the relationships among customer homogeneity in the social servicescape, company identification, place attachment, and word-of-mouth referral. To test the hypotheses, data were collected from a sample of 1,094 restaurant patrons in the United States. Results of structural equation analyses supported the overall contention that, in addition to the traditionally identified aspects of the servicescape (e.g., facility attractiveness, ambient conditions, seating comfort, and layout), the mere presence of others can affect the extent to which individuals perceive feelings of attachment to the restaurant. This relationship is demonstrated to take place via the mediating effect of company identification.

Airbnb has gained popularity as an alternative to hotels, with the authenticity of the consumption experience being a critical differentiating factor. However, the hospitality and tourism literature has not fully explored how Airbnb and traditional hotel brands are facilitating authentic travel experiences and the impact of these experiences on brand love and brand loyalty. In this study, we explore three elements of consumption authenticity and examine their how they interact in the context of an accommodation brand. Second, we compare the components of consumption authenticity across hotels and Airbnb, and examine their relative impact on brand love for these two segments of the accommodations industry. We found that hotels and Airbnb draw upon different sources of authenticity to create brand-loving customers. Our results indicated that Airbnb leverages brand, existential, and intrapersonal authenticity in creating brand-loving and brand-loyal customers, while hotels utilize only brand authenticity. Thus, the keys to creating customers who love and are loyal to the brand differ between hotels and Airbnb. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and areas of future research are identified.

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Purpose – Often, service failures are witnessed by other customers, but little is known about how consumers react to service recovery aimed at other customers. Using the deontic theory of justice, this paper aims to examine consumers' reactions to justice directed toward other customers. Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Both were 2 x 2 between subjects quasi experimental designs using written scenarios and surveys. The scenarios depicted an observing customer witnessing a service failure and recovery happening to another customer. Findings – Results show that the valence of the recovery attempt impacted the observing customer's reactions and evaluations, and that the observer's processing frame and loyalty status of the victim impacted the observing customer's judgments of fairness and behavioral intentions. Originality/value – These results provide guidance to service providers by shedding light on the impact of service failures and recovery on surrounding customers.

An increasing number of consumers rely on online reviews to make purchase decisions in today’s global service industry. In this article, we investigate the impact of power on a consumer’s willingness to spread word-of-mouth (WOM) by posting an online review. Drawing on self-enhancement theory, which suggests that an individual is motivated to spread WOM in order to boost his or her self-image, and the agentic versus communal theory of power, we argue that the impact of power is moderated by the valence of the customer’s service experience, and its congruity with that of other forum users. Results from three studies in hotel and restaurant contexts indicate that powerless consumers are more likely to post positive reviews when the forum consensus is also positive. Conversely, powerful consumers are more likely to post positive reviews when the overriding consensus is negative. Further, such results hold only for positive (vs. negative) service experiences. Managerially, our findings suggest that introducing power mechanisms such as influence rankings or helpful votes into online consumer forums may shape review posting behaviors. Service marketers and social media managers need to be aware that some customer segments are not inclined to post positive online reviews. As indicated by our findings, powerful consumers, such as those with high helpful ratings or elite reviewer status, are more likely to post positive reviews when the forum consensus is negative. Conversely, powerless consumers, such as those with low helpful ratings or junior reviewer status, might be more inclined to post positive reviews when the forum consensus is also positive. Based on our findings, we also discussed the theoretical contributions, limitations, and ideas for future research.