An examination of frontline employee–customer incidental similarities in service failure and recovery contexts

Abstract

Developing rapport during the "moment of truth" when frontline employees (FLEs) interact with customers has long been an important topic for researchers and managers. We suggest incidental similarities-seemingly trivial shared points of comparison between customers and FLEs-can play a vital role during this juncture in service failure and recovery contexts. Across two experimental studies, we investigate several relationships impacted by the presence or absence of an incidental similarity between FLEs and customers for their effect on satisfaction and repatronage intentions. Results suggest incidental similarities can reduce failure attributions toward service providers and improve these important customer-related outcomes (study 1). Results of study 2 extend our findings, demonstrating that rapport can serve as a mediating mechanism explaining the relationship between incidental similarities and these key service outcomes. Study 2 also reveals that FLE authenticity acts as a boundary condition of this relationship, accentuating the indirect, conditional relationships between incidental similarities, and satisfaction and repatronage intentions. Critically, we demonstrate that an incidental similarity can be even more effective when there is no recovery. By pointing out the role of incidental similarities in service encounters, our research makes significant contributions to aiding understanding of how rapport can be developed during the relatively brief time customers interact with service employees.

The importance of social comparison in perceived justice during the service recovery process

“…Unlike other frontline interactions (e.g. in the sales/purchase process, which may develop over many interactions), on the service failure recovery frontline employees play a critical role in the provision of quality service (Carlzon, 1987;Lindsey-Hall et al, 2023). The first few moments of the interaction are very critical and have a great impact on how the customer perceives the whole service (Lin et al, 2016).…”

There's not much to tell: The impact of emotional resilience on negative word‐of‐mouth following service failure

“…Also receiving significant attention has been the topic of service recovery—or how firms respond to service failures (Colgate & Norris, 2001). A primary focus of this stream of research has been exploring the factors that can mitigate or exacerbate the negative effects of service failures (e.g., Lindsey‐Hall et al, 2023; Lteif & Valenzuela, 2022) and consumers' responses to specific service recovery practices, including compensation, apologies, and speed of recovery (e.g., Iveson et al, 2023; Wirtz & Mattila, 2004). This work has been largely in pursuit of optimal strategies for marketing managers to respond to service failures (e.g., Colgate & Norris, 2001; Sands et al, 2022).…”

When and why signaling frontline employee inexperience can prove to be an asset: Effects on consumer forgiveness for service failure

“…The service failure literature focuses primarily on customer reactions to the service recovery (Khamitov et al, 2020; Lindsey‐Hall et al, 2023). Such reactions can take the form of giving companies a second chance when the recovery strategy meets customer expectations in terms of apology, resolving the issue, or offering compensation (Harrison‐Walker, 2019; Ringberg et al, 2007).…”

“…However, although employees are learning the organization's policies, procedures, and methods, their lack of experience is likely to lead to mistakes being made (Michele Kacmar et al, 2006), potentially resulting in negative outcomes for the customer. Given that service failures attributable to sales staff member errors are inevitable and occur on a regular basis (Lindsey‐Hall et al, 2023; Van Vaerenbergh & Orsingher, 2016), frontline employee inexperience increases the risk of such failures (Weun et al, 2004).…”