Service failures that cause customer dissatisfaction and service recovery strategies in food and beverage businesses

Abstract

The aim of this study is to descriptively determine the service failures that cause customer dissatisfaction in food and beverage businesses and the applied service recovery strategies. Within the scope of the study, data were collected from employees working in various positions in restaurants located in tourism centers in different regions of Turkey, with a semi-structured interview form consisting of 15 questions between the 19th August and 24th August 2022. As a result of the research, it was determined that service failures were mostly experienced in food taste, service speed and price. In response to service failures, employees have implemented service recovery strategies such as apologizing, voiding the check or invoice, offering free food or drinks, and offering to make a new order. This study contributes to the identification and understanding of service failures encountered in food and beverage businesses and the service recovery strategies applied. Additionally, in the study, employees emphasized the importance of issues such as effective communication and training in reducing or completely eliminating customer dissatisfaction.