The link between social interactions and trust recovery in customer–business relationships

Abstract

Trust plays a crucial role in interpersonal relationships, including customer–company relationships, where the customer expects that a company will behave predictably in any particular situation. Companies do not always fulfill customers' expectations and thereby breach the trust relationship. To avoid negative consequences of this trust violation, companies may issue a formal apology as one possible path to regaining customer trust. In the same way, a previous social interaction, which can increase the customer's levels of oxytocin, can help to recover trust after service failures. In this study, three experiments were conducted as follows: the first manipulating a simulated social interaction with images; the second manipulating a physical social interaction, (i.e., a hug); and the third with exogenous oxytocin administration. The results showed that both physical interaction, (i.e., a hug) and simulated social interaction, (i.e., images of people interacting with each other) had a positive effect on customer trust recovery and provided support for oxytocin release as the underlying mechanism in this process. This research contributes to understanding of the link between social interactions and trust by elucidating the effects of both simulated and physical interactions on trust recovery.

Feeling the Absence of Touch: Distancing, Distress, Regulation, and Relationships in the Context of COVID-19

“…Given the above, it is not surprising that social touch can affect nearly every kind of in-person social interaction. Depending on social context and individuals’ comfort with touch (Webb & Peck, 2015), behaviors such as handshakes, friendly hugs, or touches on the arm or shoulder can enhance prosocial affective states including interpersonal trust (da Rosa Pulga et al, 2019) and gratitude (Simão & Seibt, 2015). These regulatory effects ease social interactions with acquaintances and unfamiliar others and facilitate a wide range of relationships.…”

How do brand policy updates turn into transgressions and impact consumers’ continuance intentions?

“…Literature on customer relationship management suggests that brands' violation behaviour can lead to revenue loss, damaged brand equity, lower consumers' brand commitment (Khamitov et al, 2020), potentially violate consumer trust, and affect the recovery of that trust (da Rosa Pulga et al, 2019). Steinman (2012) asserts that when a brand breaches the implicit and explicit contract in the brandconsumer relationship, a negative impact on consumer attitude and behaviour is immediate and imminent.…”

“…As a result, brand transgression can lead to reduced sales, damaged brand value, weakened consumer loyalty (Khamitov, Grégoire, & Suri, 2020), decreased customer commitment to the brand, and hindered efforts to rebuild consumer trust. (da Rosa Pulga et al, 2019).…”

Trust in Social Interaction: From Dyads to Civilizations

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