The role of customer affection and trust in loyalty rebuilding after service failure and recovery

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamics of customer affection and customer trust on customer loyalty intention after cases of service failure and recovery. The results demonstrate that after customers experience service failure and recovery, customer affection has a greater influence on customer trust but less in loyalty intention, whereas customer trust becomes more influential in loyalty intention in comparison to the time prior to a service failure. The findings suggest that the rebuilding of loyalty after a service failure and recovery relies primarily on the recovery of trust and that the key determinant of trust recovery is customer affection. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.

The Chinese way of response to hospitality service failure: The effects of face and guanxi

“…A recent study conducted by La and Choi (2012) on the influence of brand trust on post-failure behavior supported this assumption to some extent. This research demonstrated that customer trust was more influential in loyalty intention during the time before a service failure.…”

Does Customer Satisfaction Lead to Customer Trust, Loyalty and Repurchase Intention of Local Store Brands? The Case of Gauteng Province of South Africa

“…Moorman et al (1993) cited in La and Choi (2012) viewed trust using two approaches. The first approach was as a belief, confidence or expectation about another party's worthiness that results from expertise or reliability.…”

The Relationships among Involvement Level, Service Failure, Service Recovery Disconfirmation and Customer Lifetime Value

“…Research on service recovery also mentions the relationship among satisfaction, trust, and commitment [30], [31]. Researchers have observed that good service recovery strategies are important elements for increasing satisfaction and building long-term customer relationships [26].…”