Corporates often partner with social media influencers to bolster brand image after crises.Although existing evidence suggests that influencers have a largely positive effect on brands, yet there is paucity of research on the role of influencers in corporate crisis communications.Across two studies, we examine the impact of influencers on consumers' perception of corporate brand in crisis. Drawing on persuasion knowledge theory, we identify pitfalls associated with influencers, such as inferences of manipulative intent, which negatively affect perceived trustworthiness and corporate reputation. The downside of engaging influencers in crisis communications can, however, be offset by influencer and the brand communicating values-driven motives of their partnership. Our findings imply that corporate brands should respond to crises through a bolstering strategy that promotes existing corporate goodwill, without influencer's involvement. When leveraging on influencers' support, however, brands should endeavor to inoculate manipulative inferences by communicating the values-driven motives behind the brand-influencer partnership.

Structured Abstract PurposeThe Internet has changed the way services are delivered and has created new forms of customer-firm interactions. Whilst online service failures remain inevitable, the Internet offers opportunities for delivering efficient service recovery through the online channel. Notwithstanding, research evidence on how firms can deliver online service recovery remains scarce. This study investigates the impact of two online service recovery strategies -online information and technology-mediated communication -on customer satisfaction, switching and word-of-mouth intentions. Design/methodology/approachA scenario-based experiment is employed. Data are analysed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). FindingsOnline information and technology-mediated interactions can be used as online service recovery strategies. When fair, online service recovery can restore customer satisfaction, lower switching and enhance positive word-of-mouth. Interactional justice delivered through technology-mediated communication is a strong predictor of satisfaction with online service recovery. Yet, customers in subscription services show greater expectations of online service recovery than those in non-subscription services. Research limitations/implicationsFurther research could examine the impact of online service recovery on relational constructs, such as trust. Since customers participate in the online recovery process, future research could investigate the role of customers as co-creators of online service recovery. Practical implicationsService managers should design online recovery strategies that meet customer need for interactional justice, for example, bespoke emails, and virtual chat communications showing genuine customer care. Originality/valueOnline information and technology-mediated communication function as online service recovery strategies. Customer perceptions of justice towards online service recovery restore satisfaction, and encourage loyal behaviour.

Purpose When a service fails, the guarantee policy of the firm can be employed as a recovery strategy. The terms of the guarantee determine the amount of payout and the ease of invoking the policy. The guarantee terms can, therefore, influence customer perceptions of recovery fairness and inferences about the firm’s intentions in providing fair recovery. The study examines the impact of guarantee terms on customer perceptions of justice, motive attributions and repatronage intentions. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects experiment was conducted in parcel delivery services. Findings Customer perceptions of justice vary across guarantee payout levels. Payout in the form of a discount does not restore justice perceptions, and leads to inferences that the firm offered the guarantee to maximise its profits. Conversely, full refund restores justice. Full refund plus discount is perceived as undeserved, and does not enhance justice perceptions. A moderately easy-to-invoke guarantee is perceived as fair, when it includes full refund. Inferences of negative firm’s motives, however, diminish perceived fairness of easy-to-invoke guarantees. Research limitations/implications Future research could examine the interaction of guarantee scope with payout and ease of invocation, and how types of motives differentially impact justice perceptions. Practical implications Full refund can enhance justice perceptions, whereas discount is perceived as unfair. Firms should offer full refund as guarantee payout, but refrain from offering a discount. Flexibility should be embedded in guarantee invocation procedures. Originality/value This study demonstrates that service guarantees employed as recovery strategies signal justice and the firm’s motives.

This study examines the role of response time in recovering from service failures in e-retailing.Employing an experimental design, the study reveals that customers construe time in abstract terms. Response time during service recovery is evaluated in combination with the compensation provided by the firm and criticality of the service experience. The extent to which the three factors -response time, compensation, and criticality -activate abstract construals, matters to customers. The study demonstrates that delaying the process of recovery can result in customer satisfaction, repatronage, and positive word of mouth, when an apology is provided and criticality of the service is low. Further, delay in service recovery is acceptable when negative emotions elicited by the failure are low. The findings provide empirical insights on the viability of delayed recovery following service failures in e-retailing, contravening the notion that delayed recovery is always inefficacious. The study advances a novel perspective on the role of response time in online service failure and recovery, and also accounts for how customers construe recovery efforts. Whilst establishing the prominence of construal levels in understanding customer responses to online service recovery, the study highlights new avenues for research and innovative managerial perspectives for e-retailers.

While research has shown that consumer anger causes a range of negative consequences, the conceptualization and measurement of this emotion remain inconsistent. Some studies link anger to consumer revenge motivated by a desire to hurt the company, while others associate anger with a desire to cooperate with the company. This inconsistency is caused by the fact that anger is a broad label used to refer to almost any brand failure. We argue that, rather than considering anger as a single construct, scholars should distinguish between a supportive facet of anger, which comprises feelings of annoyance, frustration and other mild negative feelings, and a vindictive facet of anger, which comprises feelings of intense anger, rage, and outrage. These two facets of anger reconcile divergent arguments presented in past research. Research benefits from moving beyond the generic label of anger to consider supportive and vindictive facets of anger that influence consumers' reactions under different circumstances. Only vindictive anger prompts consumers to take revenge and punish the company for unfair treatment. Supportive anger triggers instead a desire to solve the problem by cooperating with the company. This study presents important managerial implications for assessing and managing feelings of anger following brand failures.