No abstract

Due to the common business practice of the “customer is always right,” many companies have a risk of dealing with illegitimate complaints. Although illegitimate complaints are a major issue in the hospitality industry, no study has yet examined the impact of illegitimate customer complaining behavior on customers who can witness the complaining and recovery process of others. To fill this gap, this research examines the effects of service recovery aimed at illegitimate customers on customers who witness the complaints’ behavioral reactions (revisit intention, tipping behavior, intention to complain) and the role of emotional expression. A 2 (Service recovery aimed at other customer; good vs. poor) × 2 (Legitimacy of complaining behavior of other customers: legitimate vs. illegitimate) × 2 (Emotional expression: aggressive vs. calm) scenario-based between-subjects factorial experiment is utilized. This research provides evidence that witnessing illegitimate complaints of other customers and the subsequent service recovery aimed at those complainers impacts the behavioral reactions of customers who witness that situation. This study broadens the service recovery literature by incorporating third-party justice theory with illegitimate customer behavior by specifically examining the unique case where the firm is not responsible for the service recovery. In addition, the findings address the benefit to service firms by understanding the impact of witnessing other customers’ service recovery treatment on observers’ subsequent behavioral intentions.

Despite evidence of people posting their consumption experiences to online social networks to fulfill the needs of social support, an understanding of how online social support affects post-consumption spending behaviors remains elusive. This research aims to examine how online social support from online social network friends and the firm influence perceptions of self-deservingness and spending pleasure. Across two studies, this research provides evidence that social support gained through online social networks influences consumers’ spending pleasure through perceptions of their own deservingness. Notably, this study reveals that people obtain social support in online social networks from two sources: social networks friends and firms through receiving “Likes” and “Comments” on their post. This study also explores boundary conditions for when online social support is more effective on spending pleasure. The findings not only broaden the social support literature but also address the benefit to the service industry by understanding how social support can enhance spending pleasure.

Some of the luxury consumption literature suggests that luxury consumption is a beneficial social signal for the actor which facilitates social interaction. However, a different stream of recent research suggests that luxury consumption bears social costs to the actor. In the employee–customer interaction context, wearing luxury brands can either benefit or backfire for the employee depending on the situation whether luxury status or warmth is necessary. Based on the gaps in the literature, this study examines the impact of employee conspicuous cues by utilizing luxury consumption and elitism attitude on employee–customer rapport and behavioral intentions. The study results show that employees wearing luxury brands increase customers’ perceived impression management toward the employee. Such perception is strengthened when employees show an elitism attitude. In addition, when employees wear luxury brands, customers are more likely to build rapport with employees when they show a democratic attitude, as they perceive the employees are less likely to involve in impression management than showing an elitism attitude. The results build upon the luxury hospitality literature, aesthetic labor, impression management, and rapport literature.

PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the effects of accessibility, quality perception, and price perception on consumer satisfaction with imported fruit, specifically imported Asian pears. The moderating role of the country image was also assessed.Design/methodology/approachA total of 413 Americans aged over 19 years who had purchased imported Asian pears were surveyed through an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses.FindingsAccessibility, quality perception, and price perception exhibited a significant impact on consumer satisfaction with imported Asian pears and influenced behavioral intention through satisfaction. Multiple group analysis results revealed a moderating effect of the country image on these relationships. Accessibility had a significant impact on consumer satisfaction of consumers with a high country image of Korea, whereas prices had no significant impact on them. In contrast, price was determined as a key satisfaction factor for consumers with a low country image of Korea, whereas accessibility did not have a significant impact.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on imported fruits and provides practical implications for promoting the consumption of imported Asian pears in the US.