The Role of Culture on Service Failure Perceptions and Service Recovery Expectations in Restaurants


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Ülker M., Karamustafa K., Şahbaz R. P.

International Travel and Tourism Dynamics (ITTD20), Ankara, Turkey, 8 - 09 October 2020, vol.0, no.0, pp.401

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Summary Text
  • Volume: 0
  • City: Ankara
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.401
  • Erciyes University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

By studying the implications of cultural values and cultural differences on service failure and service recovery in restaurants, this study aims to make contribution to the related knowledge accumulation. For this purpose, data were collected via semi-structured interviews with nine tourist guides and content analysis was used as being the primary data source of this study which, in this respect, has adopted a qualitative research approach. Primary data that were collected from the tourist guides are thought to have sufficient knowledge on tourists’ perceptions on service failure and recovery from different cultures of Turkey and the USA. Research findings show that Turkish tourists mostly care about service failures emerging from the kitchen, while the Americans express service failures emerging from the presentation of services. Moreover, while Turkish tourists expect compensatory and corrective responses to the service failures emerging from the kitchen, the Americans expect corrective responses more than compensatory responses. After service failures emerging from service presentation, Turkish tourists expect both the compensatory and empathetic responses, while the Americans expect mostly empathetic responses. It has been also found that American tourists would be satisfied highly after any service recovery effort made by the organization. On the contrary, Turkish tourists would only be moderately satisfied after any service recovery. They will spread negative WOM (word of mouth) and they would punish the service provider, for instance, by not leaving tip.