Effects of customer forgiveness on brand betrayal and brand hate in restaurant service failures: does apology letter matter?

ABSTRACT

This study aims to evaluate the effect of customer forgiveness on perceived brand betrayal and the outcomes of brand hate in the restaurant industry. The mediating role of perceived brand betrayal in restaurant service failures is examined. In addition, this study compares the effects of customer forgiveness on brand betrayal and brand hate between two groups of customers with and without apology letter after service failure. A total of 815 questionnaires were collected from two groups of customers of restaurants in Tehran, Iran. The findings show customer forgiveness negatively influences brand betrayal and three outcomes of brand hate for both groups. In addition, the findings reveal significant differences between the two groups in the effects of customer forgiveness and brand betrayal on brand hate outcomes. This study has a significant theoretical contribution by examining the effects of customer forgiveness as a healing power on customer negative emotions and behavior.

 本研究旨在评估餐饮业中顾客宽恕对感知的品牌背叛和品牌仇恨行为的影响。本文研究了餐厅服务失败情形下感知的品牌背叛的中介作用。此外，本研究根据顾客在经历餐厅服务失败后是否收到道歉信将样本分为两组，并对比了两组间顾客宽恕对感知的品牌背叛和品牌仇恨行为的影响。本研究从伊朗德黑兰餐厅的两组不同顾客中共收集了815份问卷。研究结果表明，两组样本中顾客宽恕都会对感知的品牌背叛和三种品牌仇恨行为产生负效应。此外，研究结果表明两个样本组在顾客宽恕和品牌背叛对品牌仇恨行为的效应上存在显著差异。本研究通过评估顾客宽恕对顾客负面情绪和负面行为的治愈缓和效应，具有重要的理论贡献。

KEYWORDS:

• Customer forgiveness
• outcomes of brand hate
• brand betrayal
• service failure
• restaurants

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).