Service failure and self-recovery in tech-based services: self-determination theory perspective

ABSTRACT

The pervasiveness of self-service technologies (SSTs) in the service industry has led to renewed interest in SST failure and recovery. Understanding how customers respond to SST disruptions and motivating them to resolve SST failures by themselves should be at the core of service companies’ recovery strategies, as this entails significant benefits to service providers and customers. Drawing on self-determination theory, we examined how intrinsic motivation encourages customers to undertake self-recovery after SST failure. A survey was conducted among users of airport self-check-in kiosks, and the obtained data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings show that a greater perceived needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness results in higher expected value and attitude towards self-recovery, thus increasing self-recovery intention. Following expert interviews with airport personnel to consolidate the results, this study provides managerial suggestions aimed at raising customers’ intrinsic motivation, especially competence needs, to promote self-recovery.

摘要

自助服務技術 (SST) 在服務行業中的普及引起學術界重新關注 SST 失誤和補救這議題。本文基於自決理論來探討SST 失誤後，顧客內在動機如何影響自我補救的意願。收集問卷資料後使用結構方程模型進行分析。結果顯示，顧客對能力、自主性和相關性需求愈高，會導致期望價值和自我補救態度提昇，從而增加自我補救的意願。本研究接著對機場工作人員進行專家訪談，最後針對提高顧客內在動機，尤其是能力需求，來使自我補救提昇，提出了管理建議。

KEYWORDS:

• Self-determination theory
• self-service technology (SST)
• failure
• recovery
• self-recovery

關鍵字:

• 自決理論
• 自助服務技術（SST）
• 失誤
• 補救
• 自我補救。

Acknowledgment

The authors appreciate the detailed guidance from the Editor-in-Chief and the constructive comments of the reviewers. They also would like to thank Trieu Nguyen from National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology for his contribution to the initial version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to assured participant confidentiality.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.