An experimental investigation of the role of face in service failure and recovery encounters

Purpose – The concept of face has been deeply embedded in Chinese culture. This paper aims to examine the role of face in service failure and recovery encounters, and to explore the factors that influence customer emotions, recovery satisfaction and behavioral intention based on a proposed conceptual model. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a scenario role‐play‐based experimental design to examine the proposed conceptual model in service failure and recovery encounters. Findings – The results show that face plays an important role in service failure and recovery encounters. Specifically, it is found that the utilitarian recovery and symbolic recovery customers receive in the service recovery encounter can both influence customer face restoration, which in turn affects customer emotions, and behavioral intention on service recovery. Customer emotions are significantly correlated to customer recovery satisfaction. Practical implications – The practical implications of this study are mainly two‐fold. First, service providers should pay attention to customers' perceptions of face during service encounters. They should also train their employees to treat all customers with utmost sincerity, which will help to enhance the positive emotional experience of customers. Second, the recovery offered by service providers should not be limited to utilitarian recovery. It has to take into account symbolic recovery as well. Originality/value – This paper investigates the role of face in service recovery encounters and suggests that face significantly influences customer emotions and behavioral intention on service recovery, and customer emotions in turn significantly affect customer recovery satisfaction