Presentation given at the 1st International Consumer Brand Relationships Conference, www.consumer-brand-relationships.org Copyright by Velitchka D. Kaltcheva Robert D. Winsor A. Parasuraman

1. Influence of Customers’ Relational ModelsInfluence of Customers’ Relational Models
on Responses to Service Failureon Responses to Service Failure
Velitchka D. KaltchevaVelitchka D. Kaltcheva
Robert D. WinsorRobert D. Winsor
A. ParasuramanA. Parasuraman
Consumer Brand Relationship Colloquium, Rollins College, Orlando, FLConsumer Brand Relationship Colloquium, Rollins College, Orlando, FL
April 23-24, 2010April 23-24, 2010

2. AGENDAAGENDA
• Research ObjectivesResearch Objectives
• Relational ModelsRelational Models
• Responses to Service FailureResponses to Service Failure
• Failure Control StrategiesFailure Control Strategies

3. • ““Service encounters are the moment of truth inService encounters are the moment of truth in
which customers and employees interact and thewhich customers and employees interact and the
service is jointly produced.”service is jointly produced.”
(Bitner, Brown, and Meuter 2000, p. 140)(Bitner, Brown, and Meuter 2000, p. 140)
• ““In most services, quality occurs usually in anIn most services, quality occurs usually in an
interaction between the customer and contactinteraction between the customer and contact
personnel of the service firm.”personnel of the service firm.”
(Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman 1988, p. 35)(Zeithaml, Berry, and Parasuraman 1988, p. 35)

4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVESRESEARCH OBJECTIVES
• Customers’ relationships with service marketers haveCustomers’ relationships with service marketers have
been conceptualized as a unidimensional construct rangingbeen conceptualized as a unidimensional construct ranging
from low to high intensity.from low to high intensity.
• We use a more richly differentiated framework—Alan P.We use a more richly differentiated framework—Alan P.
Fiske’s (1991, 1992) Relational-Models Framework—toFiske’s (1991, 1992) Relational-Models Framework—to
analyze how marketer-consumer relationships mayanalyze how marketer-consumer relationships may
influence customers’ responses to service failure.influence customers’ responses to service failure.

5. ALAN P. FISKE’S RELATIONALALAN P. FISKE’S RELATIONAL
MODELS FRAMEWORKMODELS FRAMEWORK
IMPORTANCE OF:IMPORTANCE OF:
WHO THE OTHER ISWHO THE OTHER IS WHO BENEFITS MOREWHO BENEFITS MORE
COMMUNAL SHARING (families)COMMUNAL SHARING (families)
― identifying with the other (“we”)identifying with the other (“we”)
― equivalence distribution principleequivalence distribution principle
HighHigh LowLow
EQUALITY MATCHING (social friends)EQUALITY MATCHING (social friends)
― respecting the other as a personrespecting the other as a person
― equality distribution principleequality distribution principle
HighHigh HighHigh
MARKET PRICING (businesspeople)MARKET PRICING (businesspeople)
― acquiring a needed outcomeacquiring a needed outcome
― equity distribution principleequity distribution principle
LowLow HighHigh
ASOCIAL (leisure buddies)ASOCIAL (leisure buddies)
― ensuring a fun experienceensuring a fun experience
― expediency distribution principleexpediency distribution principle
LowLow LowLow

6. FAILURE RESPONSESFAILURE RESPONSES
COMMUNNAL
SHARING
SILENT
LOYALTY
CONSTRUCTIVE
VOICE
EQUALITY
MATCHING
DESTRUCTIVE
VOICE
MARKET
PRICING
SILENT
EXIT
ASOCIAL

7. FAILURE CONTROL STRATEGIESFAILURE CONTROL STRATEGIES
SILENT
LOYALTY
CONSTRUCTIVE
VOICE
DESTRUCTIVE
VOICE
SILENT
EXIT
Complaint
solicitation
Complaint
resolution
Complaint
resolution
Failure
prevention
Complaint
solicitation/
resolution
Failure
prevention
Complaint
solicitation/
resolution

8. THANK YOU!