How a group service failure at a restaurant turns into an individual dissatisfaction? A scenario-based experiment

When it comes to service failures, restaurants are one of the most experienced one in the tourism and hospitality businesses. High level of service interaction and presence of other consumers in a groups of different size make the failures more complicate. Customers whose service expectation is not meet inform other group members through their negative emotions and may lead to a similar change in the emotions of others. Therefore, dealing with service failure requires more inclusive perspective. In this context, the main purpose of this research is to understand the relationship between service failure and dissatisfaction from the point of group service interaction. To that end, this study aims to investigate the effect of the negative emotions and emotional contagion on the perceived service failure and dissatisfaction. To collect data scenario-based experiment was applied through both online and face to face survey. Based on 1437 scenario based questionnaire structural equation modeling analysis was performed. Results show that the dominant factor effecting their service failure perception is the feeling of disappointment rather than anger in group failures. Emotional contagion is also effective on service failure perception. Neither negative emotions nor contagion has direct effect on dissatisfaction. That is, consumers’ dissatisfaction feelings occur if they support their emotional reactions with their cognitive assessments of service failure.