A Study on the Effect of Seller Fairness on Customer Empathy and Trust in Online Shopping Focusing on the MZ Generation

Purpose – This study examined how service providers effectively respond to consumer complaints in an online shopping environment by applying the fairness theory including distributive, procedural, and interactional fairness. Design/Methodology/Approach – Empirical research was conducted using three independent variables related to a sense of fairness perceived by the customers to test the relationships between the independent variables and customer empathy and trust. University students residing in dormitories in Seoul were surveyed. Findings – After collecting surveys from 200 university students in Seoul, South Korea, it was observed that the perceived sense of distributive, procedural, and interactional fairness positively contributed to customer empathy and trust. Research Implications – In the writing of this paper, this study has significance in indicating that in the case of disputes in an online shopping environment, customer representatives must respond to customer demands in a fair, timely, and professional manner to successfully connect with consumers and have their loyalty retained.