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The CURE scale: a multidimensional measure of service recovery strategy

Rania Mostafa (Faculty of Commerce, Damanhur University, Alexandria, Egypt)
Cristiana R. Lages (School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK)
Maria Sääksjärvi (Department of Product Innovation Management, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands)

Journal of Services Marketing

ISSN: 0887-6045

Article publication date: 8 July 2014

2648

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address the gaps in service recovery strategy assessment. An effective service recovery strategy that prevents customer defection after a service failure is a powerful managerial instrument. The literature to date does not present a comprehensive assessment of service recovery strategy. It also lacks a clear picture of the service recovery actions at managers’ disposal in case of failure and the effectiveness of individual strategies on customer outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on service recovery theory, this paper proposes a formative index of service recovery strategy and empirically validates this measure using partial least-squares path modelling with survey data from 437 complainants in the telecommunications industry in Egypt.

Findings

The CURE scale (CUstomer REcovery scale) presents evidence of reliability as well as convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Findings also reveal that problem-solving, speed of response, effort, facilitation and apology are the actions that have an impact on the customer’s satisfaction with service recovery.

Practical implications

This new formative index is of potential value in investigating links between strategy and customer evaluations of service by helping managers identify which actions contribute most to changes in the overall service recovery strategy as well as satisfaction with service recovery. Ultimately, the CURE scale facilitates the long-term planning of effective complaint management.

Originality/value

This is the first study in the service marketing literature to propose a comprehensive assessment of service recovery strategy and clearly identify the service recovery actions that contribute most to changes in the overall service recovery strategy.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Rania Mostafa is grateful to the Egyptian Government for the financial support and the companies’ customers and employees who provided invaluable help. The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable comments on earlier versions of this manuscript from Carmen Lages and Oscar Person.

Citation

Mostafa, R., R. Lages, C. and Sääksjärvi, M. (2014), "The CURE scale: a multidimensional measure of service recovery strategy", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 300-310. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2012-0166

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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