Customer Reactions to Service Failure and Recovery in the Restaurant Industry: A Covariance-Based SEM Approach

The current study examines the antecedents of recovery satisfaction among 338 customers who experienced service failures at casual restaurants in Malaysia. Data was analyzed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) technique via the utilization of Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS). Findings indicate that distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice were significantly related to customers' post-recovery satisfaction. Interactional justice demonstrates the strongest effect on recovery satisfaction compared to the other two dimensions. The study has enhanced the understanding of the antecedents of recovery satisfaction and has implications for marketing researchers and restaurateurs. It also confirms the appropriateness of justice theory in examining service recovery efforts performed by the restaurateurs. Further suggestions for future research are offered.