UNPACKING THE COMPLEXITY OF PUBLIC SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY

This study explores public service recovery (SR) strategies in the airline industry by analyzing the factors that influence effective SR, including customer perception, joint experience of the failure-recovery process, and organizational factors. A qualitative approach was deployed, consisting of in-depth interviews with 28 customers representing primary users and beneficiaries of public services with first-hand experience of SR processes. The major findings of the study suggest that effective SR involves identifying and resolving service failures promptly and fairly, considering customer perceptions, cultural norms, values, and losses. The joint experience of the failure-recovery process is crucial in ensuring effective SR, and necessitates active communication, transparency, and shared responsibility between the service provider and the customer to find the best possible solution to various issues. The implications of the study suggest that public airlines must balance the need for customer satisfaction with operational efficiency, which can present further challenges in the SR process.