As unsatisfaction has occurred more frequently than service satisfaction in actual fields of the service industry, it is estimated that researches on service recovery strategies having been carried out by the service companies will become important research subjects in practical dimension. Thus, this study tried to grasp the outcomes of company''s service recovery efforts having been executed by airlines really. Specially, the study intends to clarify effects of service recovery efforts of airlines on customer''s forgiveness because feelings of forgiveness belongs to key emotion in composing long-term relationships with customers after service failures. In addition, as attributes of service failure or customer''s anger is understood like important influencing factors in the process of service recovery, this study tried to seize subsequent influencing relations.
For this research, the study executed an on-line survey objecting to customers who had unsatisfactory experiences after using airlines. Through an empirical research objecting to customers having unsatisfactory experiences instead of existing scenario techniques, this study could propose a more practical suggestion. In research results, a fact is grasped that timely response and empathy become important factors for making customer''s forgiveness. That is, psychological rewards shows more important than tangible rewards in order to do emotional recovery of customers by airlines. Particularly, characteristics of preceeding service failures and customer''s anger are caught hold of having moderating effects in influencing relations to forgiveness from service recovery efforts. In other words, in case service failures are continued, it is hard to occur feelings of forgiveness regardless of company''s recovery efforts, and also timely responses are seized essential as much as controlling possibilities on service failures are high and customer''s anger is strong.
Therefore, it is judged that grasping attributes of preceeding service failures and customer''s extrinsic responses at service contacts is important so as to perform effective service recovery strategies.