Service breakdowns and service evaluations: The role of customer attributions

When a service breaks down service providers are likely to use damage control strategies while customers are likely to engage in attributional processes to explain what has occurred. Video vignettes were developed to test the effects of a range of damage control strategies on customer attributions. Attributions about employee effort was the major predictor of customers’ levels of satisfaction and service quality judgements. Attributions varied with communication style, explanation for service failure and offer type