The effect of interpersonal touch during service recovery

Interpersonal touch is frequently promoted for its positive outcomes in business communication. Frontline employees touch consumers primarily to foster a better consumer-employee relationship, leading to higher revenue. This thesis examines how consumers respond to an employee touch during a service recovery. Using three experiments, this thesis addresses the following research gaps: (a) the absence of literature on the effects of interpersonal touch during service recovery; (b) understanding the joint effect of interpersonal touch and perceived employee responsibility during service recovery; and (c) the absence of empirical analysis of interpersonal touch mediators regarding interpersonal touch during service recovery