‘RIPPING OFF’ TOURISTS: AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF TOURISTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND SERVICE WORKER (MIS)BEHAVIOR

Studies of service assume that service failures are solely attributable to incompetence or ineptitude. This is contrary to studies which find that service workers routinely act in deviant ways. In Study 1, we aim to explore the extent to which tourists believe that they have been ripped off by service workers. This study finds that 48% of all tourists and 56% of international tourists believe that service personnel have ripped them off. In Study 2, the aim is to investigate how service workers exploit their role to undertake acts of deception. This study finds that some service workers deliberately target tourists to dupe then into paying more for services than non-tourist customers. The paper culminates with a discussion of implications.

► We explore the extent to which tourists believe that they have been ripped off by service workers.
► Female, non-white foreign visitors with poor English skills are disproportionally victimised.
► Restaurant, bar, hotel, transportation and tour service workers were the main perpetrators.
► These four types of service workers had a variety of motives and methods for exploiting tourists.