The influences of transaction history and thank you statements in service recovery

A certain number of service failures are inevitable in the hotel business. In a scenario-based experiment, using an Internet-panel sample of 166 subjects, this study finds that: (1) those guests with a long transaction history are more satisfied with a recovery initiative and more willing to return than those with a short transaction history; (2) those guests who are thanked for voicing their complaints are more satisfied with the recovery initiative and more willing to return than those who do not receive a thank you statement; and (3) receiving a thank you statement while voicing a complaint might have a greater positive impact on the satisfaction of guests with short transaction histories than on guests with long transaction histories. The managerial and research implications of these findings are discussed.