Customer misbehavior is a major problem in shared service environments. Empirical evidence suggests that customer misbehavior negatively affects the patronage intentions, emotions, and overall service experience of observing customers. Yet, there is limited knowledge on how service providers can restore the satisfaction of customers who witness other customers' disruptive behaviors. To fill this gap, this study examines the impact of symbolic recovery strategies (appreciation vs. apology) and cultural tightness-looseness on observing customers' recovery satisfaction. Through three experimental studies, we find that among bystanders with a tight (vs. loose) orientation, an apology (vs. appreciation) leads to greater recovery satisfaction. A moderated mediation analysis further reveals that perceived norm violation mediates the impact of recovery strategy on bystanders’ recovery satisfaction, particularly among participants with a loose orientation. Theoretically, our study contributes to the literature on service recovery and cultural tightness and looseness. Importantly, our research suggests that hospitality firms operating within cultures characterized by a low tolerance for norm violation should offer an apology, while those in loose contexts may show appreciation to customers observing others' misbehavior. Additional theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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客户不当行为：象征性恢复策略和文化松紧对观察客户的影响


客户不当行为是共享服务环境中的一个主要问题。经验证据表明，顾客的不当行为会对观察顾客的惠顾意图、情绪和整体服务体验产生负面影响。然而，对于服务提供商如何恢复目睹其他客户破坏性行为的客户的满意度，人们的了解有限。为了填补这一空白，本研究考察了象征性恢复策略（赞赏与道歉）和文化松紧对观察客户恢复满意度的影响。通过三项实验研究，我们发现，在态度紧张（与宽松）的旁观者中，道歉（与赞赏）会带来更大的康复满意度。有调节的中介分析进一步揭示，感知到的规范违规会中介恢复策略对旁观者恢复满意度的影响，特别是在定向松散的参与者中。从理论上讲，我们的研究有助于有关服务恢复和文化松紧度的文献。重要的是，我们的研究表明，在对违反规范行为容忍度较低的文化中运营的酒店公司应该道歉，而那些在宽松环境中运营的酒店公司可能会对观察他人不当行为的顾客表示赞赏。讨论了其他理论和管理意义。