Tourism service recovery: How minority employees influence majority consumer experiences

Abstract

While ethnic minorities represent a larger portion of individuals employed in hospitality and tourism industry, limited research examines how the ethnicity of the service provider affects customers' evaluations of service failure recovery efforts. To address this gap, this study investigates the effect of the service provider ethnicity (i.e., majority vs. minority) on majority consumers' post-recovery satisfaction. Across eight experimental studies in various tourism and hospitality contexts (e.g., hotel, restaurant, taxi hailing, and massage), we consistently find that an ethnical minority (vs. majority) service provider has a more positive effect on the majority consumer's post-recovery satisfaction. Furthermore, this study elucidates empathy as the psychological mechanism underlying this effect. In particular, this effect remains pronounced in utilitarian consumption contexts, yet its significance diminishes in highly hedonic consumption contexts. This research provides valuable insights for tailoring recovery strategies to enhance consumer experience.