{"title":"How and why (imagined) online reviews impact frontline retail encounters","authors":"Ben Marder , Rob Angell , Eric Boyd","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2023.03.004","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research examines how frontline retail employees respond to customers whom they think might write an online review about their experience. Across six experiments (one field and five online) we show that when employees identify potential online review authors, often by what the customer says or does, it catalyzes them to deliver better service. This ensues because they experience a rise in determination to do well, motivated by the prospect of being associated with a positive review, which they believe will impress the retailer. Thus, they go ‘above and beyond’. However, determination is tempered by two boundary conditions. When employees (i) do not consider that being associated with an online review is beneficial (i.e., not goal relevant) or (ii) feel poorly equipped to serve the customer (i.e., low in self-efficacy), then a better service delivery will not occur. We also show that retailers can enhance customer service through internal championing of the importance of online reviews, so long as this is framed as promotional rather than punitive.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"99 2","pages":"Pages 265-279"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Retailing","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022435923000167","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This research examines how frontline retail employees respond to customers whom they think might write an online review about their experience. Across six experiments (one field and five online) we show that when employees identify potential online review authors, often by what the customer says or does, it catalyzes them to deliver better service. This ensues because they experience a rise in determination to do well, motivated by the prospect of being associated with a positive review, which they believe will impress the retailer. Thus, they go ‘above and beyond’. However, determination is tempered by two boundary conditions. When employees (i) do not consider that being associated with an online review is beneficial (i.e., not goal relevant) or (ii) feel poorly equipped to serve the customer (i.e., low in self-efficacy), then a better service delivery will not occur. We also show that retailers can enhance customer service through internal championing of the importance of online reviews, so long as this is framed as promotional rather than punitive.
期刊介绍:
The focus of The Journal of Retailing is to advance knowledge and its practical application in the field of retailing. This includes various aspects such as retail management, evolution, and current theories. The journal covers both products and services in retail, supply chains and distribution channels that serve retailers, relationships between retailers and supply chain members, and direct marketing as well as emerging electronic markets for households. Articles published in the journal may take an economic or behavioral approach, but all are based on rigorous analysis and a deep understanding of relevant theories and existing literature. Empirical research follows the scientific method, employing modern sampling procedures and statistical analysis.