Client´s Trust Violation and Recorvery After Double Deviation.

Abstract

In order to better understand the phenomenon of violation and recovery of trust in the context of exchanges between customers and companies, this theoretical essay aims to discuss the impact of the double deviation on trust, the possibility of trust recovery after double deviation and tactics that can be used to recover the trust after the occurrence of this phenomenon. Therefore, we discuss the difference between the violation of trust after the occurrence of service failure and the one occurred after unsuccessful service recovery (i.e., double deviation). It is believed that, because double deviation implies a severe violation of the existing trust, it can increase the erosion of trust generated after the original failure of service (simple deviation). Thereafter, we present research propositions, including the promises of non-recurrence of failures and apologies as tactics to regain the client’s trust after double deviation, based on the logic of using clues and the attribution theory. The research propositions listed in this essay are theoretically and empirically testable. As such, they provide solid grounds to initiate a research program on violation and recovery of client’s trust after unsuccessful failure recovery proceedings.