A Study on Factors Influencing Customer Misbehavior in the Service Industry: Department Store Service Failure Cases

This study examines how perceived service recovery justice (procedural, interactional, and distributive) influences customer misbehavior in department store service failures, mediated by self-esteem damage and loss of control. Data from 264 customers were analyzed using structural equation modeling, incorporating multi-group analysis to test the moderating role of prior service work experience.<br/> The empirical results reveal that low recovery justice significantly increases self-esteem damage. Procedural and distributive justice were found to increase loss of control, while interactional justice showed no significant effect. Self-esteem damage emerged as a strong predictor of misbehavior directed at both other customers and the service organization. In contrast, loss of control did not significantly influence misbehavior, implying an association with passive reactions rather than active dysfunction. Moreover, prior experience as a service employee was found to moderate relationships between justice perceptions and psychological mechanisms.<br/> Consequently, this study highlights that effective service recovery must prioritize protecting customer dignity and self-esteem over mere compensation.