Service failures and complaints in the family travel market: a justice dimension approach

Abstract

Purpose

This study attempts to provide insights into three justice dimensions that constitute a negative family travel experience and to examine the differences existing in industry sectors, service failure settings, and compensation types across the dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The research dissected service failures in the family travel market based on the three dimensions of the justice theory. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed utilizing a modified procedure of the critical incident technique. Differences in industry sector, complaint setting, and compensation type were investigated through comparisons of service failure themes within the three justice dimensions using correspondence analysis.

Findings

Critical incidents of family travelers were divided into distributional, procedural, and interpersonal justice categories. The distributive justice dimension showed the highest complaint frequency. Significant differences in justice dimensions were found in the industrial sector, complaint settings, and desired compensation types.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on data collected from only four public domains. For further research, log data could be collected to triangulate the result from public domains and improve the reliability of the research.

Practical implications

The study has merit in pioneering an examination of the distinct dimensions of family travel service failures across all industry sectors. The results of this study will help tourism suppliers to provide total tourism products for family travelers.

Originality/value

The paper serves as the first exploratory research and contributes to methodological advances in the family travel market by combining justice dimension theory, the CIT approach, and more quantitative tools.

Citation

Park, O., Lehto, X. and Park, J. (2008), "Service failures and complaints in the family travel market: a justice dimension approach", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 7, pp. 520-532. https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040810909659