INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY IN SERVICE RECOVERY STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE RECOVERY SATISFACTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A HYBRID APPROACH

Abstract

Recently, the business landscape has changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to changes in the behaviors of both customers and business owners. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions on store closures have presented a new challenge to businesses that rely on physical interaction, brick and mortar to meet different customer needs. Mandatory shutdowns and social distancing measures have left voids that have been filled by digitalisation. The main problems customers face are service failures and breakdowns. As a result, customers are grappling with how they can have their problems addressed during the pandemic. There is therefore a need for a paradigm shift in terms of how businesses respond to unforeseen circumstances and pandemics because it is the only firm that use automation that will be more robust in competitive scenarios. This study is aimed at providing a hybrid approach to integrating digital technology into service recovery strategies, namely apology, explanation, speed, compensation and empowerment, during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to achieve customer recovery satisfaction. Therefore, a model for integrating technology and digital connectivity into service recovery strategies to achieve recovery satisfaction has been proposed. Thus, this model provides insight into how businesses can use digital technology to implement service recovery strategies during a pandemic. This is critical to help enterprises maintain consistency and minimize service variability due to changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributes to the literature on digital technology and service recovery by using current methods to address today's challenges.