Service Experience and Customers’ eWOM Behavior on Social Media Platforms: The Role of Platform Symmetry

Abstract

Empirical evidence has demonstrated that customers often share diverse, and sometimes even conflicting, eWOM information on various social platforms, bringing new challenges to eWOM management. Based on the platform symmetry theory, this work explores how customers’ positive or negative service experience alters their choice of social platforms for eWOM communications. Using five studies, across restaurant and hotel services, we find that customers tend to share positive eWOM on symmetrical social platforms (e.g., WeChat) but negative eWOM on asymmetrical social platforms (e.g., TikTok, Weibo). Self-enhancement and emotion regulation motivations mediate the impact of service experiences on customers’ social platform preferences. Such an effect, however, is attenuated when the service is hedonic (vs. utilitarian) by nature. This work expands the existing literature on eWOM sharing and social platforms within the hospitality industry and offers valuable insights for service providers regarding effective eWOM management in the social media era.