Writing a credible form letter: implications for hospitality and tourism service recovery strategy

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how to identify red flags in letters responding to customer complaints and demonstrate elements of effective response letters.Design/methodology/approach – Using actual form letter responses, the paper shows how to identify weaknesses in form letters and remedies for improving their credibility. Measurement criteria follow the concept of fairness which has roots in Kant's moral idealism theory.Findings – The paper identifies key elements that should be included in credible form letters. A combination of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice is required for an effective response.Practical implications – Tourism and hospitality managers issuing effective template responses (form letters) have the opportunity to improve consumer trust, loyalty, and future complaint intentions.Originality/value – The training exercises provide examples for managers and consultants to teach employees how to develop effective responses to customer complaints.