Relationships of ‘complicity’ among customers as a service recovery strategy: exploratory research & attempt of definition

• Journal: Global Academic Society Journal: Social Science Insight, Vol. 2, No. 8, year 2009, pp. 40-67.
• Author(s): Antonini Dominique
• Category: Social Science Insight III
• Keywords: complicity, service recovery, customer satisfaction, customer-to-customer relationships, service marketing, compatibility, communal relationships, coalition

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of „complicity' relationships among customers. Several scientific fields and exploratory research form the base of the study. Though there is a vast theoretical background to the field of „complicity’ relationships, there is to date a lack of conceptual clarity and definition.
Due to the different theoretical backgrounds a non-conventional literature review has been chosen, in three relationship stages (i.e. business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer) and two conceptual categories (self-interest based and feelings-based approaches).
The study reveals that relationships of „complicity’ among customers take the form of spontaneous reactions which correspond to a service recovery strategy following a service break-down or a service failure. Relationships of „complicity’ can be motivated at the same time by profit and self-interest as well as by feelings or altruism. At the end of this paper, a definition of „complicity’ in a servicescape is posited.