AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF SERVICE FAILURE RECOVERY STRATEGIES AND CUSTOMER PATRONAGE OF DOMESTIC AIRLINE OPERATORS IN SOUTH – SOUTH, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between service failure recovery strategies and customer patronage of airline operator in South -South in Nigeria. The study conceptual framework was developed and it indicated predictor and criterion variables and its dimensions. The population for this study was 1,858,020passengers of airline operators in south – south Nigeria. A sample size of four hundred (400) passengers was determined through Taro Yemene statistical method. Three hundred and seven (307) passengers (customers) were surveyed from airline operators in south – south Nigeria. Data was validated thorough Cronbach Alpha, of which all the variables had above 0.7. Regression analysis statistics test were employed to test the hypotheses Ho1-Ho3. The findings revealed that, the dimensions: explanation, compensation and responsiveness, each has a significant relationship with customer patronage. The study concluded that, service failure recovery strategies enhanced customer patronage of airline operators in South -South in Nigeria The study also recommended that, service organization should adopt and implement effective service failure recovery strategies to enable the service organizations restore back the dissatisfied customers such as apology, empathy, compensation and assurance. Finally, service organizations should respond immediately to the issues of service failure whenever it happens