CROSS-SELLING IN SERVICE RECOVERY ENCOUNTERS: STAYING UNDER THE CUSTOMER'S RADAR TO AVOID SALESPERSON STEREOTYPE ACTIVATION

摘要

To enhance revenues and foster customer relationships, firms increasingly try to cross-sell during their costly inbound customer service calls. Customer service representatives (CSRs) are in an excellent position to of fer additional products and services and hence cross-sell during the service recovery encounter. By solving and anticipating customer problems in a sincere manner, CSRs' high-touch response proves that the firm cares about customers' repatronage, thereby enhancing customer confidence and satisfaction. Nevertheless, cross-sell attempts may easily backfire and render problem solving ineffective. Consequently, the CSR-customer interaction could yield negative customer perceptions about the service recovery encounter, leading to customer hostility and damaged relationships. Therefore, customers of ten perceive service and sales at odds with each other and experiencing them during one encounter might drive customers away from the company.