The academic circles have not formed a standard definition for service failure, but scholars have put forward their own understanding from different angles: Hays and Hill defined service failure ascontact situation that make customers unsatisfied(Julie Hays& Arthur, 2001). Keaveneypointed out that if the customers feel unsatisfied about the service system, then service failure occur (Crittendenet al. 1995).Keaveney has divided service failure into two types: the core service failure andcontact service failure.The core service failure is about technical problems, such as error charge,and contact service failurerefers to the interactive process of the problems between customers and service personnel such as carelessness, impoliteness andslow response(Keaveney& Susan,1995).Although enterprises try to prevent service failure from happening, it happens from time to time(Christo Boshoff,1997). Most of the hotels have superior location, clean and comfortable bed mattress, delicious food, and the price is relatively uniform .Sothe essence of the difference is the service quality. That is why we will talk aboutservice recovery to provide customers with high quality of service.
As for service recovery, different scholars have different opinions. Gronroos first put forward its concept formally in 1988, he defined service recovery as follows: the action taken by the service provider for customer complaints when service failure happens (Gronroos,1988). It aims to rebuilt the customers’ satisfaction and loyalty through a series ofrecovery action(Johnston R,1995).Other scholars explain service recovery as a management process which based on service failure analysis and service failure evaluation(Stephen.S&Tax,1998).It is also regarded as a series of equivalent exchange process with customers and enterprises in order to make up for the loss of customers (Amy K.&Smith,1999).Maxham explains service recovery as a service to provider