The Case for Doing Less: Rethinking Communication With Consumers During Logistics Service Failures

ABSTRACT

Existing research highlights that proactive communication of logistics service failures can positively affect consumer attitudes and behaviors. However, we explore how strategic restraint (i.e., doing less ) during service failures can serve as a powerful design principle for improving performance, highlighting the need to reconsider when and how firms intervene in such situations. Grounded in attribution theory, this study uses two scenario‐based experiments to explore the role of proactive communication in shaping consumers' attributions of blame and subsequent repurchase intentions. Findings indicate that in a logistics service context, when retailers refrain from communicating delivery delays with consumers directly (i.e., proceed with no delay communication or allow carriers to manage delay‐related communication), consumers place less blame on the retailer and increase repurchase intentions. These results hold across varying levels of service criticality and prior patronage.