Building trust through a personal touch: Consumer response to service failure and recovery of home-sharing

This research examines how host’s interaction styles can shape consumer outcomes (e.g., satisfaction and switching intentions) after experiencing service failure in home-sharing via the intervening role of trust. Drawing on findings from two experimental studies, the results consistently suggest that adopting a personal (vs. professional) style in the initial host–guest interaction yields higher trust in the host (Study 1a, 2a). When service failure occurs, consumers exposed to an initial personal (vs. professional) interaction with the host report greater satisfaction and lower switching intentions, regardless of recovery interaction styles (Study 1b, 2b). Serial mediation analysis suggests that trust accounts for the differential impact of interaction styles on post-service recovery outcomes. Implications for the sharing economy literature and managerial practices are discussed.