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Instructions

Part 2: Response Analysis Paper

Objective

To analyze the companys response using service marketing concepts and evaluate their effectiveness in service recovery.

Format

Length: 46 pages, double-spaced, not including appendices.

APA style: Include in-text citations when referring to class content.

Appendices: Include your original letter, screenshots, company response, etc.

Paper Structure

1. Introduction: This section introduces the situation by explaining what happened, what you wanted the company to do, and what you expected in terms of timing.

Background of the complaint

The resolution you were seeking

What you expected the company to do

Expected response time

2. Firm Response (or Lack Thereof): This section evaluates how the company responded or failed to respond and uses service marketing concepts to assess the adequacy of their actions.

If the firm responded:

Describe their reply

Was the response adequate? Why or why not?

Use at least three service marketing concepts to evaluate the response

What could they have done better?

If there was no response:

Clearly state that no reply was received

Provide three realistic business reasons for the lack of reply (not vague or superficial)

Write a sample response letter on behalf of the company (include in the appendix)

Explain why your sample response would be appropriate and effective using service marketing concepts

3. Discussion: This section reflects on your experience, considers the role of social media, examines your perceptions of the company, and connects your insights to future professional practice.

Did social media play a role? If not used, would it have helped?

How do you feel about the company now? Would you use them again?

Respond to the statement: The customer who complains is the firms friend.

Reflect on what you learned about customer service and service recovery

How will you apply this learning in your future career?

4. Service Marketing Concepts: In this section, you must make at least five explicit connections to course content. These connections should reference theories, models, or key concepts from the textbook or course materials. Requirements:

Each connection must include a clear definition of the concept.

Each connection must include the chapter number and page number where the concept is found.

Each connection must include a proper in-text citation in APA style.

These five connections should be spread across different chapters rather than drawn from only one part of the textbook.

You should briefly explain how each concept applies to your complaint experience, the firms response, or the overall service recovery process.

Supporting Documents (Appendices)

Include the following:

The original complaint letter submitted earlier

Screenshots or scans of social media posts, emails, response letters, etc.

A copy of your sample company reply letter (if no response was received)

this is the compaint letter

Recipient To: ecr@amazon.com

Subject: Complaint Regarding Delayed Delivery and Customer Service Experience

Order Number: 111-1898333-5511456

Amazon Customer Service Department

Attn: Executive Customer Relations Manager

410 Terry Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98109

United States

Dear Executive Customer Relations Manager / Customer Service Department,

I am writing to formally express my complaint about a recent experience with Amazon that left me unimpressed as a long-term customer.

I ordered a household product via Amazon.com on January 15, 2026, and the product was advertised that it will be delivered within two days. The order was to be delivered January 17, 2026, but it was not delivered until January 22, 2026. The delivery was linked to the Amazon Logistics service, and there was no notification of delay given until the expected date of delivery had passed.

I reached out to Amazon Customer Service through online chat on January 18, 2026, in a bid to resolve the problem. The customer support representative I contacted could not give a clear explanation of the delay and gave me conflicting information about a new delivery date. This lack of communication added to my contributed to my frustration and inconvenience.

The service failure was not only untimely delivery but also a lack of communication about the delay. As a customer, I counted on the stated delivery time to make my purchase decision, and the inability to comply with the indicated timeframe interfered with my plans.

This issue reflects a discrepancy between my expectations of the service and my perceived service. I expected a timely delivery, as it was stated in the advertisement, and to be proactive in case of delays. Instead, I experienced extended waiting periods, with little and vague communication and updates, which left me dissatisfied with the entire service quality.

I respectfully request a review of this service failure and would like to be refunded the shipping fee or a courtesy credit applied to my account for this inconvenience. Also, Amazon should enhance its communication process in instances where there are delays in delivery.

Please let me know how this matter will be addressed. I would appreciate a response within 7-10 business days. I can be reached at ***********************.

Thank you for your time and consideration on this issue. I value Amazons services, and I hope this feedback will help in enhancing customer experiences going forward.

Sincerely,

Ebony Lee

Leeea4@mail.broward.edu

rewrite and include more citation

Service Failure and Recovery Analysis: Amazon Delivery Delay

Ebony Lee

MAN 4162 Services Marketing

Introduction

Service failures are inevitable in high-volume service organizations; however, the effectiveness of service recovery determines whether the failure results in customer defection or strengthened loyalty. This paper analyzes a delivery service failure involving Amazon and evaluates the companys response through the lens of established service marketing frameworks presented in Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm (Zeithaml et al., 2021).

On January 15, 2026, I placed an order for a household item on Amazon.com. The product was advertised with two-day delivery, with an expected arrival date of January 17, 2026. However, the item was not delivered until January 22, 2026. Additionally, I did not receive proactive communication regarding the delay until after the promised delivery date had passed.

On January 18, 2026, I contacted Amazons customer service through online chat. The representative was unable to provide a clear explanation for the delay and gave inconsistent information regarding the revised delivery timeline. As a result, the service failure extended beyond late delivery to include communication breakdown and inadequate frontline response.

In my formal complaint letter to Executive Customer Relations, I requested a refund of the shipping fee or a courtesy credit and recommended improvements to communication protocols in cases of delay. I expected a formal response within seven to ten business days, consistent with professional complaint management standards.

Evaluation of the Firms Response

As of the evaluation period required for this assignment, no formal written response was received from Amazons Executive Customer Relations department.

Possible Business Explanations for Nonresponse

Although the lack of response was disappointing, several realistic business explanations may account for this outcome:

1. Complaint prioritization systems: Large firms often triage complaints, prioritizing systemic or high-risk issues.
2. Channel closure assumption: The company may have considered the matter resolved through chat interaction.
3. Automated escalation filters: Executive email systems may rely on algorithmic routing processes that delay individual responses.

Despite these operational realities, the absence of acknowledgment reflects weaknesses in complaint management systems and service recovery strategy.

Service Marketing Concept Analysis

1. The Customer Gap (Service Gap Model) Chapter 2

The Customer Gap is defined as the difference between customer expectations and perceptions of service performance (Zeithaml et al., 2021, Ch. 2). In this case, the advertised two-day delivery created a clear expectation. The actual five-day delivery, combined with inadequate communication, resulted in perceived performance falling below expected service.

This misalignment represents Gap 5 in the Service Gap Model, demonstrating a breakdown between promised service and delivered service. Because Amazon explicitly markets speed and reliability as core value propositions, the magnitude of this gap was amplified.

2. Reliability SERVQUAL Dimension (Chapter 3)

Reliability is defined as the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately and is identified as the most critical SERVQUAL dimension (Zeithaml et al., 2021, Ch. 3). In this scenario, Amazon failed to deliver within the promised timeframe.

Reliability failures are particularly damaging because they directly undermine customer trust. Since delivery speed is central to Amazons competitive positioning, failure in this dimension significantly impacts perceived service quality.

3. Zone of Tolerance (Chapter 4)

The Zone of Tolerance refers to the range between desired service and adequate service (Zeithaml et al., 2021, Ch. 4). Customers may tolerate minor deviations from ideal performance if communication and transparency are maintained.

In this case, the five-day delay likely exceeded my zone of tolerance because:

• There was no proactive notification.
• Communication lacked clarity.
• Revised timelines were inconsistent.

Had the company provided immediate notification and explanation, the performance might have remained within the acceptable service boundary.

4. Service Recovery and the Recovery Paradox (Chapter 7)

Service recovery consists of actions taken by a firm in response to service failure (Zeithaml et al., 2021, Ch. 7). The service recovery paradox suggests that effective recovery can result in higher satisfaction than if no failure had occurred.

Because no formal recovery action was taken beyond the initial chat interaction, the paradox did not occur. No apology, compensation, or structured acknowledgment was offered. Consequently, the opportunity to transform dissatisfaction into loyalty was lost.

5. Perceived Justice Framework (Chapter 7)

Customers evaluate recovery efforts based on three forms of perceived justice:

• Distributive justice (fairness of outcome)
• Procedural justice (fairness of process)
• Interactional justice (quality of interpersonal treatment)

(Zeithaml et al., 2021, Ch. 7)

In this situation:

• Distributive justice was absent because no compensation was offered.
• Procedural justice was weak due to unclear complaint handling.
• Interactional justice was limited, as the chat interaction lacked clarity and empathy.

This multidimensional failure contributed to overall dissatisfaction.

Sample Service Recovery Response (Hypothetical)

A professionally structured recovery response from Amazon would have included:

• Acknowledgment of failure
• Clear explanation
• Sincere apology
• Tangible compensation
• Assurance of corrective action

Such a response would align with best practices in service recovery strategy and demonstrate customer-oriented organizational culture.

Discussion

Role of Social Media

I did not escalate this complaint via social media. However, public platforms often create reputational pressure that accelerates response times. Social media channels function as both complaint mechanisms and service recovery tools in contemporary service ecosystems.

The Complaining Customer as Strategic Asset

Zeithaml et al. (2021) suggest that complaining customers provide firms with valuable feedback. The statement the customer who complains is the firms friend reflects the idea that complaints serve as diagnostic tools for process improvement.

Rather than viewing complaints as disruptions, firms should treat them as opportunities to close service gaps and enhance long-term loyalty.

Personal Reflection and Professional Application

This experience reinforced several key insights:

• Service failures are inevitable; recovery defines brand perception.
• Communication quality significantly influences customer tolerance.
• Complaint management systems must be structured and responsive.

As a future HR and organizational development professional, I will prioritize:

• Training frontline employees on interactional justice.
• Implementing structured recovery protocols.
• Encouraging feedback systems that convert complaints into performance data.

Effective service recovery is not merely operationalit is strategic and cultural.

Conclusion

This case illustrates the critical relationship between service promises, delivery execution, and recovery management. The delivery delay represented a reliability failure, while the lack of communication expanded the customer gap. Because no structured recovery effort was implemented, the opportunity to leverage the service recovery paradox was lost.

Applying the Service Gap Model, SERVQUAL dimensions, Zone of Tolerance, Recovery Theory, and Justice Framework demonstrates that effective recovery requires speed, transparency, fairness, and empathy. Organizations that fail to operationalize these principles risk erosion of trust and long-term loyalty.

Reference Page (APA 7)

Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2021). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.