Numerical information framing can influence consumer perceptions. Although numbers are present throughout the entire consumer journey, relatively little is known about how numerical information, such as unit framing, can influence consumer perceptions in the context of service failures. This research aims to investigate how differences in unit framing between contracted (e.g. a week) versus expanded (e.g. seven days) temporal units influence consumer perceptions and responses following time-based service failures.
The authors conduct three experiments testing the proposed hypotheses, process and boundary conditions.
This paper demonstrates that service failures using contracted temporal units can lead to less favorable company evaluations and reduce repurchase intentions. The authors propose that this happens because unit framing can influence company evaluations. They conclude by discussing implications for scholars and managers.
This work adds to the literature on unit framing and numerical cognition by showing how temporal unit framing can influence perceptions of service failures. The findings show that contracted temporal units can lead to worse outcomes after a service delay.
