Marketing

Quantum mechanics

Valence (chemistry)

Forgiveness

Service (business)

Social psychology

Sincerity

Pity

Computer science

Business

Physics

Organic chemistry

Advertising

Psychology

Artificial intelligence

Chemistry

Salient

Purchasing

Customer satisfaction

Journal of Business Research

Emoticons are pictorial/textual depictions of facial expressions used in marketing communications. Little is known about how customers interpret positive or negative emoticons used by customer service employees in service failure contexts. We investigate the impact of emoticon type on customer satisfaction and re-purchasing intention, and examine the sequential mediating role of perceived sincerity and willingness to forgive. Results show that the use of a negative emoticon in a response leads to a higher level of customer satisfaction and re-purchasing intention than responses with a positive emoticon. We further demonstrate that customers perceive that the presence of a negative emoticon in a response is more sincere and generates a higher level of forgiveness than those responses that use positive emoticons, but only when the communal relationship is salient in the customer’s mind. Our findings offer important theoretical and practical implications in service failure contexts.

Smile or pity? Examine the impact of emoticon valence on customer satisfaction and purchase intention