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The aim of this thesis is to explain the role of customer and employee proactivity in service failure and service recovery. Through a series of studies, this thesis examines how employee and customer proactivity influence customer responses after a service failure and in service recovery. In doing so, this thesis contributes to the service recovery literature in two ways. First, by reconceptualizing service failure, this research supports the theory formation stressing the importance of seemingly “small details”. However, by introducing employee proactivity as a recovery tactic, this thesis demonstrates how employee proactivity can reduce the adverse effects which stem from the absence of expected interpersonal “small details” which can potentially serve to address a portion of the “silent mass” of customers who choose to stay silent. Second, findings contrast lay belief that customers prefer the service providers to deal with service failures while they sit back and relax. In fact, this thesis documents the benefits of including the customer as a proactive collaborator in the service recovery. Findings reveal that customer inclusion is particularly critical for customers with established relationships and in situations where compensation is the primary means of recovery.

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