Service recovery: a method for assessing performance

Purpose – The aim of this study is to propose a method for assessing the service recovery performance of a manufacturing company with value‐added services. Service recovery performance is assessed by an index with value ranges from 0 to 100 percent.Design/methodology/approach – A tree‐like structure was built to represent service recovery. This structure was weighted according to the degrees of each dimension's relative importance using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. After construction, the dimensions were evaluated by considering how much they were applied during the process; the service recovery index and the gaps between importance and application were determined. The method was tested in a multinational manufacturing company and in two buyer companies.Findings – It was possible to identify the most important service recovery dimensions from the perspective of a manufacturing company (“speed of recovery”, followed by “empowerment”) and the respective degree of application according to the...