Abstract
Purpose: The interactional and distributive dimensions of perceived justice as one of its objectives
is to reveal the link between perceived justice and service satisfaction. This study considers the
influence of the perceived justice that South African retail bank customers experience, based on:
the service recovery efforts of these banks in response to their complaints, the customers’ service
satisfaction, and, consequently, the behavioural intention towards these banks.
Design/Methodology/approach: This study focuses on the perceived justice construct where a
service failure has occurred followed by a customer complaint and a resultant service provider
response. Two-hundred and eighty-one respondents completed a structured self-administered
questionnaire.
Findings: The study found that interactional and distributive justice experienced in response to
the service recovery efforts of a bank significantly and positively influence service satisfaction,
and that service satisfaction in turn significantly and positively influences the behavioural intention
of these customers. However, it was found that interactional and distributive justice had no direct
effect on behavioural intention.
Research implications: The research model tested addresses the interfaces between service
receivers’ perception of interactional justice, distributional justice and service satisfaction as well
as the interface between service satisfaction and behavioural intention. The tested research model
indicates that both are interrelated through service satisfaction.
Managerial implications: It is evident from the findings that retail banks should utilise the service
encounter that follows a customer complaint as a desirable prospect to implement strategies to
recover from service failures in an effort to bring about perceived justice that will ultimately
influence customers’ levels of service satisfaction and behavioural intention.
Originality/Value: This study contributes to build a nomological framework of constructs in
service encounters consisting of service receivers’ perceived justice, service satisfaction and
behavioural intention.