Service receivers' negative emotions in airline and hospital service settings

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine service receivers' negative emotions in two different service settings, namely at an airport and in a hospital. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive, convenience sampling survey method was used to collect data in South Africa consisting of a sample of 294 respondents at an airport and 288 respondents in a hospital. Data analysis included an exploratory factor analysis, and the results reported in this paper are based on the critical incident technique. Findings: The findings indicate both similarities and differences in service receivers' negative emotions between the two service settings. Furthermore, the results were found to be valid and reliable. Research limitations/implications: The results obtained pertaining to the negative emotions that service receivers experience in two service settings in South Africa may provide the foundation for further research and replication in other countries. Furthermore, the results can aid in refining and extending service providers' efforts of managing critical incidents in different service settings in airline and hospital service settings. Practical implications: Three main aspects of negative incidences in service encounters should be considered in strategies to manage critical incidents, namely those that are caused by: the service receiver; the service provider; or the service encounter context. Originality/value: This study complements and reinforces existing theory pertaining to the negative emotions service receivers' experience in negative service encounters. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.