@article{7190,
  abstract     = {                  Online customers’ journeys span several touchpoints, which typically do not involve any interpersonal interactions with online retailers—except at the moment of delivery (MoD). When retailers use third-party courier services to fulfill orders, they relinquish control over this critical, last-mile touchpoint, possibly to their detriment. An analysis of over 35,000 reviews shows that a negative MoD experience can trigger ripple effects through detrimental word of mouth (WOM). To regain control, retailers might adopt vertical integration or inoculation. Across four experimental studies, the current research examines how courier type (proprietary vs. third-party) affects consumers’ WOM in response to positive and negative MoD experiences and how inoculation messages can reduce customers’ susceptibility to adverse effects of negative MoD experiences. A single-paper meta-analysis affirms that third-party couriers buffer the detrimental effects of negative MoD experiences, but positive MoD experiences benefit only established retailers handling last-mile delivery themselves. Inoculation messages can also increase customer resilience to last-mile failures by mitigating the adverse effects of negative MoD experiences on WOM. This research highlights couriers’ crucial role as key actors in the MoD and clarifies the effects of MoD experiences for online retailers, emphasizing the need to consider both couriers and preemptive measures.
                },
  author       = {Funke, Christopher and Walsh, Gianfranco and Schäfers, Tobias},
  issn         = {1552-7379},
  journal      = {Journal of Service Research},
  publisher    = {SAGE Publications},
  title        = {{The Moment of Delivery in Online Retailing: How Courier Types and Inoculation Messages Affect Reactions to the Last-Mile Experience}},
  doi          = {10.1177/10946705261464334},
  year         = {2026},
}

@article{2988,
  author       = {Albrecht, Arne K. and Schäfers, Tobias and Walsh, Gianfranco and Beatty, Sharon E.},
  issn         = {1552-7379},
  journal      = {Journal of Service Research},
  number       = {1},
  pages        = {60--74},
  publisher    = {SAGE Publications},
  title        = {{The Effect of Compensation Size on Recovery Satisfaction After Group Service Failures: The Role of Group Versus Individual Service Recovery}},
  doi          = {10.1177/1094670518802059},
  volume       = {22},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{2989,
  author       = {Schäfers, Tobias and Moser, Roger and Narayanamurthy, Gopalakrishnan},
  issn         = {1552-7379},
  journal      = {Journal of Service Research},
  number       = {4},
  pages        = {421--437},
  publisher    = {SAGE Publications},
  title        = {{Access-Based Services for the Base of the Pyramid}},
  doi          = {10.1177/1094670518770034},
  volume       = {21},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{2991,
  author       = {Schäfers, Tobias and Wittkowski, Kristina and Benoit (née Moeller), Sabine and Ferraro, Rosellina},
  issn         = {1552-7379},
  journal      = {Journal of Service Research},
  number       = {1},
  pages        = {3--21},
  publisher    = {SAGE Publications},
  title        = {{Contagious Effects of Customer Misbehavior in Access-Based Services}},
  doi          = {10.1177/1094670515595047},
  volume       = {19},
  year         = {2016},
}

@article{2993,
  author       = {Schäfers, Tobias and Schamari, Julia},
  issn         = {1552-7379},
  journal      = {Journal of Service Research},
  number       = {2},
  pages        = {192--208},
  publisher    = {SAGE Publications},
  title        = {{Service Recovery via Social Media}},
  doi          = {10.1177/1094670515606064},
  volume       = {19},
  year         = {2016},
}