Dr R.E. Van Herck (Rebecca)

In 2021, I obtained my PhD in Linguistics from Ghent University (Belgium). I examined the discourse moves, the discursive legitimation, and the effects of interpersonal strategies (e.g., empathy) in email responses to customer complaints. In particular, my research focused on how customer service employees use specific communication strategies to respond to complaints in emails and on social media and their effect on customer outcomes, such as brand trust. Currently, I investigate language use in webcare and digital tourism discourse. More specifically, I examine (the effect of) communication practices (e.g., dismissal strategies) in managerial responses to (negative) reviews on Tripadvisor and Booking. I often use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g., discourse analysis and experimental designs) and I frequently include a cross-linguistic dimension by comparing authentic discursive strategies and the effect thereof on users of different linguacultures (e.g., English-German).

• Webcare

• Persuasive communication