“I live with terror inside me”: Exploring customers’ instinctive reactions to terror

•The present study is the first to test how customers react to reality of terror.•The study was conducted in two countries- France and Israel.•Analysis identified four main instinctive reactions: emotional, cognitive, behavioral aspects and defensive habits.•Findings were similar in two service contexts (hospitality and transportation) and in two different countries (France and Israel).•The proximities of time and location impact customers’ sense of control, expressed in various coping mechanisms.