We present ab initio calculation results for electron-phonon (e-ph) contribution to hole lifetime broadening of the (X) over bar surface state on Al(0 0 1). We show that e-ph coupling in this state is significantly stronger than in bulk Al at the Fermi level. It makes the e-ph decay channel very important in the formation of the hole decay in the surface state at (X) over bar. We also present the results for e-e lifetime broadening in a quantum-well state in 1 ML K/Cu(1 1 1). We show that this contribution is not negligible and is much larger than that in a surface state on Ag(1 1 1). (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.