Consumer Complaining Behavior: An Ethnic Triangulation Perspective

Abstract

Considerable research has shown effective service failure recovery has been linked to customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth, commitment and intentions to return (Fang et al. 2012; Tax and Brown 1998). However, consumers may react differently to an unsatisfactory service experience. While some consumers engage in complaining behavior, others may simply spread negative word-of-mouth (without ever complaining to the service provider), while others may simply never return to the service provider. At the far extreme some consumers may even consider revenge. Zourrig et al. (2009), in a study of cross-cultural perspectives on consumer revenge behavior, found that differences in cultural values’ orientation influenced how harmed consumers responded to dissatisfaction. Thus, cultural factors are included in the current study as being contributing variables to the outcome of consumer dissatisfaction. Interestingly, consumer-complaining behaviors (CCB) across cultures have only been examined from a cursory view. This is surprising, as it is expected after dissatisfaction with a purchase, not all cultures engage in post-consumption behaviors in the same way. This research examines CCB within a diverse, cross-cultural context. The current study is the first to clearly study levels of consumer dissatisfaction and complaining behavior involving a range of the African diaspora. Consumers in South Africa, Brazil, and the U.S. will be compared regarding the type, extent, justification, and the results of complaining behavior expressed following some level of dissatisfaction with services in a broad range of tourist-related organizations, spanning food services, museums, transportation, lodging, sports, parks (natural and amusement), entertainment, etc. While all respondents have similar ethnic origins, there are obvious cultural differences impacting all aspects of consumer behavior, especially complaining behavior. Using Hofstede’s (1980) individualism-collectivism conceptual backdrop, we expect to find differences in the propensity to complain, as well as in the methods of complaining. South Africa has a more collectivist-oriented culture, while the U.S. is the archetype of an individualistic society. The Brazilian culture is expected to be moderately reflective of both individualism and collectivism, representing somewhat of a mid-point on the individualism-collectivism scale.