Difference between Consumers’ and Front-line Workers’ Perceptions on Consumer Complaint Behavior with Hateful Intentions: Based on the Personal and Social Factor

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This study analyzes difference in consumers’ and front-line workers’ perceptions on ‘consumer complaint behavior with hateful intentions’ though the Co-orientation Model in three dimensions. In addition, we seek to contribute to reducing the conflict between consumers and front-line workers in the service contact point by finding factors that affect the difference in perception between two parties. This study findings and implications are as follows. First, Taking a look at the mutual orientation between consumers and front-line workers, mutual perceptions have been found to match in agreement but with a significant difference in perceived agreement (congruence), which indicates that the internal perceptions of both consumers and front-line workers do not match. The findings confirm that consumers and front-line workers have different perspectives on consumer complaint behavior with hateful intentions and therefore raise a need for efforts and institutional devices for improvement. Second, the study has found that consumers’ economic responsibility as part of their social responsibilities and front-line workers’ perceptions on consumers’ civic responsibility affect the perception difference between these two groups and suggest a need for educating consumers about economic responsibility. Meanwhile, unlike consumers, front-line workers view consumers’ complaint behavior with hateful intentions from an ethical point of view, raising a need for a transition of perspectives on complaint behavior with hateful intentions.