Abstract
Digital technologies have revolutionized customer service, enabling efficient online complaint resolution. In our research, we investigate the impact of disclosing service provider identities on performance, customer satisfaction, and biases within a customer complaint management platform. In the first large-scale field experiment involving 75,041 customers, 1,280 service providers, and 672 companies, we found that revealing provider identities enhanced performance by reducing anonymity and promoting accountability. This effect was most pronounced among inexperienced providers with greater discretion in handling complaints. Customers benefited from improved service quality and reported higher satisfaction with resolutions. In the second study involving 2,710 customers, we explored the role of ethnic identity in customer satisfaction. Our findings showed that customers reported greater satisfaction with providers from majority ethnic backgrounds, whereas minority customers exhibited lower satisfaction when paired with providers of the same ethnicity. Four additional studies with 1,211 participants delved into the psychological mechanisms driving these effects. Our results highlight the nuanced role of transparency and ethnic cues in shaping customer perceptions. This research offers actionable insights for firms aiming to optimize service interactions by balancing transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in complaint management policies.
Published Version
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