Complaint Behavior Research Articles

The Effect of Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Brand Loyalty on Consumer Complaint Behaviors: A Cross-Cultural Study

Consumers tend to exhibit e-WOM behavior or retention behavior or communicate with official channels rather than the brand, which can damage the brand in cases where the channels through which customers are expected to reach the brand for their complaints are dysfunctional. This study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive dissonance and brand loyalty factors as well as their impact on consumer complaint behavior in terms of differences between Turkish and Romanian consumers. For this purpose, a simultaneous quantitative research study was conducted in these two countries, with a total of 790 participants surveyed. The findings showed that the consumers’ level of brand loyalty had a significant positive effect on the level of cognitive dissonance, which significantly impacted complaint behavior. On the other hand, it was concluded that brand loyalty did not significantly affect complaint behavior. The comparative analysis revealed that Romanian customers’ brand loyalty was higher than Turkish customers’, and the dimensions concerning cognitive dissonance and complaint behavior were higher among Turkish customers.

The airing of grievances: A look at complaint behavior in library reddit

Social media platforms have been adapted into society in various ways during last two decades. Few studies have examined social media content from the perspective of the individual library professional, and in particular, from librarians’ social media posts about their work. This research explores social media complaints from library professionals to reveal insights into the areas of concern related to libraries as expressed in an informal, discursive style. Reddit data from three library subReddits was collected through a Python script. A total of 272 complaint posts with enough information were coded manually. A computational tool, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), was also used to extract linguistic characteristics of each post. The majority of the sources of the complaint posts came from librarians (86.76%). The top five categories of the target of the complaints were patrons (27.94%), the poster’s organization (20.22%), the poster’s supervisor (11.03%), the library field (11.03%), and the poster’s coworkers (10.29%). The top four topics of the complaint posts were patron behavior (21.69%), negative work environment (16.18%), job expectations (11.76%), and service expectations (10.66%). Organizations should put into place mechanisms and processes through which employees may share their concerns and exercise their voice, with no retribution, to solve workplace problems.

The Relationship between Service Quality, Perceived Value, Corporate Image, Complaint Behaviour, Role of Agent and Customer Satisfaction in Life Insurance Services in Klang Valley, Malaysia

The life insurance industry in Malaysia has developed since the British colonised Malaya era in the 18th century. The industry contributes to the economic growth in GDP by collecting the premium paid by the policyholders and, in return, promising a sum of money to pay to the policyholders when unfortunate events occur. Customer satisfaction is an important factor for policy owners to continue to pay their premium on time and to purchase new insurance product in future. The objective of this research was to examine the determinants of customer satisfaction in life insurance services in Klang Valley. From this study, 399 responses were collected through online questionnaire surveys. The questionnaire data was analysed using SPSS version 28. Demographic analysis, reliability test, normality test and coefficient test was conducted. The Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was used to assess the link between the independent variables (Service Quality, Perceived Value, Corporate Image, Complaint Behaviour, Role of Agent) and the dependent variable (Customer Satisfaction). Overall, the respondents were largely satisfied with their life insurance companies with customer satisfaction. Based on the output data, all five hypotheses in this study were supported, showing that service quality, perceived value, corporate image, complaint behaviour and role of agent significantly and positively influence satisfaction among life insurance customers in Klang Valley. Therefore, insurance organizations should pay attention to all factors mentioned in this study when offering services to clients because customer satisfaction translates into company profitability and customer loyalty. As a result, rigorous training courses should be provided to all company employees, especially insurance agents, who are the critical role as coordinator between the insurance company and clients.

Higher Education Student Complaint Behavior in a Complex Service Ecosystem: A Value Co-creation Perspective

During the global covid-19 pandemic, most of higher education institutions (heis) were forced to migrate to an e-learning methodology in order to continue their academic activities. At the same time, the student complaint behavior (scb) increased due to new experiences of dissatisfaction or non-satisfaction. In this context, and seeking to ensure student satisfaction, heis have managed this behavior in the same form that companies do with their customers. Therefore, we present a critical analysis on the generic and standardized approach in the literature and practice to understanding and managing scb in the same way as customer complaint behavior (ccb) is managed. A review of the literature on the theories and studies related to scb and ccb and the student/customer treatment debate are presented, highlighting the complexity of higher education (he) service, which is considered a pillar of development due to its social value. The authors argue the suitable application of the Service-Dominant Logic (sdl), specifically its value co-creation premise, as well as the principles of the Service Ecosystem theory to differentiate scb from ccb. This may allow heis to continue to ensure student satisfaction through the management of their complaints without compromising educational quality and service sustainability. The reflection hereby presented is limited to the Latin America region educational contexts and their structures.

Impact of the Destination Weather Conditions on Decision and Complaint Behavior of Guests Who Booked Vacation Rentals

Climate and weather conditions at a destination influence the decision regarding what season and which location tourists might travel to. Assuming that the holiday experiences and satisfaction during their stay are influenced by weather and climate as well, this study investigates the question: does bad weather lead to a higher complaint rate among guests who booked vacation rentals? To answer this question, the complaint behavior and the weather parameters temperature, precipitation, wind speed and humidity are examined. The correlations between weather and complaining behavior are proven using the four-field coefficient. The chi-square four-field test is used to subsequently test independence. As a result, a correlation between the weather parameters and complaints cannot be proven based on the applied methods and used data. The four-field coefficient cannot confirm a correlation, as it is close to zero for all four weather parameters. For further investigations, more complaint data are required to obtain more significant results.

Does social perception data express the spatio-temporal pattern of perceived urban noise? A case study based on 3,137 noise complaints in Fuzhou, China

The impact of urban noise on residents’ physical health and mental condition has gradually become a hot topic of public discussion. A single urban noise monitoring cannot fully reflect the public's actual perception and feeling of noise. In contrast, social perception data can provide indirect data reference for the public’s perception of noise. This study first collected and synthesized public noise complaint data from the government complaint platform. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of noise complaints in urban blocks were analyzed to explore the relationship between noise complaint behaviours and The Point of Interest (POI) distribution. The results show that: 1) In the time dimension, the total number of complaints at night is 2,157 and that in the daytime is 980. Furthermore, the number of noise complaints at night is much more than the number of noise complaints during the day; 2) In the spatial dimension, different types of noise complaints have obvious aggregation characteristics. Specifically, construction noise complaints are relatively concentrated, with some 1,813 complaints, while life and business noise complaints are scattered, with several 1,324 complaints; 3) Noise complaints have a specific correlation with the distribution of different types of POIs, among which the correlation is highest with living commercial and residential locations; 4) Places with higher and more abundant POIs are prone to higher noise complaints. This study can provide some ideas for promoting the optimization of urban noise problems.

I Deserve That Deal! Effects of New Customer Exclusive Promotions on Existing Service Customers

Given the inherent profitability in retaining existing customers over recruiting new ones, this research examines negative consequences of exclusive promotions used to recruit new customers to a service organization. It explores existing, loyal customer perceptions of the distributive justice of such promotions and their subsequent behavior toward the organization. Findings suggest that receiving a similar or better offer may increase feelings of distributive justice among existing customers for a new customer promotion. Further, higher loyalty increased feelings of distributive justice. Negative perceptions of distributive justice regarding the exclusive offer drive customer alienation and entitlement, which can then lead to negative relational behavior from existing customers such as lower repurchase intentions, intent to switch service providers, and complaint behavior.

Yiyecek İçecek Paket Servis Hizmetlerinde Pandemi Dönemi Müşteri Şikâyetlerine İlişkin Bir Araştırma

ÖZ
 Covid-19 salgını sebebiyle birçok sektör olumsuz yönde etkilenmiştir. Yiyecek içecek işletmeleri de salgından en fazla etkilenen sektörlerden biri olmuştur. Bu süreçte yiyecek içecek işletmeleri paket servis hizmeti sunmaya başlamıştır. Salgınla birlikte müşteri beklentileri değişmiş ve bu beklentilerin karşılanmaması durumunda tüketiciler şikâyet davranışına yönelmiştir. Bu araştırmanın amacı; pandemi sürecinde paket servis hizmeti sunan yiyecek içecek işletmelerine ilişkin müşteri şikâyetlerini belirlemektir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda sikayetvar.com adresinden 5 uluslararası zincir işletmeye yönelik paket servis başlığı altında yapılan toplam 500 kullanıcı yorumu kelime sayısı, şikâyet nedenleri, katılımcıların cinsiyetleri dikkate alınarak incelenmiştir. Sikayetvar.com sitesinde incelenen kullanıcı yorumlarına göre yapılan şikâyetlerin ana nedeninin bölgeye paket servis hizmetinin sunulmaması olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Araştırmanın ikinci bölümünde ise İstanbul ilinde yaşayan 30 kişi ile görüşme yapılmıştır. Araştırma kapsamında pandemi sürecinde paket servis hizmeti sunan yiyecek içecek işletmelerine ilişkin müşteri şikâyetleri öğrenilmiş, müşterilerin yaşanan olumsuzluklara karşı gösterdiği tutum belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Pandemi sürecinde paket servis hizmeti sunan yiyecek içecek işletmelerinde meydana gelen en önemli sorunun yaşanan gecikmeler olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
 Anahtar Kelimeler: Müşteri Şikâyetleri, Paket Servis, Covid-19, Pandemi
 JEL Sınıflandırması: M31

Predicting complaint voicing or exit amidst Indian consumers: a CHAID analysis

PurposeThe current study aims to predict consumer complaint status (complainers or non-complainers) based on socio-demographic and psychographic factors and further to discern the differences in behavior disposition of consumer groups concerning determinants of consumer's tendency to exit (TE).Design/methodology/approachThe research used survey-based data of 600 Indian consumers of three service sectors (hotel and hospitality, automobile service centers and organized retail stores). Chi-square automatic interaction detector (CHAID) decision tree analysis was used to profile consumers.FindingsThe results indicated that occupation; income; education; industry and attitude toward complaining were significant factors in profiling consumers as complainers or non-complainers. Further, determinants of TE (discouraging subjective norms, perceived likelihood of successful complaint, lower perceived switching cost, poor employee response, negative past experience and ease of complaint process) vary significantly across the groups of complainers and non-complainers.Research limitations/implicationsThe research questions in this study were tested with three service sectors consumers in India, so due care should be exercised in generalizing these findings to other sectors and countries. Study replication across other service sectors and countries is recommended to improve the generalizability of these findings with wider socio-demographic samples.Practical implicationsFirms striving for consumer retention and aim to extend their consumer life cycle can greatly benefit from the results of this study to understand the customer complaint behavior (CCB) specific to non-complaining (exit) behavior. The future researcher may benefit from replicating and extending the model in different industries for further contribution to the CCB literature.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, there is no evidence of consumer segmentation based on their complaining behavior or socio-demographic and psychographic factors by employing CHAID decision tree analysis. In addition to illustrating the use of data mining techniques such as CHAID in the field of CCB, it also contributes to the extant literature by researching in a non-Western setting like India.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Pain Complaint Behavior and Pain Self-efficacy in Patients with Chronic Back Pain in Tehran

Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Pain Complaint Behavior and Pain Self-efficacy in Patients with Chronic Back Pain in Tehran

Seekers’ complaint behavior in crowdsourcing: An uncertainty perspective

This research aims to understand how task descriptions on crowdsourcing platforms influence seekers’ complaint behavior, which has received little if any attention in research. From an uncertainty perspective, we develop a research model that depicts how seekers’ task description (task description uncertainty), solvers’ expertise (solver uncertainty), and task duration jointly influence seekers’ complaint behavior. The model was tested with real transaction data from ZBJ.com, a popular crowdsourcing platform in China. The results indicate that task description precision can reduce seekers’ complaint behavior while task description completeness counter-intuitively increases complaint behavior. Moreover, solvers’ expertise decreases seekers’ complaint behavior and at the same time attenuates the effects of task description on seekers’ complaint behavior. In addition, task duration negatively moderates the effect of task description completeness on complaint behavior.

The relationship between business and bank: the role of perceived injustice in complaint behaviour

The relationship between business and bank: the role of perceived injustice in complaint behaviour

Consumer Empowerment Index in the Telecommunications Sector: The Role Of Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle

Consumer empowerment is a benchmark for business, especially in the telecommunications sector, for economic fundamentals. This study aims to analyze the effect of social, demographic and economic characteristics and lifestyles on consumer empowerment in the telecommunications sector. This study applied a cross-sectional study with data collection by online survey. Cluster analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze 100 data. The results showed that consumer empowerment in the telecommunications sector was still relatively low. The average level of consumer empowerment in the telecommunications sector was 51.61, including the capable category. Based on dimensions, the index of information seeking was 80.8, knowledge of laws and consumer protection institutions was 52.8, service selection was 63.8, usage behavior was 71.0, tendency to talk was 43.7, and complaint behavior was 27.7. The full-filled lifestyle had a significant negative effect on consumer empowerment in the telecommunications sector. Thus, respondents who had a lifestyle other than a fulfilled lifestyle had more opportunities to be empowered than a fulfilled lifestyle. This research is a breakthrough in the study of thematic consumer empowerment, so it needs to be developed in the future.
 Keywords—Consumer Empowerment; Demographics; Economic; Lifestyle; Social

YENİ TÜKETİCİLER OLARAK DİJİTAL YERLİLER: Z KUŞAĞINDA ROL MODELİN DAVRANIŞSAL NİYETE ETKİSİ

Generation Z, called digital natives, differs in many ways from other generations. Examining the effects of role models on the behavioural intentions of Generation Z helps develop correct marketing strategies. Individuals regard their family, celebrities, respected people, business people, friends, teachers and many different people from different segments of the society as role models and are affected by them. In this context, it is important to understand who Z generation takes role models and how they are affected by role models in the digitalized world. The aim of this study is to determine the examine of role model structure on behavioral intention on generation Z. The data were collected from 415 participants via questionnaire forms, using the convenience sampling method. The data were analysed by using SPSS 26 package program and SPSS Process macro. Results show that brand loyalty, WOM, product switching and complaint behaviour have a positive effect on role model.

CONSUMER COMPLAINT BEHAVIOUR IN INDONESIA: ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CONFIDENCE

Complaint behavior is a person's response to dissatisfaction with the goods or services used. Complaints are feedback from customers that tend to be negative towards the company. Self-confidence can be interpreted as one aspect of personality in the form of belief in one’s abilities so that others do not influence him, can act according to his will, are happy, optimistic, relatively tolerant, and responsible. This study generally aims to analyze the effect of knowledge and self-confidence on complaints in Indonesia. The study used a cross-sectional study design. The samples were married or employee consumers aged between 17 to 60 years determined by multi-stage random sampling. The number of samples inthis study was 2.100 respondents. This study used descriptive analysis, independent t-test, and SEM using Linear Structural Relationship (LISREL) 8.72. The findings of this study indicate that the knowledge and respondents' complaint behavior are relatively low, whereas self-confidence was in the moderate category. Knowledge had a significant effect on complaint behavior but insignificant on self-confidence. Other results also indicate that self-confidence had no significant effect on complaint behavior.

Regression Analysis of the Court Complaints in the District Consumer Forums of Uttrakhand, India

Purpose: The current study aims to understand consumer complaints trends in district courts of the newly constructed state of Uttarakhand. Design/Methodology/Approach: A descriptive study was conducted to test the research framework. The secondary data on the consumer complaints filed with district consumer courts of Uttarakhand for 2006-2017 was considered for the study. Regression analysis was employed to understand consumer complaint behaviour trends concerning literacy and pendency rates. Findings: Trend analysis demonstrated that new cases filed with district consumer courts are higher in plain areas (Dehradun, Haridwar & Udham Singh Nagar). Regression analysis depicted a significant negative relationship between the case pendency rate and the number of new cases filed. The relationship between literacy rate and the number of new cases filed was not significant. Managerial Implications: Present study reinforces the significance of consumer courts in addressing to redressal of consumer complaints. It suggests firms and organizations address customers redressals properly; else, customers will take them to court. At the same time, it warns consumer courts about the increasing pendency of cases and urges them to take proper remedial actions. Originality/Value: The study highlighted the role of Third-party action in consumer complaint behaviour and provided an overview of consumer courts' performance and efficiency in 13 districts of Uttarakhand.

Consumer responses to the failure of self-service banking technology: moderating role of failure stability

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of dissatisfaction and anger, driven by the failure of the self-service technology of banks, on customers' post-purchase behavioural reactions, such as complaints, negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) and supplier change. The stability of the failure is proposed to moderate these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed research model was tested through data collected from an online survey of a Tunisian sample of 300 respondents, using the scenario method.FindingsThe study validates the positive impact of dissatisfaction on anger and negative word-of-mouth, as well as that of anger on complaint behaviour and negative word-of-mouth. The relation between dissatisfaction and negative word-of-mouth is mediated by anger. When the failure is stable, dissatisfied users of the self-service technology seek to enhance their negative word-of-mouth and supplier change. The results also show that the stability of the failure enhances the effect of anger on complaint behaviour.Practical implicationsBanks should invest efforts to accelerate the recovery of services to reduce consumer dissatisfaction and anger and prevent adverse behavioural outcomes. Further, they need to ensure that failures are not repeated, as failure stability activates some otherwise non-significant behavioural outcomes, like supplier change.Originality/valuePrevious works have focused on the impact of dissatisfaction and negative emotions for interpersonal services, but very few works have come to associate dissatisfaction, anger, complaint, negative word-of-mouth and supplier change in an integrative framework for an self-service technology failure.

Effect of Employee-Customer Interaction Quality on Customers' Prohibitive Voice Behaviors: Mediating Roles of Customer Trust and Identification.

Given that customer voice behaviors are confused with customer complaint behaviors in usage, this study thoroughly explains the essential differences between the two constructs. On that basis, this study investigates how employee–customer interaction (ECI) quality affects customers’ prohibitive voice behaviors, which is an crucial type of customer voice behaviors, by examining customer trust and identification as mediators. Data from 395 restaurant customers are collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results show that ECI quality positively affects customers’ prohibitive voice behaviors. In this effect, customer trust and identification play direct and sequential mediating roles. This study contributes theoretically to the current knowledge by clearly distinguishing customer voice behaviors from customer complaint behaviors and by providing new insights into the mechanism of customers’ prohibitive voice behaviors from the perspectives of service interaction and relational benefit enhancement. The practical implications of this study can help pointedly foster customers’ prohibitive voice behaviors.

Perception of Fairness of Interaction in Handling Complaints of Users of Travel Agency Services: Evidence from Serbia and Croatia

Service-dominant logic observes the user as a co-creator of value in the process of providing services. In the case of a complaint, as a result of dissatisfaction, the user and the travel agency become a co-creator of the value of service recovery. The perception of interactionist fairness is one of the determinants of a user’s complaint behaviour. Interactionist fairness is seen in the extent to which users consider to be treated fairly in terms of their interaction with a travel agency employee during the service recovery process. The research presented in this paper is based on determining the differences in perception of fairness of interaction in handling complaints of users of travel agency services in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics. The survey was conducted on a sample that included 297 respondents from the territory of Serbia and Croatia. The proposed hypotheses were tested using the Mann – Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis test. The purpose of this paper is to point out to travel agencies the importance of users’ reactions to unsatisfactory service as a kind of reflection of cooperation in service recovery.
 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Understanding the Level of Consumers’ Awareness of Legal Rights through Consumer Complaints

From a business point of view, it is known that the cost of acquiring new customers is much higher than the cost of retaining existing customers. In addition, inability to retain customers will both reduce cash flows and increase negative wom. For this reason, it is vital to ensure customer satisfaction and establish long-term relations with the customer. Customer complaints can be used as an important instrument as ensuring consumer satisfaction will result in increased repeated sales, positive word-of-mouth communication and consumer loyalty. Even in the most corporate and consumer-oriented enterprises, consumer complaints about the goods and services they offer may arise. There has been an increase in academic studies on consumer complaint behavior since the 1970s. These studies focused on whether customers complain, when, why and how they complain, what their next intentions and actions might be, and how businesses respond, react, or should respond to consumer complaints. Depending on the developing internet technologies, it has become fast, effortless and cost-free for consumers to express their dissatisfaction with goods and services. Thanks to the increasing number of customer service units, complaint management platforms, and user forums, it has become easier than ever to make complaints and access existing complaints. It is a controversial issue to what extent consumers are aware of their legal rights, despite the fact that it has become so easy for the consumer to create and access content thanks to technology, and consumer protection laws have become widespread. In a dynamic world where continuous change is happening, reasons such as information asymmetry, and the fact that some actors on the supply side do not want the consumer to know and/or use their legal rights cause confusion in the consumer. The existence of new phenomenons that came into our lives after developing technologies and those who abuse the situation and take advantage of legal loopholes before these concepts mature and before the relevant legal regulations. In this study, it has been tried to analyze the level of awareness of consumers about their legal rights through consumer complaints. For this, consumer complaints about the services offered by four telecommunication companies operating in Turkey were examined. At the end of the study, it was concluded that the created complaint categories form can be used as a tool to analyze the level of awareness the rights of the consumer.