Complaint Intentions Research Articles

Recovering from Other-Customer-Caused Failure: The Effect on Focal Customer Complaining

ABSTRACTIn the high-contact restaurant context, customers frequently “overstay,” which negatively influences focal customers waiting for tables. We examine service recovery of this failure, otherwise termed an other-customer-caused failure (OCCF) by restaurants, and its influence on focal customer complaint intentions to the organization, namely vent and voice. OCCFs are commonplace and can have a damaging effect on service organizations, and thus need to be managed; yet empirical examination of their recovery is scarce. We address this by testing the effect of the recovery actions of wait comfort, service-worker effort, and apology on focal customers’ vent and voice complaint intentions. We found that these recovery actions interact complexly. Wait comfort is obligatory in reducing customer complaints, while effort and apology are substitutable when a comfortable wait is provided. This is an important contribution, as wait comfort has not previously been examined as a recovery action.

The Effect of Unsatisfied Experience, Culture Value, and Value Loss on Complaint Intention of Electronic Devices in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Purchase dissatisfaction on electronic devices could cause complain t intention . B eside s purchase dissatisfaction , culture value s included individualis m and collectivsm also influence d complain t intention. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of unsatisfied experience, culture value, and the value loss on c omplain t i ntention of electronic devices . The location of this study was selected purposiv ely which was Paledang District, Central Bogor Regency, Bogor City . The study involved 100 respondent s which were selected purposive ly. The respondents were a husband or a wife who made a decision on buying and using electronic devices . The data were collected with an interview using questionnaire. The result showed that unsatisfied experience, individualism, and age influence d complaint intention while collectivism, value loss, and famil y income were the factors which did not influence complain t intention. Keywords: culture value s , collectivism, individualism, complain t intention, value loss, unsatisfied experience Ketidakpuasan pembelian barang elektronik dapat menimbulkan adanya niat komplain . S elain ketidakpuasan, culture value juga memengaruhi seseorang berniat untuk melakukan komplain. Culture value dalam penelitian ini meliputi individualisme dan kolektivisme. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh pengalaman ketidakpuasan, culture value , serta nilai kerugian terhadap niat komplain pada barang elektronik. Pemilihan lokasi penelitian dilakukan secara purposif yaitu di Kelurahan Paledang RW 04, Kecamatan Bogor Tengah, Kota Bogor. P enelitian melibatkan 100 orang sebagai sampel yang dipilih secara purposif , yaitu suami atau istri yang mengambil keputusan dalam membeli barang elektronik. Data diperoleh melalui wawancara dengan menggunakan kuesioner. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengalaman ketidakpuasan, individualisme, dan usia memiliki pengaruh terhadap niat komplain sedangkan kolektivisme, nilai kerugian, dan pendapatan keluarga merupakan faktor-faktor yang tidak berpengaruh terhadap niat komplain. Kata kunci: culture value s , individualisme, kolektivisme, niat komplain, nilai kerugian, pengalaman ketidakpuasan

A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL FOR THE DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON OF COMPLAINT BEHAVIOUR AFTER PURCHASING OF ELECTRONIC, FOOD AND TEXTILE PRODUCTS

This study was undertaken to investigate the complaint behaviour exhibited by university students due to dissatisfactions they experienced after purchasing electronic, food and textile products by using a proposed Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). For this purpose, measurements are performed onan interval scale by using the 5-point Likert in order to measure the agreement level of 329 university students on attitude and behaviour statements oriented at complaints. There are 7 factors in the research model including alienation related with complaint (ALN) and controllability (CON) as exogenous latent variables; perceived value of complaint (VAL), the “complaint will be successful” faith (LKH), complaint intention (CI), explicit complaint behaviour (ECB) and implicit complaint behaviour (ICB) as endogenous latent variables. In this study, the effect of alienation of students from the company they shop and of their belief in controllability of the company on general complaint attitudes and complaint behaviours are tested with 13 hypotheses for electronic, food and textile products separately, and the obtained results are compared. In relation to the three groups, research findings have shown the same results for certain hypotheses and different results for certain other hypotheses.

How does social distance impact customers’ complaint intentions? A cross-cultural examination

This study examines the impact of social distance between focal customers and other customers (in-group versus out-group) on complaint intentions in a cross-cultural (i.e., collectivist Chinese versus individualist American) context. Results from a between-subjects quasi-experiment suggest that social distance moderates complaint intentions across the two cultural groups. When dining out with their families (i.e., in the presence of in-group members), American customers (versus Chinese) are more likely to voice complaints about service failures. However, in the presence of strangers (i.e., out-group members), complaint intentions are uniformly high for both American and Chinese participants. Moreover, concern for face (CFF) is the underlying mechanism explaining customers’ reactions to service failures. Specifically, when service failures are observed by strangers, CFF mediates the impact of culture on complaint intentions while the role of culture is more salient in the presence of family members.

A Study of Complaint Behaviour Intentions of Airline Passengers

Since airline industry is a prime service industry and interaction of service providers and service seekers is dominant which increases the chances of service failures in each step of service delivery process. Service failures are unpreventable in the core service delivery system and consumer complaints are like keys to identify the failures in the services of an organization. Behavioral intentions of complainants can be voice, private and third party (Singh, 1988). The present study aims to examine the airline passengers complaint behavior intentions. This study also examines the effect of demographic variables on consumer complaint intentions. The results of descriptive statistics and t-test shows that complainants are dominantly engaged in voice actions and there is no significant difference between the voice, private and third party intentions of complainants and non-complainants.

The role of meta-perceptions in customer complaining behavior

Purpose – This study aims to demonstrate that meta-perceptions play a contributing role in customers’ direct complaint intention. Design/methodology/approach – In an exploratory study, we identified different types of meta-perceptions. In a scenario-based experiment, we tested the interaction effect of service failure attribution and the perceived service failure severity on meta-perceptions and direct complaint intention. Findings – After experiencing service failure, customers amplify both positive and negative meta-perceptions. Depending on how customers attribute the service failure and perceive the magnitude of service failure, they evaluate these meta-perceptions differently which then determine their subsequent actions. Research limitations/implications – The use of hypothetical scenarios may not capture the richness of an actual service encounter. The study is limited to two service failure contexts: cable TV connection and restaurant booking. Practical implications – Service managers should design marketing strategies that can elevate customers’ positive social image associated with voicing complaints. Originality/value – This study offers a new explanation, in that some customers do not engage in direct complaining behavior owing to meta-perceptions that they develop during service failure.

Group Emotional Contagion and Complaint Intentions in Group Service Failure

Service failure is well documented in service marketing literature, which mainly focuses on service interactions between employees and individual customers. However, prior research has not examined customers’ emotional and behavioral responses during group service failure—that is, a service involving a group of customers who do not meet the expectations of all or the majority of the customers. Compared with service failure involving individual customers (individual service failure), customers in group service failure are likely to show different emotional and behavioral characteristics. The authors conduct two experiments and find that customers have higher levels of anger and complaint intentions in group service failure than in individual service failure. In addition, the displays of anger by surrounding customers are positively related to individual customers’ anger. Through a second experiment, this article further investigates the role of group size and group familiarity on group emotional contagion during group service failure. The results show that both group size and group familiarity moderate the relationship between the displays of anger by surrounding customers and an individual customer’s anger—that is, the effect of group emotional contagion is stronger in a large/familiar group than in a small/unfamiliar group. The results provide several theoretical and managerial implications for research in group service failure.

Analysing complaint intentions in online shopping: the antecedents of justice and technology use and the mediator of customer satisfaction

Complaint behaviours are the key to the competition in an online market when service quality is a major concern of consumers. An understanding of complaint intentions can provide insight into a negative service experience and in turn, effectively redress consumer's problems. It is our purpose to examine the determinants of complaint intentions in the online shopping. When online consumers essentially involve the purchase of products/services and the use of web-based technologies, two major issues particularly arise in this context, exchange behaviour and technology use. This study thus integrates justice perception and expectation–confirmation model (ECM) of information system continuance to understand customer satisfaction and in turn, complaint intentions. Data were collected for online consumers with negative service experiences. The results of testing the structural model indicated that distributive and interactional justices significantly contribute to customer satisfaction and complaint intentions, but procedural justice does not. ECM-based features, such as perceived usefulness, are all important in determining customer satisfaction and complaint intentions. The implications for managers and scholars are further discussed.

Who gets to decide your complaint intentions? The influence of other companions on reaction to service failures

This study aims to examine the impact of others companion on complaint intentions when encountering service failure to fill in the gap of insufficient research on the effect of the presence of others companion on consumer complaint behavior (CCB) in the literature of service failure through four scenario experiments. The results of study 1, 2 and 4 support our basic hypothesis that customers who encounter service failures will have higher complaint intentions when they are with others than when alone. The findings study 2, 3 and 4 suggest that the level of intimacy between two individuals acts as a partial mediator of their complaint intentions. People with closer relationships, such as in-group members or of the same sex, have higher complaint intentions than those who are less close. Furthermore, study 4 showed that consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence represents the normative influence that companions provide, which leads to higher complaint intentions when eating with friends than with family.

Determinants affecting customer’s complaint intention

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that influence customers` complaint intention by developing a comprehensive integrated model. Design/methodology/approach - The research adopted a convenient sampling method and carried out surveys in department stores, supermarkets, cafeterias and convenience stores in Pakistan. Findings - The results show that perceived value, perceived likelihood of successful complaint, the attitude toward complaining and politeness all have significant effects on the complaint intention. Also, prior experience of complaining is analyzed as the antecedents. Practical implications - The results indicate that in order to intensify customers` attitude towards complaining, firms should increase value of a complaint and perceived likelihood of complaint along with keeping degree of politeness of a customer and introduce policies that encourages more polite customers to make direct complaint Originality/value - In this study it has be proven that perceived value of complaint, perceived likelihood of success, attitudes toward complaint and politeness significantly affects customer's tendency to make a complaint and are important determinants. This study also explores the effect of previous complaint experience on perceived likelihood of successful complaint. This research provides a more holistic view of the determinants that affect customer`s complaint behavior by taking customer`s politeness in view along with other complicated structural relationships.

Complaint Intentions of Consumers of Pakistan Restaurant Industry

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to predict which factors can determine consumer’s intentions to complain when they meet service failure in restaurant industry. Design/methodology/approach –quantitative data was collected through the instrument of a survey questionnaire. Data were collected from 250 consumers to assess the Influence of attitude, subjective norm, and Self-efficacy on the intention to complain. Findings - The results show that the attitudes toward complaining and self-efficacy have significant effects on the consumer complaint intention. Also, self-efficacy of complaining is analyzed as the antecedents. Practical implications – the results shows that in order to intensify the consumers attitude toward complaining in hospitality industry, service provider should encourage complaints to locate the failure and make policies to make the consumer satisfied/loyal. Here in the restaurant industry, when consumers (having high degree of self-efficacy) face faulty services, they focus on better solution in reaction to service failure by better using their expertise, skills and resources. Originality/value - In this study it has be proven that perceived attitudes toward complaint and self-efficacy are very important determinants which directly affects Consumer’s intention to make complains. This study also explores the effect of self-efficacy on consumer complaints behavior and provides a more holistic view of the determinants which affect customer`s complaint behavior.

The Use of Student Subjects in Hospitality Research: Insights from Subjective Knowledge

This study addresses the use of students as a research subject issue by examining three groups’ (hospitality students, other major students, and non-student adults) responses to service failure and recovery. The findings, based on two experiments, suggest similar levels of overall satisfaction and return intentions but differences in the magnitude of failure, negative emotions, complaint intentions and overall justice perceptions in the three sample groups. Hospitality students’ responses are closer to non-student adults’ than other major students’ and subjective knowledge of restaurant services provides an explanation for this pattern. Implications using student samples and evaluating research findings based on them are discussed.

Complaining Behavior: The effect of different factors on Consumer Complaining Behavior

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to comprehensively understand the determinants who affect the customer intention to complain to firm through an integrated model and also the effect of those determinants on the complaint intention and the relationship of those intentions with the complaining behavior.Design/Approach/Methodology: A quantitative research method was used based on self administered questionnaire with a sample size of 171 participants collected by using convenience sample and the results were tested through regression analysis.Findings/Results: The results shows that the complaining intention and attitude towards complaint have a significant relationship with complaining behavior while prior experience and controllability to complain have an insignificant relationship with complaining behavior. Attitude towards complaint and perceived possibility of success have a significant relationship with intention to complain. The antecedent prior experience has a significant relationship with perceived possibility of success and an insignificant relationship with attitude towards complaint. The variable controllability to complaint has a significant relationship with both perceived possibility of success and attitude towards complaint while Perceived alienation has a significant relationship with perceived possibility of success but insignificant relationship with attitude towards complaint.Limitations and recommendations: This study is conducted on a small level with small sample size. Due to which there are some insignificant relationships which can be prove as significant relationship if the sample size is large. A limited number of variables are discussed in this article. Other researchers can elaborate other variables affecting complaining behavior e.g. word of mouth, level of dissatisfaction etc.

A Study on The Influencing Factors on the Customer Complaint Intention - Focusing on The Factors Under Company's Control-

A Study on The Influencing Factors on the Customer Complaint Intention - Focusing on The Factors Under Company's Control-

Online shopping delivery delay: Finding a psychological recovery strategy by online consumer experiences

We propose a new type of psychological recovery strategy (i.e., online consumer experiences, OCEs) for online shopping delivery delay. We developed 4 types of OCEs based on the interactivity concept (low machine interactivity with low person interactivity, MIL–PIL; high machine interactivity with low person interactivity, MIH–PIL; low machine interactivity with high person interactivity, MIL–PIH, and high machine interactivity with high person interactivity, MIH–PIH). We conducted 2 studies, and 1078 online shoppers participated in this study. The results indicate that when consumers meet a delivery delay, proving them with OCEs could increase satisfaction and reduce complaint intention. Cognitive dissonance (CD) from inconsistency between OCEs and direct experience also moderates OCEs effects on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and complaint intention. Finally, desire for control (DC) and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII) moderate the OCEs effects on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and complaint intention: consumers with low DC and low CSII prefer MIL–PIL; consumers with high DC and low CSII prefer MIH–PIL, consumers with low DC and high CSII prefer MIL–PIH, and consumers with high DC and high CSII prefer MIH–PIH.

The antecedents of complaint behaviour for Brazilian and French consumers of services

AbstractUsing a cross‐cultural approach, this study investigates customer satisfaction after a service failure and recovery experience, considering (i) the influence of perceived justice on satisfaction; (ii) the impact of satisfaction on consumer repurchasing and complaint intentions; (iii) the moderating role of the customer cultural orientation; and (iv) the relevance of contextual variables. Based on a survey of 298 consumers from Brazil and France, the results indicated that (i) distributive and interactional justice influenced satisfaction; (ii) satisfaction was a significant predictor of repurchase intentions; (iii) satisfaction influenced third‐party, private and voice responses; and (iv) the level of the customer relationship, the severity of the failure and the responsiveness of the firm were significant contextual variables. Moreover, the individual‐level analysis suggested that only power distance cultural orientation was a significant moderator.

The antecedents of customer satisfaction and its link to complaint intentions in online shopping: An integration of justice, technology, and trust

Complaint behaviors are critical to maintaining customer loyalty in an online market. They provide insight into the customer's experience of service failure and help to redress the failures. Previous studies have shown the importance of customer satisfaction as a mediator for complaint intentions. It is important to examine the antecedents of customer satisfaction and its link to complaint intentions. Online shoppers are both buyers of products/services and users of web-based systems. Trust also plays a critical role in forming a psychological state with positive or negative feelings toward e-vendors. In this context, there are three major concerns: justice, technology and trust. This study proposes a research model to combine these issues, in order to investigate complaint intentions. Data were collected from an online survey wherein subjects were encouraged to reflect on recent service failure experiences. The results from testing a structural equation model indicate that distributive and interactional justice contribute significantly to customer satisfaction and, in turn, to complaint intentions, but procedural justice does not. Technology-based features and trust are also important in determining the two target variables. The implications for managers and scholars are also discussed.

The Role of Cultural Tightness–Looseness in the Ethics of Service Recovery

ABSTRACT This research was intended to examine the moderating role of cultural tightness–looseness orientation (i.e., how strongly or weakly people pursue standardized social norms) in influencing consumers’ postrecovery behaviors at an individual level. Results of two studies demonstrated that the differential level of tightness–looseness orientation of consumers to societal norms influences their perceptions of service recovery efforts, which in turn affects their postrecovery complaint behaviors. Specifically, study 1 showed that overcompensation for service failure reduced postrecovery complaint tendency among “loose” consumers but not among “tight” consumers. Study 2 revealed that while either tangible compensation or an apology might ameliorate the dissatisfaction from the failure and alleviate complaint intention among loose consumers, tight consumers seek an apology rather than tangible compensation when a service failure occurs. These findings affirmed the vital role of tightness–looseness orientation of consumers in their responses to service failures and recovery efforts.

Will You Tolerate This? The Impact of Affective Commitment on Complaint Intention and Postrecovery Behavior

Successful complaint management primarily depends on customers' willingness to voice their complaints and on companies' ability to adequately deal with these complaints. This article investigates the impact of one relationship characteristic in the complaint management process: affective commitment. Based on two studies, the authors investigate whether affective commitment moderates the impact of complaint barriers on complaint intention (a) and whether it moderates the link between complaint satisfaction and purchase behavior after the complaint (b). Results show that affectively committed customers exhibit higher complaint intention irrespective of the level of complaint barriers. Furthermore, affectively committed customers display little change in their postrecovery behavior, even after a service failure followed by an unsatisfactory recovery attempt. It seems that these customers are tolerant and want to help the provider improve their business. Affective commitment seems to amplify willingness to help the company by means of voicing dissatisfaction despite considerable efforts in doing so. Moreover, affective commitment buffers the negative effects of service failures on postrecovery behavior. Findings have important implications for managers. They highlight the necessity to measure customers' affective commitment. Based on that, tailored complaint systems can be designed, which help in achieving a more effective allocation of resources for customer recovery.

The role of tie strength on consumer dissatisfaction responses

This study examines the impact of tie strength and service failure type on consumers’ behavioral intention (voice complaint and negative Word-of-Mouth) in a restaurant context. Overall, the results indicate that tie strength significantly reduces consumers’ intention to spread negative Word-of-Mouth, but it fails to influence their complaint intention. In addition, failure type plays an important role on consumers’ complaint behavior; consumers are more willing to voice a complaint after a core service failure than after an interactional service failure.