Search results

There is much empirical evidence showing that the satisfaction of complainants with a company’s response has enormous impact on the customers’ future behaviour. Therefore, it becomes necessary to fully understand the construct of complaint satisfaction. Moreover, recent research provides deep insights into the determinants and consequences of complaint satisfaction. The focus of this article is on the dimensional structure of this construct. On a conceptual basis, two dimensions of complaint satisfaction are differentiated: outcome complaint satisfaction and process complaint satisfaction. The results of an empirical study are presented, demonstrating the effects of both dimensions on overall complaint satisfaction, relationship satisfaction and repurchase intention. Additionally, factor analysis leads to the identification of two factors that can be interpreted as satisfaction dimensions: cold fact complaint satisfaction and warm act complaint satisfaction. Obviously, complainants differentiate between those quality attributes that can be evaluated on the basis of objective facts on the one hand, and those that lead to more emotional reactions.

Due to the importance of understanding what circumstances make customer recovery programmes successful, this paper aims to study the effects of different cognitive evaluations (disconfirmation of expectations and perceived justice) and affective responses (positive and negative emotions) on satisfaction with complaint handling.

The sample used in this study consists of 679 subjects who, over the last six months, had experienced service failures and had afterwards complained. The data were collected via personal interviews using a structured survey.

The results of the study support the model and highlight the importance of the emotions experienced as a result of the complaint handling. Although these emotions have been underrepresented in the service recovery literature, our investigation shows that these emotions not only have an independent effect on customer satisfaction, after accounting for the effects of the cognitive evaluations of complaint handling, but also play a mediating role in the relationship between these cognitive variables and satisfaction.

This study examines only one service context; consequently, caution is needed when generalizing the results.

Given the findings in this paper, identifying customers' emotions can enable service organizations to know their perceptions of the recovery and, hence, adapt service recovery strategies adequately.

This study incorporates the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm and the dimension of informational justice into the existing models of cognitive and affective antecedents of satisfaction with complaint handling. Furthermore, this study is based on the analysis of real service failures and recovery strategies.

Complaint management is at the heart of customer relationship management. While many studies have analyzed a client’s complaint behavior in business-to-business (B2B) relationships, there is a lack of research in the study of complaints by distributors from different countries. The purpose of this paper is to explain the following two main objectives: to analyze if the complaint management strategy of a manufacturer varies depending on the type of international distributor used (indirect exporters, direct exporters and commercial subsidiaries); and to analyze the potential effects of complaint management on the satisfaction and fidelity of distributors and the quantity of complaints that they put.

A stratified probabilistic sampling method was used, dividing the entire population of distributors of a leading Spanish manufacturer into three different groups. In total, 79 valid responses were obtained as follows: 24 per cent from indirect exporters (organizational commitment Grade 1), 68 per cent from direct exporters (organizational commitment Grade 2) and 8 per cent from commercial subsidiaries (organizational commitment Grade 3). Partial least squares were used to analyze the proposed relationships.

The results have confirmed that the procedure for resolving the complaint and its length (resolution time) depends on the seriousness of the complaint (the type of complaint). In turn, the resolution of the complaint influences the satisfaction of the vendor and the latter will influence its fidelity. Regarding the number of complaints, those distributors with the highest number of complaints satisfactorily resolved are those who remain loyal to the company. On the contrary, it is not possible to affirm that the type of distribution channel affects the types of complaints that are presented. Different kinds of distributors of the same manufacturer (indirect exporters, direct exporters and commercial subsidiaries) complain equally. In addition, those whose complaints take longer to resolve are not significantly less satisfied. Even more, low-satisfied distributors will present more complaints than the most satisfied ones.

First, this study investigates if different kinds of distributors with different international commitments (indirect exporting, direct exporting and commercial subsidiary) behave differently in terms of claims and complaints. Second, this paper analyzes the role of complaint management in international B2B relations to improve distributors' satisfaction and loyalty; but considering the join impact of three dimensions of a successful complaint management strategy that literature usually has examined separately as follows: what (the type of complaint), how it is resolved (management procedure) and when it is closed (duration).

Focuses on a group of unsatisfied carpet owners. Examines the roles of the carpet warranty and the post‐purchase service received during the complaint process in terms of their effects on customers′ satisfaction with complaint resolution. Presents some suggestions for customer service policies, complaint handling procedures, and warranty fulfilment service.

This study investigates the effects of various organizational responses to complaints on post‐complaint customer behaviors. Specifically, the study investigates the effects of apology, atonement, promptness, facilitation, explanation, attentiveness and effort on complainant satisfaction and loyalty, and the association between satisfaction and loyalty. The study uses a sample of Turkish guests in the Northern Cyprus hotel industry. The hypothesized relationships are tested using LISREL 8.30 through path analysis. Results provide empirical support for ten of the 15 hypotheses examined. The path analysis reveals that apology, explanation, and effort are three organizational response options that exert significant positive effects on complainant satisfaction and loyalty. Empirical findings also suggest that effort appears to be the most influential organizational response affecting satisfaction and loyalty. Discussion of the results, implications, and limitations of the study are also presented.

The purpose of this paper is to examine data from a survey of police officers in a Western US city, showing the factors that shape police officers' satisfaction with their city's system for investigating and resolving citizen complaints alleging officer misconduct. Specifically, it tests whether perceptions of legitimate authority and procedural justice influence overall satisfaction, and how these two theoretical perspectives fare relative to a distributive justice perspective.

This paper uses anonymous mailed surveys to examine the attitudes of a sample of 373 police officer respondents from one large urban police department.

The findings support the importance of both procedural justice and perceived legitimacy by finding that both perspectives shape officers' satisfaction more than the actual outcomes reached on their cases. Attitudes toward oversight were not found to be related to satisfaction with the complaint process.

This paper focuses on only one city and has a relatively small number of respondents.

In this paper the analyses expand these theoretical perspectives by applying them to a unique and important group, the police themselves, whose attitude toward citizen complaints and police accountability has been largely neglected by the prior research.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on complaint satisfaction with a particular emphasis on the qualities and behaviours that affect customers during personal complaint handling encounters.

Following a literature review of complaint satisfaction and the role of customer contact employees in complaint encounters, an exploratory study using both the laddering interviewing technique and Kano questionnaires is presented.

The laddering results indicate that being taken seriously in the complaint encounter and the employee's friendliness, listening skills and competence are particularly important. The fact that interpersonal factors are highly regarded indicates that customers want to satisfy these process needs first and their outcome expectations second. The Kano results show that employees' active listening skills are the only must‐be requirements while the two concepts “Apology” and “Respectful Treatment” are close to being must‐be criteria. In addition, the employee's feedback after the complaint handling encounter can almost be categorized as an excitement factor.

Owing to the exploratory nature of the study and the scope and size of the chosen sample, the results outlined are tentative in nature.

By combing two research methods, this paper develops an area of research that could reap considerable benefits for researchers interested in the area of customer complaint satisfaction.

Using a realist perspective, this paper seeks to investigate how complaining customers want to be treated by frontline employees in personal complaint handling encounters. For this purpose, an exploratory research study using the qualitative laddering interviewing technique was regarded as appropriate as it allows researchers to gain a deeper insight into an underdeveloped research subject. Following realist thinking and terminology, the exploratory study aims to develop a deeper understanding of the so‐called micro structures of complaining customers.

A semi‐standardised qualitative technique called laddering was used to reveal the cognitive structures of complaining customers. In total, laddering interviews with 40 respondents with complaining experience were conducted.

The research shows that the most important attributes for complaining customers are the contact employees' authenticity, competence and active listening skills. These concepts are linked with several consequences and values such as “justice”, “well‐being” and “security”.

Owing to the exploratory nature of the study in general and the scope and size of its sample in particular, the findings are tentative in nature. As the study involved students from one university, the results cannot be generalized beyond this group even though in this case the student sample is likely to represent the general buying public.

If companies know what complaining customers expect, frontline employees may be trained to adapt their behaviour to their customers' underlying expectations, which should have a positive impact on customer satisfaction. For this purpose, the paper gives several suggestions to managers to improve active complaint handling and management.

The findings enrich the existing limited stock of knowledge on complaint satisfaction by developing a deeper understanding of the attributes that complaining customers expect from frontline employees, as well as the underlying logic for these expectations. Revealing the important role of employee authenticity adds to our knowledge on complaint satisfaction. Another strong contribution of this paper lies in the finding that all the identified concepts must not be seen in strict isolation, as in previous research, but have to be understood as a network of interrelated concepts: the attributes of frontline employees have several important consequences for customers (e.g. the feeling of being taken seriously), which are then linked to consumers' personal values and basic motivations (e.g. perceptions of justice).

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of complaint behaviour and service recovery satisfaction on consumer intentions to repurchase through internet channels.

Using survey data from large consumer samples from 15 European countries, the authors classify consumers according to: whether they had negative experiences with online purchases, whether they complained, and whether they were satisfied with the complaint handling. A logistic regression analysis assesses the effects of these experiences on repurchase intentions.

Remarkable differences arise among the consumers with respect to intentions to repurchase on the internet. Consumers with negative experiences who complained expressed higher repurchase intentions than consumers with no reason to complain and also than consumers who had negative experiences but did not complain. Yet the highest repurchase intentions arose among consumers who complained and expressed satisfaction with the complaint handling, in support of the service recovery paradox in an online setting.

This project is one of the first empirical studies of the consequences of dissatisfaction and complaints related to online purchase behaviour.

Greater attention should be paid to the emotional aspects of the service experience. In this context, this paper aims to propose that emotions will have a different impact on customers’ complaint behavior and satisfaction depending on the hedonic or utilitarian nature of the service and for this purpose a valence-based approach is followed.

A sample of 809 service users was analyzed through multi-group structural equation modeling, including both hedonic (bars and cafeterias, n = 210) and utilitarian services (bank and public transportation services, n = 599).

Research findings show the different influence of emotions on customers’ complaint behavior and satisfaction depending on the service nature. Further, the negative affect does not influence behavioral outcomes in hedonic services, whereas positive affect exerts a slight lower influence in utilitarian services. Finally, the service nature plays a moderating role in the emotions–satisfaction and emotions–complaint behavior relationship.

This research shows the important role of the service nature, reporting different results for hedonic and utilitarian services in the influence of emotions in behavioral outcomes.