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1 – 10 of over 32000Andreawan Honora, Kai-Yu Wang and Wen-Hai Chih
This research investigates the role of customer forgiveness as the result of online service recovery transparency in predicting customer engagement. It also examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
This research investigates the role of customer forgiveness as the result of online service recovery transparency in predicting customer engagement. It also examines the moderating roles of timeliness and personalization in this proposed model.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey study using retrospective experience sampling and a scenario-based experimental study were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
Customer forgiveness positively influences customer engagement and plays a mediating role in the relationship between service recovery transparency and customer engagement. Additionally, timeliness and personalization moderate the positive influence of service recovery transparency on customer forgiveness. The positive influence of service recovery transparency on customer forgiveness is more apparent when levels of timeliness and personalization decrease.
Practical implications
To retain focal customers' engagement after a service failure, firms must obtain their forgiveness. One of the firm's online complaint handling strategies to increase the forgiveness level of focal customers is to provide a high level of service recovery transparency (i.e. responding to their complaints in a public channel), especially when the firm is unable to respond to online complaints quickly or provide highly personalized responses.
Originality/value
This research provides new insights into the underlying mechanism of customer engagement by applying the concept of customer forgiveness. It also contributes to the social influence theory by applying the essence of the theory to explain how other customers' virtual presence during the online complaint handling influences the forgiveness of focal customers in order to gain their engagement. Additionally, it provides insight into the conditions under which the role of service recovery transparency can be very effective in dealing with online complaints.
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Spotlights consumer complaints as an important signalling device — government action is undertaken as a result of them and they provide an index of consumer dissatisfaction which…
Abstract
Spotlights consumer complaints as an important signalling device — government action is undertaken as a result of them and they provide an index of consumer dissatisfaction which increases in importance as further data becomes available. Ranges across data relating to England and Wales which demonstrates that consumer durables, as a purchase category, are more likely to be involved in more complaints than other purchases. Determines that consumer complaints, therefore, are an important signalling device — even governments take action as a result of them. Proclaims that, despite the importance, consumer complaints have attracted little attention in the marketing, management and economics literature (this omission is much more marked in the UK than in the USA or the rest of western Europe). Announces that this work is primarily concerned with the 'economic determinants of consumer complaints' rather than with the socio‐economic or psychological characteristics of complaints. Continues in the second section by advancing some hypotheses concerning consumer complainants. Follows in the third section by describing the data, plus limitations, used for testing these hypotheses. Concludes in the final part with results and offers conclusive points.
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Paul Goldsmith, Jackie Moon, Paul Anderson, Steve Kirkup, Susan Williams and Margaret Gray
Error reporting by healthcare staff, patient-derived complaints and patient-derived medico-legal claims are three separate processes present in most healthcare systems. It is…
Abstract
Purpose
Error reporting by healthcare staff, patient-derived complaints and patient-derived medico-legal claims are three separate processes present in most healthcare systems. It is generally assumed that all relate to the same cases. Given the high costs associated with these processes and strong desire to maximise quality and standards, the purpose of this paper is to see whether it was indeed the case that most complaints and claims related to medical errors and the relative resource allocation to each group.
Design/methodology/approach
Electronic databases for clinical error recording, patient complaints and medico-legal claims in a large NHS healthcare provider organisation were reviewed and case overlap analysed.
Findings
Most complaints and medico-legal claims do not associate with a prior clinical error. Disproportionate resource is required for a small number of complaints and the medico-legal claims process. Most complaints and claims are not upheld.
Research limitations/implications
The authors have only looked at data from one healthcare provider and for one period. It would be useful to analyse other healthcare organisations over a longer time period. The authors were unable to access data on secondary staffing costs, which would have been informative. As the medico-legal process can go on for many years, the authors do not know the ultimate outcomes for all cases. The authors also do not know how many medico-legal cases were settled out of court pragmatically to minimise costs.
Practical implications
Staff error reporting systems and patient advisory services seem to be efficient and working well. However, the broader complaints and claims process is costing considerable time and money, yet may not be useful in driving up standards. System changes to maximise helpful complaints and claims, from a quality and standards perspective, and minimise unhelpful ones are recommended.
Originality/value
This study provides important data on the lack of overlap between errors, complaints and claims cases.
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The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model to comprehensively understand the determinants of customers' intention to complain to firms and their effects on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model to comprehensively understand the determinants of customers' intention to complain to firms and their effects on complaint intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopted a systematic sampling method and carried out surveys in department stores, large supermarkets, and convenience stores in China. The structural equation model was employed to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that perceived value, perceived likelihood of successful complaint and the attitude toward complaining, all have significant effects on the complaint intention. Also, consumer discontent, prior experience of complaining and controllability are analyzed as the antecedents.
Practical implications
The results indicate that firms should encourage customers to complain by raising the complaining value and the likelihood of successful complaint, and by intensifying their attitude toward complaining.
Originality/value
The research findings extend the existing theoretical models and shed light on the complicated structural relationship among various factors that affect customers' tendency to complain directly with a more holistic viewpoint to better understand customers' complaint‐making behavior.
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Theresa D. Williams, Mary Frances Drake and James D. Moran
Examines complaint alternatives, identifies the relationshipsbetween consumer complaint behaviour, the store patronized and consumercomplaint behaviour relative to the price of…
Abstract
Examines complaint alternatives, identifies the relationships between consumer complaint behaviour, the store patronized and consumer complaint behaviour relative to the price of the garment purchased. Questionnaire results from 479 respondents who purchased garments from either a mass merchant, a department store, a local discounter, or a national discounter were based on a nine‐item complaint activity measure; indicated that they were likely to engage in various complaint behaviours – both “public” and “private”. A correlation was found between store, price and the type of complaint behaviour.
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This study aims to construct an instrument for identifying certain attributes or capabilities that might enable healthcare staff to use complaints to improve service quality.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to construct an instrument for identifying certain attributes or capabilities that might enable healthcare staff to use complaints to improve service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
PubMed and ProQuest were searched, which in turn expanded access to other literature. Three paramount dimensions emerged for healthcare quality management systems: managerial, operational, and technical (MOT).
Findings
The paper reveals that the managerial dimension relates to quality improvement program infrastructure. It contains strategy, structure, leadership, people and culture. The operational dimension relates to implementation processes: organizational changes and barriers when using complaints to enhance quality. The technical dimension emphasizes the skills, techniques or information systems required to achieve successfully continuous quality improvement.
Research limitations/implications
The MOT model was developed by drawing from the relevant literature. However, individuals have different training, interests and experiences and, therefore, there will be variance between researchers when generating the MOT model.
Practical implications
The MOT components can be the guidelines for examining whether patient complaints are used to improve service quality. However, the model needs testing and validating by conducting further research before becoming a theory.
Originality/value
Empirical studies on patient complaints did not identify any analytical tool that could be used to explore how complaints can drive quality improvement. This study developed an instrument for identifying certain attributes or capabilities that might enable healthcare professionals to use complaints and improve service quality.
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“The customer service complaint is universal in physical distribution operations. It is inevitable that even the most efficient of distribution systems will occasionally have…
Abstract
“The customer service complaint is universal in physical distribution operations. It is inevitable that even the most efficient of distribution systems will occasionally have failures; it is equally inevitable that from these failures will emanate complaints. Only if an active and systematic effort is made to handle these complaints can they graduate … to become part of management's kit of tools in making its distribution system better and more responsive to the company's (and Its customers') needs.”
Jan Breitsohl, Marwan Khammash and Gareth Griffiths
The purpose of this paper is to investigate public online consumer complaint responses from three different perspectives: the complainer, the company and third party consumers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate public online consumer complaint responses from three different perspectives: the complainer, the company and third party consumers. Consumer complaint behaviour and management has been studied in various streams of literature, yet the subsequent processes triggered by a company complaint response have not been studied so far. In particular, this paper seeks to divert from examining complaint participants in isolation by recognising interrelated communication effects of complaint dialogue and public media.
Design/methodology/approach
Looking at credibility perceptions as a theoretical construct for measuring the utility of a complaint as well as attitude‐orientation as an evaluative moderator, the paper highlights the ambiguity of meaning transfer in an online complaint forum.
Findings
It is hypothesised that credibility and congruence in attitude orientation positively enhance complaint utility perceptions and strongly bias complaint dialogue evaluations.
Originality/value
The paper highlights that expected relevant results for online complaint managers and marketers alike are the inclusion of post‐complaint communication into corporate image and relationship management as well as using credibility perceptions as a benchmark for online customer satisfaction and potential positive electronic word‐of‐mouth.
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Randhir Chavan, Carol Porter and Soupramanien Sandramouli
Complaints can provide the health provider with vital information on its performance and can point towards areas for improvement. The purpose of this study was to undertake a…
Abstract
Purpose
Complaints can provide the health provider with vital information on its performance and can point towards areas for improvement. The purpose of this study was to undertake a retrospective study of all formal complaints in an eye hospital over a three‐year period in order to look at the complaint rate, demographics, their nature, how they were resolved and the lessons learned.
Design/methodology/approach
Complaints received were entered onto the complaints module of the DATIX database system. Formal patient complaints between April 2003 and March 2006 available on the DATIX database were analysed retrospectively.
Findings
The study found that there were total of 94 formal complaints out of 186,323 attendances at the hospital. The overall complaint rate was 5.09 per 10,000 attendances. 52(55.31 per cent) complaints were about rescheduling or cancellation of appointments. Complaints related to communication failure were 17(18.08 per cent) followed by clinical complaints, which totalled 13 (13.82 per cent). Four (4.25 per cent) complaints each under the category of amenities, administrative and waiting times were also recorded. The complaint rate for Outpatients Department was 1.5 per 10,000 attendances. The in‐patient ward had a complaint rate of 0.91 per 1000. The complaint rate for A&E department was 0.88 per 10,000 attendances. The operation theatre plus laser sessions had a complaint rate of 0.95 per 10,000. 79 (84.04 per cent) complaints were resolved at the first stage of local resolution. Complaints during the study period brought about two clinical changes in practice.
Originality/value
The use of complaints data as an important tool to learn from less satisfied patients is recommended. Comparing and sharing data on complaints between hospitals can help to highlight common deficient areas and can also be used to plan strategies.
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Vincent C.S. Heung and Terry Lam
The area of customer complaint behaviour has received considerable attention from hotel managers as dissatisfied customers engage in a variety of complaint actions that could ruin…
Abstract
The area of customer complaint behaviour has received considerable attention from hotel managers as dissatisfied customers engage in a variety of complaint actions that could ruin the reputation of a hotel. This study examined Chinese customer complaint behaviour towards Hong Kong hotel restaurant services. The main objectives were to identify complaint patterns and the relationships between customers’ demographic backgrounds such as age, gender and education levels; and their complaint behaviours. Based on a survey of 220 hotel restaurant diners, complainers and non‐complainers were identified. The research findings suggested that at most customers are likely to engage in private complaint behaviours such as word‐of‐mouth communication and ceasing to patronize the restaurant. It highlights that the complaint intentions of Chinese diners were quite low and they were passive about communicating dissatisfaction to restaurateurs. Restaurateurs can make use of these findings to improve their existing customer feedback systems and complaint handling strategies.
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