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All hypothesized relationships were significant. Specifically, H1 was supported as disconfirmation and surprising consumption were significantly correlated. Moreover, arousal (H2) and outrage (H4a) were functions of surprising consumption and negative affect (H3) and outrage (H4b) were functions of arousal. H4c was also supported as negative affect had a significant direct effect on consumer outrage. In addition, disconfirmation had negative direct effects on both negative affect (H5) and dissatisfaction (H6a) and dissatisfaction was a function of negative affect. Finally, both outrage (H7a) and dissatisfaction (H7b) had significant negative effects on behavioral intentions.

Respondents were recruited to participate in the data collection in a “college town” in the Southeastern United States. Respondents were provided a paper and pencil data collection instrument that include complete survey instructions and the balance of the research design. To adequately test all hypotheses, the researchers developed a unique scenario that described an extreme service failure that takes place during a hotel check-in. Each respondent was asked to read the scenario and then reflect upon it as they responded to items that assessed their feelings toward the hotel check-in experience.

The results provide additional evidence in support of the existence of the satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum, as well as specifically identifying the affective nature of levels of satisfaction that fall surprisingly well-below the zone of tolerance. The authors feel that the present study is a necessary step to provide a more comprehensive view of the satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum. Likewise, the authors posit initial evidence of the antecedents and consequences of consumer outrage. This research supports the prior assumptions of Westbrook (1987) about the vast detrimental effects of negative affective responses to service or product failures.

Future research needs to discover just how extremely deficient service has to be to elicit outrage. Is outrage a personal phenomenon with every consumer experiencing it to different degrees? As such, is outrage triggered at different points on the satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum? The zone of tolerance seems to suggest this, but it would be interesting to discover if at some collective level of dissatisfaction consumers generally begin to show signs of outrage. Likewise, it would be interesting to understand how the level and pattern of outrage results in customers exiting the relationship but also results in loyal customers becoming enemies (e.g. Gregiore et al., 2009; Gregiore and Fisher, 2008).

The motivation for the current study is both pragmatic and theoretical. As alluded to above, it is evident that the level of service customers’ emotional responses to their service experiences are increasing in frequency and intensity. These negative emotions affect the efficacy of service workers and impede the financial performance of service providers. The popular mantra of “anti-woke” consumers, “Go Woke, Go Broke,” is indicative of the importance of negative emotion. Sometimes referred to as “brand activism” (Moorman, 2020; Sarkar and Kotlet, 2019), recent public stances on social and political issues have led to a boycott of Gillette razors, the burning of Nike shoes, and the canceling of Costco Memberships in what has been called “virtue signaling” (Vredenburg et al., 2020). While none of these actions are desirable, the importance of investigating the impact of strong negative emotions (i.e. outrage) is further demonstrated in reports that 65% of consumers expect companies to authentically support such issues (Barton et al., 2018; Edelman, 2018; Larcker and Tayan, 2018; Moorman, 2020).

Meeting sizing needs in today's clothing is an important aspect of customer satisfaction. Based on the critical incident and grounded theory techniques, data from focus groups with parents are analysed to establish consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction with children's garment sizing. While results revealed that parents were dissatisfied with garment sizing, the study focuses on specific causes of dissatisfaction. The centrality of efficient sizing in creation of consumer satisfaction is underscored.

The North American fresh potato market has been in decline for over ten years, yet little consumer research has penetrated beyond the factors influencing the purchase decision. The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the purchase decision for the fresh potato by exploring the linkages between the choice tactics employed in the store, post‐purchase evaluations in the home and the value orientations motivating consumption.

For this study, semi‐structured focus groups were conducted and analyzed using framework analysis.

This study presents a choice tactic formation and refinement model for the fresh potato that illustrates a feedback process between in‐home evaluations of the fresh potato and the four choice tactics employed at the point of purchase (potato size, color, shape and size uniformity). Each evaluative outcome related back to one of three value orientations (taste, health and lifestyle). Only two of the value orientations (taste and lifestyle) were found to be influencing the formation and refinement of these choice tactics. Positive and negative evaluative outcomes were also found to be dependent on whether participants thought of the potato as either fresh or prepared.

Detailed insights into a feedback process between in‐home evaluations of the fresh potato and the choice tactics employed at the point of purchase.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of product image at three stages of the consumer decision process for apparel products: alternative evaluation, purchase and post‐purchase stages. The three specific objectives of the study were to examine at the alternative evaluation stage the effect of product image on perceived quality and performance expectation, at the purchase stage the effect of product image on purchase intention and the price the consumer was willing to pay, and at the post‐purchase stage the effect of product image on consumer satisfaction and the effect of product image with product consumption performance on consumer satisfaction. The experimental design was used to determine the cause‐and‐effect relationships between the treatment variables (independent variables) and the dependent variables. Sweatshirts were used as the sample product category and 120 university students were recruited as participants. Results showed that at the alternative evaluation stage, product image significantly and positively influenced perceived quality and performance expectation. At the purchase stage, product image was not a determinant of purchase intention, but significantly and positively influenced the price participants were willing to pay for the product. At the post‐purchase stage, product image did not directly influence participants’ satisfaction, but product image with product consumption performance significantly affected satisfaction. When consumption performance was good, product image significantly and positively influenced satisfaction. When consumption performance was poor, product image significantly and negatively influenced satisfaction.

While the customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction literature is extensive and continually expanding, there has been little focus on pre‐purchase satisfaction of first‐time buyers and its likely impact on buying behaviour. Applies a field‐based approach to examine and assess the nature of pre‐purchase satisfaction and investigate its impact on first‐time buyer behaviour. Indicates that pre‐purchase satisfaction can be distinguished from anticipated satisfaction and that it helps to predict first‐time purchases. Discusses the implications of the findings and provides directions for further research.

The paper seeks to explore home sewers' satisfaction with the fit of garments made from home sewing patterns and to provide useful information to the home sewing industry to improve products and services for the target consumer.

Home sewers attending home sewing expos in the states of Minnesota and Washington were surveyed to determine satisfaction with fit of home sewing patterns and to determine factors that may affect satisfaction with the patterns.

The results clearly indicate that these respondents were frustrated with the fit of home sewing patterns and that their efforts to adjust patterns for better fit were typically not successful.

The limited sample does not allow generalization, but may lend some insight into problems the home sewing pattern industry may have in attracting and maintaining customer loyalty.

Although there are many studies demonstrating consumer dissatisfaction with the fit of ready‐to‐wear apparel, few studies have focused specifically on the home sewing pattern industry. This industry could benefit from further understanding of its customer base.

Discusses five common myths about perception, management and implementation of consumer satisfaction programs. Intends to debunk the more popular myths so that managers can avoid making classic service delivery mistakes. Integrates current research on customer satisfaction and consumer complaints. Makes a number of recommendations.

Develops a conceptual model of the antecedents of consumer expectations and firm image, based on past research in service, and empirically tested using the simultaneous equation procedures of LISREL 7. Data were collected and analyzed for four service industries (tax services, dental services, restaurants and video rental stores). Significant findings include: the image consumers have of a service firm has the strongest impact on their expectations; the relative saliences of the antecedents vary across industries; advertising has no significant impact on expectations or firm image in any of the four industries or in the aggregate analysis; and the level of customization and service provider judgment has an impact on the relative importance of each of the antecedents of consumer expectations.

This paper aims to explore the underlying structure of wellness in upper-upscale and luxury hotels and the roles wellness attributes play in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

This study uses a mixed methods approach consisting of content analysis and social media analytics. In Study 1, the authors integrate and review the structure of wellness attributes by conducting a literature review on prior research on wellness and analyzing websites of upper-upscale and luxury hotels. In Study 2, the authors implement text analytics and regression analysis to determine the roles of wellness attributes in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction by examining the final data gathered from 141,973 reviews of 226 upper-upscale and luxury hotels in NYC.

This research introduces the underlying structure of wellness in the upper-upscale and luxury hotels. Findings demonstrate a significant relationship between wellness attributes and customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. This study shows each wellness attribute’s specific roles in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction through the Kano model.

The current study extends the research on wellness by discovering the underlying structure of wellness in the upper-upscale and luxury hotels. Based on the Kano Model, the study reveals specific roles of wellness attributes regarding their dichotomous impact on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The study makes a novel approach to the topic of wellness through a mixed methods approach consisted of content analysis and social media analytics. Analyzing online customer reviews derived from TripAdvisor.com, the study provides an in-depth insight and understanding of customers’ perceptions of wellness attributes.

The study guides hotel operators to perform wellness attributes by defining the unique roles of wellness attributes in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Using the findings of the current study, hotel operators can prioritize wellness attributes regarding their core strategies and provide satisfying wellness attributes to customers.

Prior research merely focuses on hotels in wellness destinations or wellness-focused hotels with a lack of research on wellness offered in the general lodging industry. This research fills the gap by discovering the underlying wellness structure embedded in the general lodging industry, specifically in the upper-upscale and luxury hotels.

This chapter addresses the concept of loyalty from a consumer culture theory perspective.

We investigated loyalty in the context of annual (French) music festivals and their ritualized meanings for consumers with a multi-method approach, both qualitative and quantitative methods.

From our study loyalty appears as: (a) social rather than individual; (b) outcome of a social evaluation of emotional experiences rather than individual satisfaction; (c) temporally and (d) spatially structured and structuring. This stands in contrast to dominant conceptualizations of loyalty that emphasize individual’s satisfaction as antecedent of loyalty.

Our findings take off from Fournier and Yao’s (1997) and Fournier’s (1998) suggestions that loyalty can be reconceptualized as relationships. However, we argue that these relationships are as much a matter of social relations between people than between people and brands (or brands as anthropomorphized by brand communities) that are performed ritually and repetitively. This research highlights the necessity to reconsider both the definition of loyalty and organizations’ main loyalty strategies, which are individual-centric and do not consider the social and cultural environment of consumers.