Customer Dissatisfaction and Responses: Moderator Roles of Blame Attribution and Negative Word of Mouth

Year 2022, Volume: 30 Issue: 53, 209 - 225, 29.07.2022

Beyza Gültekin , Ayşe Yazgülü Güvercin

https://doi.org/10.17233/sosyoekonomi.2022.03.11

Cited By: 1

Abstract

The present research investigates the moderating role of blame attribution in dissatisfaction-doing nothing and negative word of mouth on the dissatisfaction-switching relationships. The proposed model is tested using data collected face-to-face from 188 airline passengers who have encountered an airline service failure by the convenience sampling method. Process analysis tests the hypotheses on the moderator roles of blame attribution and negative word of mouth. The results reveal that the dissatisfaction-doing nothing link is negatively moderated by blame attribution. The dissatisfaction-switching relationship is positively moderated by negative word of mouth. With the moderation of negative word of mouth and blame attribution, this study provides a deeper understanding of the consequences of customer dissatisfaction on customer reactions such as switching and doing nothing.

Keywords

Customer Dissatisfaction, Blame Attribution, Doing Nothing, Negative Word of Mouth, Switching

Thanks

We would like to express our deepest thanks to Merve Vardarsuyu (Ph.D.).

Müşteri Tatminsizlik Düzeyi ve Tepkileri: Firmayı Suçlama Düzeyi ve Olumsuz Kulaktan Kulağa İletişimin Düzenleyici Etkileri

Abstract

Çalışmanın amacı; tatminsizlik düzeyi - hiçbir şey yapmama ilişkisinde suçlama düzeyinin ve tatminsizlik düzeyi-değiştirme arasındaki ilişkide olumsuz kulaktan kulağa iletişimin düzenleyici etkileri araştırmaktır. Araştırmanın modeli, havayollarından hizmet aldıkları süreçte hizmet hatası ile karşılaşmış 188 yolcudan kolayda örneklem yöntemiyle yüz yüze toplanan veriler kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Suçlama ve olumsuz kulaktan kulağa iletişimin düzenleyicilik rollerine ilişkin hipotezleri test etmek için süreç analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçları, suçlama düzeyinin, tatminsizlik düzeyi-hiçbir şey yapmama ilişkisinde olumsuz düzenleyici etkisini ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, tatminsizlik-değiştirme ilişkisinde de olumsuz kulaktan kulağa iletişimin olumlu düzenleyici etkisi tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışma; müşteri tatminsizliğinin, olumsuz kulaktan kulağa iletişim ve firmayı suçlama düzeyinin düzenleyiciliğiyle müşterilerin değiştirme davranışlarına ve hiçbir şey yapmamalarına etkilerini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Müşteri Tatmini, Suçlama, Hiçbir Şey Yapmama, Olumsuz Kulaktan Kulağa İletişim, Değiştirme

References

• Anderson, E.W. (1998), “Customer satisfaction and word of mouth”, J.Serv.Res., 1(1), 5-17.
• Anderson, J.C. & D.W. Gerbing (1988), “Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step Approach”, Psychol.Bull., 103(3), 411-423.
• Atalik, O. (2007), “Customer complaints about airline service: a preliminary study of frequent Turkish flyers”, Manag.Res.News, 30(6), 409-419.
• AviationBenefits (2020), The Future [WWW Document].
• Bagherzadeh, R. et al. (2020), “The journey from customer participation in service failure to co-creation in service recovery”, J.Retail.Consum.Serv., 54, 1-10.
• Bejou, D. & A. Palmer (1998), “Service failure and loyalty: An exploratory empirical study of airline customers”, J.Serv.Mark., 12(1), 7-22.
• Bejou, D. et al. (1996), “A critical incident approach to examining the effects of service failures on customer relationships: The case of Swedish and U.S. airlines”, J.Travel Res., 35(1), 35-40.
• Bell, C.R. & R.E. Zemke (1987), “Service breakdown: the road to recovery”, Manage.Rev., 76(10), 32-35.
• Bentler, P.M. (1990), “Comparative fit indices in structural equation models”, Psychol.Bull., 107(2), 238-246.
• Bergel, M. & C. Brock (2018), “The impact of switching costs on customer complaint behavior and service recovery evaluation”, J.Serv. Theory Pract., 28(4), 458-483.
• Brislin, R. et al. (1973), Cross-Cultural Research Methods, John Wiley, New York.
• Crié, D. (2003), “Consumers’ complaint behaviour. Taxonomy, typology and determinants: Towards a unified ontology”, J.Database Mark.Cust.Strateg.Manag., 11, 60-79.
• Daunt, K.L. & L.C. Harris (2011), “Exploring the forms of dysfunctional customer behaviour: A study of differences in servicescape and customer disaffection with service”, J.Mark.Manag., 28(1-2), 129-153.
• Day, R.L. (1984), “Modeling choices among alternative responses to dissatisfaction”, Adv.Consum.Res., 11, 496-499.
• Deloitte (N/A), Through passengers’ eyes Delivering the “right” customer experience [WWW Document].
• Directorate General of Civil Aviation (2020), The Annual Report, Ankara [WWW Document].
• East, R. et al. (2008), “Measuring the impact of positive and negative word of mouth on brand purchase probability”, Int.J.Res.Mark., 25(3), 215-224.
• Farooq, M.S. et al. (2018), “Impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in Malaysia airlines: A PLS-SEM approach”, J.Air Transp.Manag., 67, 169-180.
• Folkes, V.S. (1984), “Consumer Reactions to Product Failure: An Attributional Approach”, J.Consum.Res., 10(4), 398-409.
• Fornell, C. & D.F. Larcker (1981), “Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error”, J.Mark.Res., 18(1), 39-50.
• Garvin, D.A. (1988), Managing quality: The strategic and competitive edge, Simon and Schuster.
• Gupta, H. (2018), “Evaluating service quality of airline industry using hybrid best worst method and VIKOR”, J.Air Transp.Manag., 68, 35-47.
• Gures, N. et al. (2020), “Analysing E-Complaints of Tourists about Airline Companies via TripAdvisor”, J.Tour.Gastron.Stud., 8(1), 211-230.
• Gyung Kim, M. et al. (2010), “The relationship between consumer complaining behavior and service recovery: An integrative review”, Int.J.Contemp.Hosp.Manag., 22(7), 975-991.
• Hair, J.F. et al. (2010), Multivariate Data Analysis: a Global Perspective, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
• Harris, K.E. et al. (2006), “Consumer responses to service recovery strategies: The moderating role of online versus offline environment”, J.Bus.Res., 59(4), 425-431.
• Hayes, A.F. (2013), Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach, Guilford Press, New York.
• Hirschman, A.O. (1970), Exit, voice, and loyalty: Responses to decline in firms, organizations, and states, Vol. 25, Guilford Press, Cambridge.
• Huang, B. & M. Philp (2021), “When AI-based services fail: examining the effect of the self-AI connection on willingness to share negative word-of-mouth after service failures”, The Service Industries Journal, 41(13-14), 877-899.
• IATA (2020), Airline Industry Report, <https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/airline-industry-economic-performance-june-2020-report/>, 23.09.2021.
• Istanbulluoglu, D. et al. (2017), “Beyond exit and voice: developing an integrated taxonomy of consumer complaining behaviour”, Eur.J.Mark., 51(5-6), 1109-1128.
• Joireman, J. et al. (2013), “When do customers offer firms a “second chance” following a double deviation? The impact of inferred firm motives on customer revenge and reconciliation”, J.Retail., 89(3), 315-337.
• Jung, J. et al. (2017), “Travelers’ switching behavior in the airline industry from the perspective of the push-pull-mooring framework”, Tour.Manag., 59, 139-153.
• Keaveney, S.M. (1995), “Customer Switching Behavior in Service Industries: An Exploratory Study”, J.Mark., 59, 71-82.
• Kim, S.J. et al. (2016), “‘understanding a fury in your words’: The effects of posting and viewing electronic negative word-of-mouth on purchase behaviors”, Comput. Human Behav., 54, 511-521.
• Krishnan, S. & V.A. Valle (1979), “Dissatisfaction attributions and consumer complaint behavior”, ACR North Am.Adv., 6(1), 445-449.
• Matos, D.A. et al. (2008), “Word-of-mouth communications in marketing: A meta-analytic review of the antecedents and moderators”, J.Acad.Mark.Sci., 36, 578-596.
• Mattila, A.S. & H. Ro (2008), “Discrete Negative Emotions and Customer Dissatisfaction Responses in a Casual Restaurant Setting”, J.Hosp.Tour.Res., 32(1), 89-107.
• Maute, M.F. & W.R. Forrester (1993), “The structure and determinants of consumer complaint intentions and behavior”, J.Econ.Psychol., 14(2), 219-247.
• Maxham III, J.G. & R.G. Netemeyer (2002), “Modeling perception ofcomplaint_Maxham.pdf”, J.Retail., 78, 239-252.
• Moliner-Velázquez, B. et al. (2015), “Satisfaction with service recovery: moderating effect of age in word-of-mouth”, J.Consum.Mark., 32(6), 470-484.
• Oliver, R.L. (1997), Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer, Irwin-McGraw-Hill, New York.
• Oliver, R.L. (1999), “Whence consumer loyalty?”, J.Mark., 63, 33-44.
• Ortiz, J. et al. (2017), “Perceived justice, emotions, and behavioral intentions in the Taiwanese food and beverage industry”, Int.J.Confl.Manag., 28(4), 437-463.
• Ozer, L. et al. (2010), “After Purchase Dissatisfaction Responses: An Examination in Turkey And Azerbaijan”, Anatolia Tur. Arastirmalari Derg., 21(1), 121-127.
• Ping, R.A. (1993), “The effects of satisfaction and structural constraints on retailer exiting, voice, loyalty, opportunism, and neglect”, J.Retail., 69(3), 320-352.
• Podsakoff, P.M. et al. (2003), “Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of the Literature and Recommended Remedies”, J.Appl.Psychol., 88(5), 879-903.
• Rajagopal, S.K.P. (2020), “Data Mining and Data Analytics for Analysing Customer Churn Rate”, Eur.J.Electr.Eng.Comput.Sci., 4(4), 1-7.
• Reichheld, F.F. & W.E. Sasser (1990), “Zero defeofions: Quality comes to services”, Harv.Bus.Rev., 68(5), 105-111.
• Richins, M.L. (1983), “Negative Word-of-Mouth by Dissatisfied Consumers: A Pilot Study”, J.Mark., 47(1), 68-78.
• Ro, H. & A.S. Mattila (2015), “Silent Voices: Nonbehavioral Reactions to Service Failures”, Serv.Mark.Q., 36(2), 95-111.
• Ro, H. (2015), “Customer Dissatisfaction Responses to Restaurant Service Failures: Insights Into Noncomplainers From a Relational Perspective”, J.Hosp.Mark.Manag., 24(4), 435-456.
• Schoefer, K. & C. Ennew (2004), “Customer evaluations of tour operators’ responses to their complaints”, J.Travel Tour.Mark., 17(1), 83-92.
• Schoefer, K. et al. (2019), “The moderating effect of cultural value orientations on behavioral responses to dissatisfactory service experiences”, J.Retail.Consum.Serv., 48, 247-256.
• Sezgen, E. et al. (2019), “Voice of airline passenger: A text mining approach to understand customer satisfaction”, J.Air Transp.Manag., 77, 65-74.
• Singh, J. (1988), “Consumer Complaint Intentions and Behavior: Definitional and Taxonomical Issues”, J.Mark., 52(1), 93-107.
• Stauss, B. & W. Seidel (2019), Effective Complaint Management: The Business Case for Customer Satisfaction, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
• Straub, D. et al. (2004), “Validation Guidelines for IS Positivist Research”, Commun.Assoc.Inf.Syst., 13(1), https://doi.org/10.17705/1cais.01324
• Sweeney, J.C. et al. (2005), “The difference between positive and negative word of mouth: emotion as a differentiator”, in: S. Purchase (ed.), Broadening the Boundaries (Fremantle ed., CB 331-337). Promaco Conventions Pty. Ltd.
• Tax, S. & S. Brown (1998), “Recovering and Learning from Service Failure”, Sloan Manage.Rev., 40(1), 75-88.
• Tsaur, S.-H. et al. (2018), “Exploring tour member misbehavior in group package tours”, Tourism Management, 71, 34-43.
• Varela-Neira, C. et al. (2010), “Lack of preferential treatment: Effects on dissatisfaction after a service failure”, J.Serv.Manag., 21(1), 45-68.
• Wangenheim, F.V. & T. Bayón (2004), “The effect of word of mouth on services switching”, Eur.J.Mark., 38(9-10), 1173-1185.
• Wangenheim, F.V. (2005), “Postswitching negative word of mouth”, J.Serv.Res., 8(1), 67-78.
• Weiner, B. (2000), “Attributional thoughts about consumer behavior”, J.Consum.Res., 27(3), 382-387.
• Williams, M. & F. Buttle (2014), “Managing negative word-of-mouth: an exploratory study”, J.Mark.Manag., 30(13-14), 1423-1447.
• Woodside, A.G. & J.C. Chebat (2001), “Updating Heider’s balance theory in consumer behavior: A Jewish couple buys a German car and additional buying-consuming transformation stories”, Psychol.Mark., 18(5), 475-495.
• You, Y. et al. (2020), “When and Why Saying “Thank You” Is Better Than Saying “Sorry” in Redressing Service Failures: The Role of Self-Esteem”, J.Mark., 84(2), 133-150.
• Zeelenberg, M. & R. Pieters (1999), “Comparing service delivery to what might have been: Behavioral responses to regret and disappointment”, J.Serv.Res., 2, 86-97.
• Zeelenberg, M. & R. Pieters (2004), “Beyond valence in customer dissatisfaction: A review and new findings on behavioral responses to regret and disappointment in failed services”, J.Bus.Res., 57(4), 445-455.