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Complaint, patience, and neglect: responses to a dissatisfying service experience

Service Business volume 8, pages 197–216 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

This study examines the responses of complainers and non-complainers after a service failure in the auto repair and medical service contexts. In particular, this study focuses on differentiating the two types of dissatisfaction responses of non-complainers, patience and neglect, from complaint. The results, based on a survey of 230 respondents, indicate that attitudes toward complaining and emotional bonding differentiate neglect from complaint, and the criticality of the service failure differentiates patience from complaint. The findings suggest that patience customers have higher return intentions than neglect customers, and as high as those of complainers with satisfying service recoveries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, 9907 Universal BLVD, Orlando, FL, 32819, USA

    Heejung Ro

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  1. Heejung Ro
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Correspondence to Heejung Ro.

Appendix: Measures

Appendix: Measures

Attitude toward complaining (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree)

  • I often complain when I’m dissatisfied with business or products because I feel it is my duty to do so.

  • I am usually reluctant to complain to the store regardless of how bad a product is. (R)

  • It sometimes feels good to get my dissatisfaction and frustration with the product off my chest by complaining.

  • By making complaints about unsatisfactory products, in the long run the quality of products will improve.

  • People have a responsibility to tell stores when a product they purchase is defective.

  • By complaining about defective products, I may prevent other consumers from experiencing the same problem.

  • I am less likely to return an unsatisfactory product than most people I know. (R)

Criticality of service failure

  • How would you rate the service problem that encountered at the auto shop/medical service facility?

    • Mild (1)—severe (7)

    • Not important (1)—very important (7)

  • How did you feel when the service problem occurred?

    • Not at all dissatisfied (1)—completely dissatisfied (7)

Emotional bonding

  • How would you characterize your relationship with this auto shop/medical service facility prior to the dissatisfying experience that you described earlier?

  • My level of emotional attachment to this auto shop/medical service facility was: (1 = much lower than average, 7 = much higher than average)

  • The strength of my commitment to my relationship with this auto shop/medical service facility was: (1 = very low, 7 = very high)

Return intentions

  • How likely is it that you would return to that auto shop/medical service facility in the future? (1 = very unlikely, 7 = very likely)

  • Because of what happened, I would never go to this auto shop/medical service facility again. (R) (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree)

Service recovery perception (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree)

  • The outcome I received was fair.

  • I did not get what I deserved. (R)

  • The length of time taken to solve my problem was longer than necessary. (R)

  • The service provider showed adequate flexibility in dealing with my problem.

  • The service provider was appropriately concerned about my problem.

  • The service provider did not put the proper effort into resolving my problem. (R)

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Ro, H. Complaint, patience, and neglect: responses to a dissatisfying service experience. Serv Bus 8, 197–216 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-013-0193-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-013-0193-y

Keywords

  • Non-complainers
  • Complainers
  • Patience
  • Neglect
  • Return intentions