The construction of a typology of consumer response to dissatisfaction

Abstract

This study aims to answer the following three questions: how dissatisfied customers answer to dissatisfaction, what types of response styles do consumers utilize and which customer profile composes each one of the styles. After the initial qualitative phase, an experimental study with undergraduate students from two universities was accomplished. The groups of variables confirmed the three dimensions of responses to the dissatisfaction: negative word-of-mouth communication; company switch; complaint addressed to the company. The groups of individuals indicated four clusters of customers with different response styles - irate, passive, disloyal and compromised. To answer the last question, discriminant analysis with demographic, attitudinal, personality and specific to the complaint episode variables was applied. The irate ones presented higher levels of self-confidence and low level of relationship with the company; the passive ones presented high level of relationship and negative attitude toward the complaining; the disloyal ones demonstrated the lowest levels of self-confidence and perceived likelihood of successful complaint, and the most negative attitude toward the complaining act; and the compromised clients presented higher income, positive attitude toward the complaining act, high self-confidence and high degree of relationship with the company. Finally, the academic and managerial implications are discussed, and the limitations of the study are presented.

Key words: typology, dissatisfaction responses, consumer profiles, complaint, negative word-ofmouth, switching company.