Complaint-handling as antecedent of customer engagement: do consumer characteristics matter?
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the degree of customer engagement resulting from complaint-handling processes. The authors will also analyze the extent to which consumer demographics play a moderating role in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
To this end, the study analyzes the Spanish mobile phone sector based on a survey of individuals who filed a complaint and were provided with a solution by their mobile carrier. Data analysis was carried out using SmartPLS structural equation software.
Findings
The findings indicate that effective complaint-handling processes result in engaged customers. Moreover, socio-demographic variables such as age and gender do not have a significant impact on post-complaint-handling satisfaction or on customer engagement levels.
Research limitations/implications
This study has focused on only one industry – the mobile phone sector – which in Spain exhibits particular characteristics.
Practical implications
Firms which effectively employ complaint-handling strategies when service failures occur can count on an increase in customer engagement which, theoretically, will boost company value and have a positive impact on business performance.
Originality/value
The small body of research in this area assumes initial customer satisfaction. No evidence was found of the existing literature assessing customer engagement in dissatisfied customer contexts.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the following sources: I+D+i (ECO2014-54760) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; Generés research project (S09) from the European Social Fund and Gobierno de Aragón; and from the program “Ayudas a la Investigación en Ciencias Sociales, Fundación Ramón Areces.”
Citation
Cambra-Fierro, J. and Melero-Polo, I. (2017), "Complaint-handling as antecedent of customer engagement: do consumer characteristics matter?", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 277-295. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-02-2016-0039
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited