A multivariate analysis of responses to dissatisfaction

Although consumer dissatisfaction is ubiquitous in the marketplace, empirical studies of dissatisfaction have been narrow in focus. This is especially true for studies of responses to dissatisfaction, for these investigations tend to ignore all dissatisfaction responses except complaint behavior. The study reported here replicates and extends an earlier investigation by concurrently examining three dissatisfaction responses—complaints, word of mouth, and brand switching intentions. Three sets of variables were examined in relationship to these responses: characteristics of the product problem, perceptions of the redress environment, and consumer characteristics. Complaint behavior and intention to switch brands showed strongest relationships with the first two types of variables. Word of mouth, on the other hand, seemed to be more heavily influenced by the consumer’s level of social interaction, a consumer characteristic. Findings indicate that the three dissatisfaction responses are independent in that they share little if any common variance and they seem to be influenced in different ways by the correlates studied.