Levels of customer dissatisfaction and complaint behavior

This paper explores the relationship between levels of customer dissatisfaction and intentions to engage in complaint behavior, with perceived customer cost posited as an intervening variable. A consumer complaint behavior model is constructed, reflecting ascending degrees of dissatisfaction, namely exit, negative word of mouth, complaint to the company, complaint to the government, and legal action, and consumer costs which include time, money, behavioral effort and cognitive activity. A survey finds that a) higher levels of dissatisfaction are associated with more numerous intentions, b) five behavioral responses follow a perceived cost hierarchy, c) more costly behavioral intentions are less likely to be exhibited than less costly ones, and d) highly dissatisfied customers are more willing to incur costs than moderately or slightly dissatisfied persons