Factors affecting the customers’ silence and their behavioral and non-behavioral responses: A case study of domestic airlines travel service customers

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MA in Business Adminstration,Tabriz University,Tabriz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Management,Tabriz University,Tabriz, Iran

3 Assistant Profeser, Department of Economics and Management,Tabriz University,Tabriz, Iran

10.22034/jbar.2023.17440.4091

Abstract

Introduction: Customer satisfaction is critical to the survival of any business. Previous research has focused primarily on customer complaining behavior, but research on non-complaining or silent customers is limited, and there are no extensive studies on this subject. The aim of this study is to identify the effective factors on domestic airline travel service customers and their behavioral and non-behavioral responses. This research is of qualitative type based on a data-based method. The statistical population consisted of the customers of domestic airline travel services. The research data were collected through semi-structured interviews and the data analysis method was performed using open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Finally, a qualitative model was designed. As the results showed, previous customer dissatisfaction experience, change costs, the need for collective grievance, personality traits, habituation and lack of grievance culture are the reasons for the silence of domestic airline travel service customers. Silent customer behavioral responses also include negative word of mouth advertising, customer misbehavior, customer voice and exit. Non-behavioral responses include loyalty and neglect.
Methodology: This research is applied and exploratory, and its method is based on the grounded theory done by means of semi-structured interview tools. The statistical population of this research is the customers of domestic airline travel services. During the past year, they have experienced using the travel services of domestic airlines at least five times. Accordingly, in-depth interviews were conducted with domestic airline travel services customers, during which the interviewees expressed their views, memories, events, and issues and problems on domestic airlines. The data saturation was finally achieved in the 20th interview. Theoretical saturation refers to the stage where the interviewer arrives at repetitive and similar answers from the interviewees and the continuation of the interview does not help to receive new and varied answers. The method of data analysis is in three steps including open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Finally a model was presented.
Results and Discussion: In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 clients of domestic airline travel services using the grounded theory method. In their interviewees, they shared their memories, events and experiences. In the 20th interview, theoretical saturation was obtained, and the data were analyzed based on three methods of open coding, axial coding and selective coding. Finally, a model was presented by the researchers According to the results, the variables of previous unsatisfactory experiences, the need for collective grievances, personality traits, lack of accountability, costs of change, habituation, and lack of grievance culture lead to the silence of domestic airline travel service customers. Customer behavioral responses also include negative word of mouth advertising, bad treatment by customer, customer voice and exit, and non-behavioral responses include loyalty and neglect.
Conclusion: Understanding and retaining the customer is one of the most important aspects of customer relationship management. The ultimate goal of any business is to meet customer needs and create a culture of customer orientation. This issue is of importance in the service sector; Due to its intangibility, it is more and more important to make customer orientation, provide maximum customer satisfaction, create loyalty, regardless of the needs and desires of customers, and solve the problems raised by them. It does not happen without hearing the customer's voice. Dissatisfied customers who tend to be silent can be dangerous. Complaining customers are the company's best friend, because a complaint warns the company that it is losing customers. Domestic airline travel service companies can identify these factors, remove barriers as well as follow up and take the necessary and effective measures to solve the problems raised by customers to create a competitive advantage and better implement the culture of customer orientation. They can also help customer loyalty and thus improve the service. In the present study, the customers of all domestic airlines have been studied in general. For more detailed studies in the future, it is suggested that the behavior of the customers of each airline be examined and researched separately. The behavior of silent customers in public and private organizations or foreign airlines should also be examined and compared. This study is based on the behavior of the culture of the Iranian society, and the results may not be transferable to other cultures. The subject of this research has been researched for the first time in the country and, due to the lack of similar previous research in the country, it is not possible to study it accurately with predictive approaches.

Keywords

References

Ascarza, E., Netzer, O., & Hardie, B. G. (2018). Some customers would rather leave without saying goodbye. Marketing Science, 37(1), 54-77.
Ammari, N. B., Hsouna, A., Benabdallah, M., Yousaf, A., & Mishra, A. (2021). Consumer responses to the failure of self-service banking technology: moderating role of failure stability. International Journal of Bank Marketing.‏
Bae, G., Lee, S., & Kim, D. Y. (2021). Interactions between service recovery efforts and customer characteristics: apology, compensation, and empowerment. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 22(2), 218-244.‏
Blodgett, J., Bakir, A., & Hill, D. (2009). Complaining Behavior: Cross-Cultural Or Situational? An Exploratory Study of the Indian Nationals Living in the United States. ACR Asia-Pacific Advances.
Budur, T., & Poturak, M. (2021). Employee performance and customer loyalty: Mediation effect of customer satisfaction. Middle East Journal of Management, 8(5), 453-474.‏
Burnham, T. A., Frels, J. K., & Mahajan, V. (2003). Consumer switching costs: a typology, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of the Academy of marketing Science, 31(2), 109-126.
Cambra-Fierro, J. & Melero-Polo, I. (2017). Complaint-handling as antecedent of customer engagement: do consumer characteristics matter? Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 35(2), 277-295.
Chebat, J. C., Davidow, M., & Borges, A. (2011). More on the role of switching costs in service markets: a research note. Journal of Business Research, 64(8), 823-829.
Chebat, J. C., Davidow, M., & Codjovi, I. (2005). Silent voices: why some dissatisfied consumers fail to complain. Journal of Service Research, 7(4), 328-342.
Cheng, S., & Lam, T. (2008). The role of the customer–seller relationship in the intention of the customer to complain: A study of Chinese restaurateurs. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(4), 552-562.
Clark, G. L., Kaminski, P. F., & Rink, D. R. (1992). Consumer complaints: Advice on how companies should respond based on an empirical study. Journal of Consumer Marketing.
Cobb Walgren, C. (2016). Kids complain–do companies respond?. Young Consumers, 17(4), 299-320.7.
Corura-Stimling, F. (2017). Voiceless Customer : Why customers leave? Translation: Vazifehdoust, H., Dargi, P. & Akbarieh, H. (2017). Tehran: Marketing Publications
Crie, D. (2003). Consumers' complaint behaviour. Taxonomy, typology and determinants: Towards a unified ontology. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 11(1), 60-79.
Danaeifard, H., Alvani, S,M., & azar, A. (2011). Qualitative research methodology in management: a comprehensive approach. Tehran: Saffar Publications.
Dargi, p., (2015). Marketing and life with cinema. Tehran: Marketing Publisher.
Dargi, p., (2017). Marketing and l with sales. Tehran: Marketing Publisher.
Dehdashti shahrokh, Z., & Aghili, Kh. (2015).  The effect of ease of use of services on word of mouth and repurchase intention. New Marketing Research Journal, No. 2, pp. 15-36.
Farrell, D. (1983). Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect as responses to job dissatisfaction: A multidimensional scaling study. Academy of management journal, 26(4), 596-607.
Gelbrich, K., & Roschk, H. (2011). A meta-analysis of organizational complaint handling and customer responses. Journal of Service Research, 14(1), 24-43.
Heung, V. C., & Lam, T. (2003). Customer complaint behaviour towards hotel restaurant services. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 15(5), 283-289.
Istanbulluoglu, D. Leek, S. & Szmigin, I. T. (2017). Beyond exit and voice: developing an integrated taxonomy of consumer complaining behaviour. European Journal of Marketing, 51(5/6), 1109-1128.
Jones, M. A., Reynolds, K. E., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2007). The positive and negative effects of switching costs on relational outcomes. Journal of Service Research, 9(4), 335-355.
Kau, A. K., & Wan-Yiun Loh, E. (2006). The effects of service recovery on consumer satisfaction: a comparison between complainants and non-complainants. Journal of Services Marketing, 20(2), 101-111.
Kim, J. H., & Chen, J. S. (2010). The effects of situational and personal characteristics on consumer complaint behavior in restaurant services. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 27(1), 96-112.
Kim, S. H., Kim, M., & Holland, S. (2018). How customer personality traits influence brand loyalty in the coffee shop industry: the moderating role of business types. International journal of hospitality & tourism administration, 19(3), 311-335.
Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Insight A to Z ,Published by Wiley& Sons,Inc,Hoboken.New Jersi.
Kusterer, S. (2017). Shyness in consumer behavior (Doctoral dissertation).
Lau, G. T., & Ng, S. (2001). Individual and situational factors influencing negative word‐of‐mouth behaviour. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences/Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 18(3), 163-178.
Lee, R., & Neale, L. (2012). Interactions and consequences of inertia and switching costs. Journal of services marketing, 26(5), 365-374.
Li, Z., Hua, C., Fu, X., & Liu, X. (2021). Beyond complainers: reclassifying customers of travel agency regarding post-failure behavior and loyalty performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 26(3),
329-346.‏
Lin, W. C., Lu, T. E., & Peng, M. Y. (2021). Service failure recovery on customer recovery satisfaction for airline industry: The moderator of brand authenticity and perceived authenticity. Managerial and Decision Economics, 42(5), 1079-1088.
Maddulapalli, A. K., Yang, J. B., & Xu, D. L. (2012). Estimation, modeling, and aggregation of missing survey data for prioritizing customer voices. European Journal of Operational Research, 220(3), 762-776.
Mbama, C. I., & Ezepue, P. O. (2018). Digital banking, customer experience and bank financial performance: UK customers’ perceptions. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 36(2), 230-255.
Meiners, N., Reucher, E., Kahn, H. T., & Spille, L. (2021). Consumer (non) complaint behavior: an empirical analysis of senior consumers in Germany. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 34, 16-32.‏
Pelau, C., Serban, D., & Chinie, A. C. (2018, May). The influence of personality types on the impulsive buying behavior of a consumer. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence (Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 751-759). Sciendo.
Pinder, C. C., & Harlos, K. P. (2001). Employee silence: Quiescence and acquiescence as responses to perceived injustice. In Research in personnel and human resources management (pp. 331-369). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Ramazanpour, E., Dustar, M., & Fotuhi, H. (2013). Evaluating passenger behavior in selecting airlines on domestic flights. Journal of Transportation, Year 10, Issue 4, Pages:411-421.
Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., & Zimmermann, L. (2011). Customer satisfaction with commercial airlines: The role of perceived safety and purpose of travel. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(4), 459-472.‏
Ro, H. & Mattila, A. S. (2015). Silent voices: Nonbehavioral reactions to service failures. Services Marketing Quarterly, 36(2), 95-111.
Rusbult, C. E. Zembrodt, I. M. & Gunn, L. K. (1982). Exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect: Responses to dissatisfaction in romantic involvements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(6), 1230.
Sadeghi-Moghadam, M., Khazaei, S., & Soltani, M. (2018). Precautionary support and assistance to the rights of air passengers in the event of bankruptcy of airlines. Public Law Research, 19 (58), 29-55.
Sharma, P., Marshall, R., Alan Reday, P., & Na, W. (2010). Complainers versus non-complainers: a multi-national investigation of individual and situational influences on customer complaint behaviour. Journal of Marketing Management, 26(1-2), 163-180.
SheidaeiHabashi, A., Fazlzadeh, A. & Faryabi, M. (2014). Investigating the Role of Relationship Marketing, Sensory and Supportive Marketing in Customer Loyalty. Journal of Marketing Management, No. 24.
Shen, C., & Yahya, Y. (2021). The impact of service quality and price on passengers' loyalty towards low-cost airlines: The Southeast Asia's perspective. Journal of Air Transport Management, 91, 101966.‏
Silva, R. M. M. C. D. (2019). Evaluating response strategies to deal with Negative Word-of-Mouth on Facebook pages of Telecommunications Operators in Portugal (Doctoral dissertation).
Situmorang, S. H., Rini, E. S., & Muda, I. (2017). Customer experience, net emotional value and net promoter score on muslim middle class women in medan. International Journal of Economic Research, 14(20), 269-283.
Singh, J. (1988). Consumer complaint intentions and behavior: definitional and taxonomical issues. The journal of Marketing, 93-107.
Skarlicki, D. P., Van Jaarsveld, D. D., & Walker, D. D. (2008). Getting even for customer mistreatment: The role of moral identity in the relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and employee sabotage. Journal of applied psychology, 93(6), 1335.
Stevens, J. L., Spaid, B. I., Breazeale, M., & Jones, C. L. E. (2018). Timeliness, transparency, and trust: A framework for managing online customer complaints. Business Horizons, 61(3), 375-384.
Soares, R. R. Zhang, T. T. Proença, J. F. & Kandampully, J. (2017). Why are Generation Y consumers the most likely to complain and repurchase? Journal of Service Management, 28(3), 520-540.
Soleimani, B., & AliakbariAsl, R. (2011). Marketing of banking services. Tehran: Etehad Publications.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (2017). Basics of qualitative research: techniques and stages of production of grounded theory. Translation: Afshar, E. (2017). Tehran: Ney Publishing (electronic book).
Suomi, K. & Järvinen, R. (2018). European Consumer Complaint Behaviour In The Financial Sector. Journal of Research for Consumers, (32).
Subramaniam, L. V., Faruquie, T. A., Ikbal, S., Godbole, S., & Mohania, M. K. (2009, March). Business intelligence from voice of customer. In 2009 IEEE 25th International Conference on Data Engineering (pp. 1391-1402). IEEE.
Tojib, D. & Khajehzadeh, S. (2014). The role of meta-perceptions in customer complaining behavior. European Journal of Marketing, 48(7/8), 1536-1556.
Vidal, J., Kaya, E., & Erdoğan, D. Analysis on the Factors Causing Airlines Bankruptcy: Cases in Indonesia. International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research, Feb-2016 ISSN (2226-8235) Vol-5, Issue 2
Voorhees, C. M., Brady, M. K., & Horowitz, D. M. (2006). A voice from the silent masses: an exploratory and comparative analysis of noncomplainers. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 34(4), 514-527.
Wang, M., Liao, H., Zhan, Y., & Shi, J. (2011). Daily customer mistreatment and employee sabotage against customers: Examining emotion and resource perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, 54(2), 312-334.
Woisetschläger, D. M., Lentz, P., & Evanschitzky, H. (2011). How habits, social ties, and economic switching barriers affect customer loyalty in contractual service settings. Journal of Business Research, 64(8), 800-808.
Wu, J. Tao, Y. Zhang, W. & Wang, M. (2015). Online Customer View: Positive Effect of Consumer Complaint in Domestic Appliance Purchase. In Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Education, Management, Arts, Economics and Social Science (pp. 560-566).
Yue, Y., Wang, K. L., & Groth, M. (2017). Feeling bad and doing good: The effect of customer mistreatment on service employee's daily display of helping behaviors. Personnel Psychology, 70(4),769-80.
Journal of Business Administration Researches
Volume 14, Issue 30
March 2023
Pages 155-184

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics