Determinants affecting customer’s complaint intention

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that influence customers` complaint intention by developing a comprehensive integrated model. Design/methodology/approach - The research adopted a convenient sampling method and carried out surveys in department stores, supermarkets, cafeterias and convenience stores in Pakistan. Findings - The results show that perceived value, perceived likelihood of successful complaint, the attitude toward complaining and politeness all have significant effects on the complaint intention. Also, prior experience of complaining is analyzed as the antecedents. Practical implications - The results indicate that in order to intensify customers` attitude towards complaining, firms should increase value of a complaint and perceived likelihood of complaint along with keeping degree of politeness of a customer and introduce policies that encourages more polite customers to make direct complaint Originality/value - In this study it has be proven that perceived value of complaint, perceived likelihood of success, attitudes toward complaint and politeness significantly affects customer's tendency to make a complaint and are important determinants. This study also explores the effect of previous complaint experience on perceived likelihood of successful complaint. This research provides a more holistic view of the determinants that affect customer`s complaint behavior by taking customer`s politeness in view along with other complicated structural relationships.