Hans Kasper

Explaining satisfaction in double deviation scenarios: the effects of anger and distributive justice

Research has shown that more than half of attempted recovery efforts only reinforce dissatisfaction, producing a ‘double deviation’ effect. Surprisingly, these double deviation effects have received little attention in service marketing literature. Yet no study has specifically investigated which are the main determinants of the formation of customer satisfaction judgments in double deviation contexts. To fill this gap, we develop and empirically test a model based on the existing service recovery literature. Specifically, we focus on two theoretical frameworks: social justice theory and theories of emotion. We examine the effect of anger with service recovery on satisfaction with service recovery, as well as the role of distributive justice on the elicitation of the specific emotion of anger with service recovery and satisfaction with service recovery. Results support the model and highlight the important role of specific recovery-related emotions in double deviation contexts. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. La investigacion previa ha mostrado que mas de la mitad de los esfuerzos de recuperacion solo refuerzan la insatisfaccion, produciendo un efecto de desviacion doble. Sorprendentemente, estos efectos de desviacion doble han recibido muy poca atencion en la literatura de marketing de servicios. Hasta la fecha, ningun trabajo ha investigado empiricamente cuales son los principales determinantes en la formacion de los juicios de satisfaccion en contextos de desviacion doble. Para cubrir este hueco, desarrollamos y analizamos empiricamente un modelo basado en la literatura de recuperacion de servicios existente. Especificamente, nos basamos en dos esquemas conceptuales: la teoria de la justicia social y las teorias sobre emociones. Examinamos el efecto del enfado con la recuperacion del servicio en la satisfaccion con la recuperacion del servicio, asi como el papel de la justicia distributiva como activador de emociones especificas de enfado y como antecedente de la satisfaccion con la recuperacion del servicio. Los resultados confirman el modelo propuesto y ponen de manifiesto el importante papel de las emociones especificas relacionadas con la recuperacion en contextos de desviacion doble. Finalmente, se discuten las implicaciones de gestion y las lineas futuras de investigacion.

Consumer reporting: A conceptual framework for the organizational level

In this paper, a conceptual framework for consumer reporting at the organizational level is developed. Consumer reporting is defined as the provision of information by an organization to its consumers with respect to the effects of its activities judged relevant by those consumers. In this context, the term “organization” covers business firms but also governmental agencies, hospitals, charities, and other non-profit organizations with relations to their consumers/clients.The concept of consumer satisfaction is regarded as the core element of consumer reporting. Several issues with respect to consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction as well as their measurement are discussed. It is concluded that perceptual indicators of consumer satisfaction should constitute the core of consumer reporting in establishing the consumer profile of the organization. However, additional information could be provided too, for instance situational indicators of consumer satisfaction or information about consumer dissatisfaction. All of this information should be geared towards the goal of accounting for the resulting organizational strategy and policies towards the consumers. Several practical examples are given to illustrate the items about which information can be provided and the fact that consumer reporting can be realized in practice.ZusammenfassungEine solche Berichterstattung wird im vorliegenden Beitrag definiert als Informationen einer Organisation für ihre Konsumenten über diejenigen Wirkungen ihrer Aktivitäten, die von diesen Konsumenten für wichtig gehalten werden. Der Begriff “Organisation” steht hier nicht nur für kommerzielle Firmen, sondern auch für Behörden, Krankenhäuser, Stiftungen und andere nicht gewinnorientierte Organisationen mit ihren jeweiligen Beziehungen zu ihren Verbrauchern bzw. Klienten.Das Konzept der Verbraucherzufriedenheit steht dabei im Mittelpunkt. Deshalb werden zunächst dieses Konzept und die Methoden zur Messung von Verbraucherzufriedenheit diskutiert. Ergebnis ist dabei, daß das Konsumentenprofil einer Organisation durch perzipierte Indikatoren ermöglicht wird. Figur 1 gibt hierfür ein Beispiel. Das Konsumentenprofiel kann durch situative Indikatoren und durch Informationen über Verbraucherzufriedenheit ergänzt werden (Figur 2). Alle diese Informationen sollten zum Ziel haben, die Unternehmenspolitik gegenüber den Konsumenten zu verantworten.Zum Schluß werden einige praktische Beispiele behandelt, die einerseits zeigen, welche Informationen solche Berichterstattungen enthalten können, und andererseits, daß es in der Praxis bereits Ansätze in dieser Richtung gibt.

Consumer Affairs Departments in the United States and the Netherlands: A Comparative Analysis

Over a decade ago Hansen and Schoenheit (1986), in their Journal of Consumer Policy article, concluded that Consumer Affairs Departments (CADs) offer potential for improving organisational performance in the market place and that their transferability to the European context would be warranted. In this article we trace and analyse the development of Consumer Affairs Departments in the United States and the Netherlands on the basis of fourteen case studies. On the basis of a comparative analysis we conjecture that the application of information technology, the application of communication technology, and personnel management style could be considered as major determinants of differences with regard to CADs in the aforementioned countries. We conclude the article with a number of building blocks that organisations may use in preparing their CADs for the decade to come.