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Reprisal, retribution and requital: Investigating customer retaliation

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  • Funches, Venessa
  • Markley, Melissa
  • Davis, Lenita

Abstract

Customers, regardless of context or culture, will go to any extreme to retaliate against an offending service provider. Retaliation is an action taken in return for an injury or offense [Huefner, J.C. and H.K. Hunt, "Consumer retaliation as a response to dissatisfaction," J Consum Satisf Dissatisfaction Complaining Behav, (2000); 13, 61-82.]. To date, research has had only a limited discussion of customer's use of anti-consumption behaviors as an expression of retaliation. This study uses qualitative methods to demonstrate that the motivations for retaliation extend beyond simply "getting even," customers retaliate to teach the service provider a lesson or to save others from the same fate. The research identifies specific roles taken by customers as they retaliate, the emotions of customers and store issues that are at the root of these behaviors. In addition, the authors categorize a range of retaliatory behaviors as follows: cost/loss; consumption prevention; voice, exit and betrayal; and boycotting.

Suggested Citation

  • Funches, Venessa & Markley, Melissa & Davis, Lenita, 2009. "Reprisal, retribution and requital: Investigating customer retaliation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 231-238, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:62:y:2009:i:2:p:231-238
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    1. Passos, Gisèle, 2013. "La vengeance du consommateur insatisfait sur Internet et l'effet sur les attitudes des autres consommateurs," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/11827 edited by Le Nagard, Emmanuelle.
    2. Obeidat, Zaid Mohammad & Xiao, Sarah Hong & Qasem, Zainah al & dweeri, Rami al & Obeidat, Ahmad, 2018. "Social media revenge: A typology of online consumer revenge," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 239-255.
    3. Tan, Teck Ming & Balaji, M.S. & Oikarinen, Eeva-Liisa & Alatalo, Sari & Salo, Jari, 2021. "Recover from a service failure: The differential effects of brand betrayal and brand disappointment on an exclusive brand offering," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 126-139.
    4. Daunt, Kate L. & Harris, Lloyd C., 2011. "Customers acting badly: Evidence from the hospitality industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(10), pages 1034-1042, October.
    5. Riquelme, Isabel P. & Román, Sergio & Cuestas, Pedro J. & Iacobucci, Dawn, 2019. "The Dark Side of Good Reputation and Loyalty in Online Retailing: When Trust Leads to Retaliation through Price Unfairness," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 35-52.
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    13. Clinton Amos & Nancy Spears & Iryna Pentina, 2016. "Rhetorical Analysis of Resistance to Environmentalism As Enactment of Morality Play between Social and Ecological Well-Being," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 224-259, March.
    14. Yang, Chaofan & Sun, Yongqiang & Shen, Xiao-Liang, 2022. "Beyond anger: A neutralization perspective of customer revenge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 363-374.
    15. Steven Chen, 2023. "A counterinsurgent (COIN) framework to defend against consumer activists," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 30(4), pages 275-301, July.
    16. Hamby, Anne & Orazi, Davide & Moreau, Patrick, 2024. "Whose story is this? Source reveal as a communication tactic to increase consumers’ advocacy for social causes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    17. Jabeen, Fauzia & Kaur, Puneet & Talwar, Shalini & Malodia, Suresh & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "I love you, but you let me down! How hate and retaliation damage customer-brand relationship," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    18. Quach, Sara & Hewege, Chandana & Le, Viet, 2019. "Expression and transformation of loyalty in a contractual service setting: A processual view," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 66-77.
    19. de Campos Ribeiro, Gisèle & Butori, Raphaëlle & Le Nagard, Emmanuelle, 2018. "The determinants of approval of online consumer revenge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 212-221.
    20. Zhucheng Shao & Jessica Sze Yin Ho & Garry Wei-Han Tan & Keng-Boon Ooi & Prianka Sarker & Yogesh K. Dwivedi, 2024. "How celebrity attributes damage customer–brand relationship in live streaming commerce: a dark side," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(6), pages 593-615, November.
    21. Kim, Junghyun & Park, Taehoon, 2020. "How corporate social responsibility (CSR) saves a company: The role of gratitude in buffering vindictive consumer behavior from product failures," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 461-472.
    22. Silvia Platania & Martina Morando & Giuseppe Santisi, 2020. "Psychometric Properties, Measurement Invariance, and Construct Validity of the Italian Version of the Brand Hate Short Scale (BHS)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-13, March.
    23. Barbara Duffek & Andreas B. Eisingerich & Omar Merlo, 2023. "Why so toxic? A framework for exploring customer toxicity," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 13(1), pages 122-143, June.
    24. Greer, Dominique A. & Russell-Bennett, Rebekah & Tombs, Alastair & Drennan, Judy, 2014. "Just what the doctor ordered? Investigating the impact of health service quality on consumer misbehaviour," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 257-267.

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