IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jouret/v99y2023i2p265-279.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How and why (imagined) online reviews impact frontline retail encounters

Author

Listed:
  • Marder, Ben
  • Angell, Rob
  • Boyd, Eric

Abstract

This research examines how frontline retail employees respond to customers whom they think might write an online review about their experience. Across six experiments (one field and five online) we show that when employees identify potential online review authors, often by what the customer says or does, it catalyzes them to deliver better service. This ensues because they experience a rise in determination to do well, motivated by the prospect of being associated with a positive review, which they believe will impress the retailer. Thus, they go ‘above and beyond’. However, determination is tempered by two boundary conditions. When employees (i) do not consider that being associated with an online review is beneficial (i.e., not goal relevant) or (ii) feel poorly equipped to serve the customer (i.e., low in self-efficacy), then a better service delivery will not occur. We also show that retailers can enhance customer service through internal championing of the importance of online reviews, so long as this is framed as promotional rather than punitive.

Suggested Citation

  • Marder, Ben & Angell, Rob & Boyd, Eric, 2023. "How and why (imagined) online reviews impact frontline retail encounters," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 265-279.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jouret:v:99:y:2023:i:2:p:265-279
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretai.2023.03.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022435923000167
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretai.2023.03.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng, Yin-Hui & Yen, HsiuJu Rebecca & Chuang, Shih-Chieh & Chang, Chia-Jung, 2013. "Product option framing under the influence of a promotion versus prevention focus," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 402-413.
    2. Cassie Mogilner & Jennifer L. Aaker & Ginger L. Pennington, 2008. "Time Will Tell: The Distant Appeal of Promotion and Imminent Appeal of Prevention," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(5), pages 670-681, August.
    3. Rapp, Adam & Baker, Thomas L. & Bachrach, Daniel G. & Ogilvie, Jessica & Beitelspacher, Lauren Skinner, 2015. "Perceived customer showrooming behavior and the effect on retail salesperson self-efficacy and performance," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 358-369.
    4. Koukova, Nevena T. & Wang, Rebecca Jen-Hui & Isaac, Mathew S., 2023. "“If you loved our product”: Do conditional review requests harm retailer loyalty?," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 85-101.
    5. Jung, Jin Ho & Brown, Tom J. & Zablah, Alex R., 2022. "How Customer Requests Influence Frontline Employee Job Outcomes: The Role of Personal Appraisal Tendencies and Situational Customer Demandingness," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 315-334.
    6. Elison Ai Ching Lim & Yih Hwai Lee & Maw-Der Foo, 2017. "Frontline employees’ nonverbal cues in service encounters: a double-edged sword," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 657-676, September.
    7. Minnema, Alec & Bijmolt, Tammo H.A. & Gensler, Sonja & Wiesel, Thorsten, 2016. "To Keep or Not to Keep: Effects of Online Customer Reviews on Product Returns," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 92(3), pages 253-267.
    8. Blessing, Gerald & Natter, Martin, 2019. "Do Mystery Shoppers Really Predict Customer Satisfaction and Sales Performance?," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(3), pages 47-62.
    9. Bitner, Mary Jo & Brown, Stephen W., 2008. "The service imperative," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 39-46.
    10. Wanda J. Orlikowski & Susan V. Scott, 2014. "What Happens When Evaluation Goes Online? Exploring Apparatuses of Valuation in the Travel Sector," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(3), pages 868-891, June.
    11. Floyd, Kristopher & Freling, Ryan & Alhoqail, Saad & Cho, Hyun Young & Freling, Traci, 2014. "How Online Product Reviews Affect Retail Sales: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 217-232.
    12. Cervellon, Marie-Cécile & Poujol, Juliet F. & Tanner, J.F., 2019. "Judging by the wristwatch: Salespersons’ responses to status signals and stereotypes of luxury clients," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 191-201.
    13. Wu, Xiaoyue & Jin, Liyin & Xu, Qian, 2021. "Expertise Makes Perfect: How the Variance of a Reviewer's Historical Ratings Influences the Persuasiveness of Online Reviews," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 238-250.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schulz, Petra & Shehu, Edlira & Clement, Michel, 2019. "When consumers can return digital products: Influence of firm- and consumer-induced communication on the returns and profitability of news articles," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 454-470.
    2. Agnieszka Zablocki & Bodo Schlegelmilch & Michael J. Houston, 2019. "How valence, volume and variance of online reviews influence brand attitudes," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(1), pages 61-77, June.
    3. Ravula, Prashanth & Bhatnagar, Amit & Gauri, Dinesh K, 2023. "Role of gender in the creation and persuasiveness of online reviews," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Bigne, Enrique & Ruiz, Carla & Curras-Perez, Rafael, 2024. "How consumers process online review types in familiar versus unfamiliar destinations. A self-reported and neuroscientific study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    5. Ifie, Kemefasu, 2020. "Excellent Product … But Too Early to Say: Consumer Reactions to Tentative Product Reviews," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 35-51.
    6. Moon, Sangkil & Kim, Seung-Wook & Iacobucci, Dawn, 2024. "Dynamic relationship changes between reviewers and consumers in online product reviews," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 100(1), pages 70-84.
    7. Nima Jalali & Sangkil Moon & Moon-Yong Kim, 2023. "Profiling diverse reviewer segments using online reviews of service industries," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(2), pages 130-148, June.
    8. Dominik Gutt & Jürgen Neumann & Steffen Zimmermann & Dennis Kundisch & Jianqing Chen, 2018. "Design of Review Systems - A Strategic Instrument to shape Online Review Behavior and Economic Outcomes," Working Papers Dissertations 42, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    9. Verhoef, Peter C. & Stephen, Andrew T. & Kannan, P.K. & Luo, Xueming & Abhishek, Vibhanshu & Andrews, Michelle & Bart, Yakov & Datta, Hannes & Fong, Nathan & Hoffman, Donna L. & Hu, Mandy Mantian & No, 2017. "Consumer Connectivity in a Complex, Technology-enabled, and Mobile-oriented World with Smart Products," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-8.
    10. Rokonuzzaman, Md & Iyer, Pramod & Harun, Ahasan, 2021. "Return policy, No joke: An investigation into the impact of a retailer's return policy on consumers' decision making," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    11. Ana Babić Rosario & Kristine Valck & Francesca Sotgiu, 2020. "Conceptualizing the electronic word-of-mouth process: What we know and need to know about eWOM creation, exposure, and evaluation," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 422-448, May.
    12. Lauren Skinner Beitelspacher & Thomas L. Baker & Adam Rapp & Dhruv Grewal, 2018. "Understanding the long-term implications of retailer returns in business-to-business relationships," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 252-272, March.
    13. Yanwei Chen & Xiaojun Liu & Kaiqing Huang & Huajun Tang, 2022. "Pricing and Service Effort Decisions of Book Dual-Channel Supply Chains with Showrooming Effect Based on Cost-Sharing Contracts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    14. Karunakaran, Arvind & Orlikowski, Wanda J. & Scott, Susan V., 2022. "Crowd-based accountability: examining how social media commentary reconfigures organizational accountability," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 114401, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Mantovani, Danielle & Tazima, Deborah Iuri, 2016. "Arte visual e foco regulatório na avaliação dos consumidores," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 56(2), March.
    16. Wang, Siqi & Cheah, Jun-Hwa & Lim, Xin-Jean & Leong, Yee Choy & Choo, Wei Chong, 2022. "Thanks COVID-19, I'll reconsider my purchase: Can fear appeal reduce online shopping cart abandonment?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    17. Zhewei Zhang & Youngjin Yoo & Kalle Lyytinen & Aron Lindberg, 2021. "The Unknowability of Autonomous Tools and the Liminal Experience of Their Use," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(4), pages 1192-1213, December.
    18. Duan, Yongrui & Liu, Tonghui & Mao, Zhixin, 2022. "How online reviews and coupons affect sales and pricing: An empirical study based on e-commerce platform," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    19. Lee, Richard J. & Sener, Ipek N. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Handy, Susan L., 2017. "Relationships between the online and in-store shopping frequency of Davis, California residents," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 40-52.
    20. Willems, Kim & Smolders, Annelien & Brengman, Malaika & Luyten, Kris & Schöning, Johannes, 2017. "The path-to-purchase is paved with digital opportunities: An inventory of shopper-oriented retail technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 228-242.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jouret:v:99:y:2023:i:2:p:265-279. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.