Understanding and Responding to the Complaining Behaviors of Restaurant Customers from Collectivist Cultures

Bendegül Okumus ()
Additional contact information
Bendegül Okumus: University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management Orlando, Floria, USA

Journal of Tourismology, 2019, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: This paper aims to examine how frontline employees in individualistic cultures such as the United States can better understand and respond to the complaining behaviors of restaurant consumers from collective cultures such as those from Asian countries. Previous studies suggest that customers from collectivist cultures often prefer not to complain directly and openly about service failures. They may offer indirect hints and information to their families and friends about their experiences. It is possible that frontline employees from individualistic cultures may not fully understand the complaining behaviors of restaurant customers from collectivist cultures. This may result in loss of business, customers’ disloyalty and negative publicity about the business. Based on a review of previous research studies in this area, this study offers specific recommendations for practice and future research.

Keywords: Culture; Service recovery; Service failure; Customer complaints; Frontline employees; Collectivist cultures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/1CD58DF90A/D574F8 ... 50/jot.2019.5.1.0004 (application/pdf)
https://jt.istanbul.edu.tr/en/yazi/10-26650-jot-20 ... 77003400310041003100 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ist:iupjot:v:5:y:2019:i:1:p:1-15

DOI: 10.26650/jot.2019.5.1.0004

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Tourismology is currently edited by Gurel Cetin

More articles in Journal of Tourismology from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Istanbul University Press Operational Team (Ertuğrul YAŞAR) ().