The Mediating Role of Complaint Management in The Impact Of Electronic Negative Word-Of-Mouth Communication On Customer Loyalty

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of complaint management in the impact of electronic negative word-of-mouth on customer loyalty. To achieve this objective, data was collected from 390 individuals using an online survey method. The data analysis was conducted using the SPSS software package, performing reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, descriptive analyses, correlation, and mediation analysis. The results of the analyses indicated that electronic negative word-of-mouth has an impact on complaint management and customer loyalty, that complaint management affects customer loyalty, and that complaint management has a mediating role in the effect of electronic negative word-of-mouth on customer loyalty.

Keywords

• Electronic Negative Word of Mouth
• Complaint Management
• Customer Loyalty

Elektronik Olumsuz Ağızdan Ağıza İletişimin Müşteri Sadakati Üzerindeki Etkisinde Müşteri Şikâyet Yönetiminin Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, elektronik olumsuz ağızdan ağıza iletişimin müşteri sadakati üzerindeki etkisinde şikayet yönetiminin aracılık rolünü araştırmaktır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, 390 kişiden online anket yöntemiyle veri toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde SPSS paket programı kullanılmış, güvenilirlik analizi, açımlayıcı faktör analizi, betimsel analizler, korelasyon ve aracılık analizi yapılmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, elektronik olumsuz ağızdan ağıza iletişimin şikayet yönetimi ve müşteri sadakati üzerindeki etkisinin olduğu, şikayet yönetiminin müşteri sadakatini etkilediği ve elektronik olumsuz ağızdan ağıza iletişimin müşteri sadakati üzerindeki etkisinde şikayet yönetiminin aracılık rolü bulunduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Keywords

• Elektronik Olumsuz Ağızdan Ağıza İletişim
• Şikayet Yönetimi
• Müşteri Sadakati

References

1. Alabay, M. N. (2012). Müşteri şikâyetleri yönetimi. Uluslararası Yönetim İktisat ve İşletme Dergisi, 8(16), 137-157.
2. Aldulaimi, S., Soni, S., Kampoowale, I., Krishnan, G., Ab Yajid, M. S., Khatibi, A., Minhas, D., & Khurana, M. (2025). Customer perceived ethicality and electronic word of mouth approach to customer loyalty: The mediating role of customer trust. International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 41(1), 258–278. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOES-03-2024-0088
3. Álvarez, L. S., Casielles, R. V., & Martín, A. M. D. (2010). Analysis of the role of complaint management in the context of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(1-2), 143-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/02672571003719088
4. Angelova, B., ve Zekiri, J. (2011). Measuring customer satisfaction with service quality using American Customer Satisfaction Model (ACSI Model). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 1(3), 232. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss.v1i2.35
5. Arruda Filho, E. J. M., & Barcelos, A. D. A. (2021). Negative online word-of-mouth: Consumers’ retaliation in the digital world. Journal of Global Marketing, 34(1), 19-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2020.1775919
6. Awwad, M. S. (2012). An application of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in the Jordanian mobile phone sector. The TQM Journal, 24(6), 529-541. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542731211270098
7. Balaji, M. S., Khong, K. W., & Chong, A. Y. L. (2016). Determinants of negative word-of-mouth communication using social networking sites. Information & Management, 53(4), 528-540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2015.12.002
8. Boğa, Ö. ve Başcı, A. (2016). Ağızdan ağıza pazarlamanın gösterişçi tüketim üzerine etkisi . Öneri Dergisi , 12 (45) , 463-489 . https://doi.org/10.14783/od.v12i45.1000020022

9. Bougie, R., Pieters, R., & Zeelenberg, M. (2003). Angry customers don't come back, they get back: The experience and behavioral implications of anger and dissatisfaction in services. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(4), 377-393. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070303254412
10. Chang, H. H., & Wu, L. H. (2014). An examination of negative E-WOM Adoption: Brand Commitment As A Moderator. Decision Support Systems, 59, 206-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2013.11.008
11. Disney, J. (1999). Customer satisfaction and loyalty: the critical elements of service quality. Total Quality Management, 10(4-5), 491-497. https://doi.org/10.1080/0954412997442
12. Durukan, T., & Bozaci, I. (2012). A survey on determinants of word of mouth in social media. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 1(7), 36–44.
13. Einwiller, S. A., & Steilen, S. (2015). Handling complaints on social network sites: An analysis of complaints and complaint responses on Facebook and Twitter pages of large US companies. Public Relations Review, 41(2), 195–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2014.11.012
14. Faed, A., Wu, S., Chang, E., & Gholami, R. (2014). A methodology to map customer complaints and measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Service Oriented Computing and Applications, 8(1), 33–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11761-013-0142-6
15. Field, A. (2009). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics. London: Sage.
16. Filip, A. (2013). Complaint management: A customer satisfaction learning process. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 93, 271–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.09.188
17. Gegez, A. E. (2015). Pazarlama araştırmaları (5. baskı). İstanbul: Beta.
18. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2019). IBM SPSS Statistics 26 step by step: A simple guide and reference. Routledge.
19. Ginting, A. T. V., Purnomo Wibowo, R., & Author, C. (2020). The Effect Analysis of Handling Complaint on Trust, Word of Mouth and Consumer Loyalty with Customer Satisfaction as Moderating Variable. International Journal of Research and Review (Ijrrjournal. Com), 7(4).
20. Halstead, D. (2002). Negative word of mouth: substitute for or supplement to consumer complaints?. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 15, 1-12.
21. Hermawati, A. (2022). The influence of complaint handling, marketing communication and trust on loyalty (marketing management literature review). Dinasti International Journal of Management Science (DIJMS), 4(2). https://doi.org/10.31933/dijms.v4i2.1494
22. Kim, C., Kim, S., Im, S., & Shin, C. (2003). The effect of attitude and perception on consumer complaint intentions. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 20(4), 352–371. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760310483702
23. Kim, M. G., Lee, C. H., & Mattila, A. S. (2014). Determinants of customer complaint behavior in a restaurant context: The role of culture, price level, and customer loyalty. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 23(8), 885-906. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2014.896762
24. Kurtoğlu, R., Özbölük, T., & Hacıhasanoğlu, P. (2022). Revisiting the effects of inward negative emotions on outward negative emotions, brand loyalty, and negative WOM. Journal of Brand Management, 29(1), 72-84. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-021-00257-3
25. Lam, T., & Tang, V. (2003). Recognizing customer complaint behavior: The case of Hong Kong hotel restaurants. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 14(1), 69–86. https://doi.org/10.1300/J073v14n01_05
26. Lee, S. J., & Lee, Z. (2006). An experimental study of online complaint management in the online feedback forum. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 16(1), 65–85.
27. Nuansi, P., & Ngamcharoenmongkol, P. (2021). Proactive complaint management: Effects of customer voice initiation on perceived justices, satisfaction, and negative word-of-mouth. SAGE Open, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211040788
28. Nyadzayo, M. W., & Khajehzadeh, S. (2016). The antecedents of customer loyalty: A moderated mediation model of customer relationship management quality and brand image. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 30, 262–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.02.002
29. Nyer, P. U., & Gopinath, M. (2005). Effects of complaining versus negative word of mouth on subsequent changes in satisfaction: The role of public commitment. Psychology & Marketing, 22(12), 937–953. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20092
30. Olatunde, O. P., Sunday, O. T., & Niyi, A. S. (2020). Complaint management and customer loyalty among aviation customers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. British Journal of Management and Marketing Studies, 3(1), 76-94.
31. Özaslan, Y. (2014). Negatif ağızdan ağıza iletişim (WOM) ve elektronik ağızdan ağıza iletişim (e-WOM): Yiyecek-içecek işletmelerine yönelik bir araştırma. Atatürk Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 28(3). https://doi.org/10.16951/iibd.77412
32. Özbek, A. (2021). Denim giysi kaynaklı müşteri şikâyetlerinin incelenmesi. Engineering Sciences, 16(1), 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.12739/NWSA.2021.16.1.1A0465
33. Pallant, J. (2020). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS. Routledge.
34. Ribeiro, D. A., & Kalro, A. D. (2023). Four decades of negative word‐of‐mouth and negative electronic word‐of‐mouth: A morphological analysis. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(6), 2528–2552. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12962
35. Skogland, I., & Siguaw, J. A. (2004). Are your satisfied customers loyal? Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 45(3), 221–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010880404265231
36. Sun, Y., Ding, W., Wang, X., Ren, X., & Purwanegara, M. S. (2024). The relationship between electronic word-of-mouth, customer loyalty and resistance to innovation. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(12), 3427–3445. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-07-2023-0624
37. Sun, Y., Gonzalez-Jimenez, H., & Wang, S. (2021). Examining the relationships between e-WOM, consumer ethnocentrism and brand equity. Journal of Business Research, 130, 564–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.040
38. Tolba, A., Seoudi, I., Meshreki, H., & Shimy, M. (2016). Effect of justice in complaint handling on customer loyalty: Evidence from Egypt. Global Journal of Business Research, 9(3), 1–14. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2664289
39. Wetzer, I. M., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2007). “Never eat in that restaurant, I did!”: Exploring why people engage in negative word‐of‐mouth communication. Psychology & Marketing, 24(8), 661–680. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20178
40. Wu, L. (2013). The antecedents of customer satisfaction and its link to complaint intentions in online shopping: An integration of justice, technology, and trust. International Journal of Information Management, 33(1), 166–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2012.09.001
41. Yilmaz, V., & Ari, E. (2017). The effects of service quality, image, and customer satisfaction on customer complaints and loyalty in high-speed rail service in Turkey: A proposal of the structural equation model. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 13(1), 67–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/23249935.2016.1209255
42. Yoo, C. W. (2020). An exploration of the role of service recovery in negative electronic word-of-mouth management. Information Systems Frontiers, 22(3), 719–734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-018-9880-5
43. Zhang, T., Abound Omran, B., & Cobanoglu, C. (2017). Generation Y’s positive and negative eWOM: Use of social media and mobile technology. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 29(2), 732–761. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-10-2015-0611 .