#4611. Why should you respond to customer complaints on a personal level? The silent observers perspective

August 2026publication date
Proposal available till 19-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

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Journal’s subject area:
Business and International Management;
Marketing;
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Abstract:
This paper analyzes the effect of company response style and complaint source on silent observers reactions to a service failure episode vented on Twitter. In experimental design, company response style (personalized vs automatic) and complaint source (ordinary Twitter user vs influencer) were manipulated to test the hypotheses. Complaint source moderates the effect of company response style on brand image, purchase intention and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). However, the automatic response, compared to the personalized one, is better perceived when the complainant is an influencer. The study offers meaningful insights regarding complaint handling on Twitter and how the effectiveness of the company response style depends on the complaint source. However, a personalized response given to an influencer may be perceived more negatively, as silent observers may interpret that the company offers such a response just because the complaint comes from a well-known person who can reach many users and not because of an honest interest in serving consumers. This research focuses on the underresearched area of the impact of online complaints on silent observers, a large group of prospective consumers quietly exposed to complaints aired on Twitter.
Keywords:
Company response style; Complaint handling; Complaint source; Influencer; Silent observer; Twitter

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