Faculty & Research
An Examination of Guest Complaints and Complaint Communication Channels: The Medium Does Matter!
Vol 6 No 14
By: Alex M. Susskind Ph.D.
Executive Summary: In this study guests of casual-dining restaurants were asked to report how they preferred to complain about service failures they experienced while dining. Guests who reported higher levels of frustration, a higher propensity to complain, and greater information inadequacy generally preferred to complain face-to face to a manager or via a letter written to management. This finding diverges from the expectations created by communication theory, which suggests that face- to-face communication is "richer" than written approaches. Moreover, this study found that complaints lodged face-to-face to nonmanagerial service employees were viewed similarly to complaining via a comment card-a less-rich mode of communication.
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Other Reports or Articles You May Find of Interest
- Dining Duration and Customer Satisfaction, by Breffni Noone and Sheryl E. Kimes
- Perceived Fairness of Restaurant Waitlist-management Policies, by Kelly A. McGuire and Sheryl E. Kimes
- Tipping and Its Alternatives: A Comparison of Tipping, Service Charges, and Service-inclusive Pricing, by Michael Lynn
About Alex M. Susskind Ph.D.
Alex M. Susskind is an associate professor at the School of Hotel Administration and a member of the Graduate Field of Communication at Cornell University. He earned his PhD in communication from Michigan State University with cognates in organizational communication and organizational behavior where he also earned his MBA with a concentration in personnel and human relations. Susskind's research is based primarily in organizational communication and organizational behavior. He is currently researching: (a) the influence of customer-service provider interaction as it relates to organizational effectiveness and efficiency from the perspective of guests, employees and managers; and (b) the influence of communication relationships upon individuals’ work-related attitudes and perceptions surrounding organizational events and processes such as teamwork and downsizing.
For more information visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/facultybios/faculty.html?id=81
