USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications
Transitory bias as a source of customer dissatisfaction: An exploratory investigation.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
ISSN
1472-0817
Abstract
Previous literature has identified sources of customer dissatisfaction in the forms of poor product performance, discrimination, and universal mistreatment (i.e., broad-based mistreatment of customers). This article proposes the existence of a fourth source of perceived customer dissatisfaction, termed transitory bias, which is based upon fleeting customer characteristics and actions. Using a critical incident approach, this exploratory study analyzes customer narratives of 230 negative experiences. After writing their narratives, consumer informants completed a quantitative survey pertaining to their experience. Some sources of transitory bias were found to be customer complaining, negotiation, special requests, and underpurchasing. Transitory biaswas found to drive perceptions of negative customer experiences in 29.1 per cent of the narratives. This was fewer than the number of cases involving universal mistreatment (50%) but more than those involving poor product performance (18.3%) and discrimination (2.6%). Results showed that satisfaction, repeat purchase likelihood, recommendation likelihood, and word of mouth were similar to those found in narratives where universal mistreatment and discrimination were primary drivers of dissatisfaction. This article creates awareness of the transitory bias construct and allows academicians the opportunity to study it as a source of customer dissatisfaction. Retail and service establishments should be aware of customer perceptions of transitory bias because it impacts key performance metrics. Managers may wish to train employees to better identify and respond to sources of transitory bias.
Language
en_US
Publisher
Henry Stewart Publications
Recommended Citation
Trocchia, P.J. & Luckett, M.G. (2013). Transitory bias as a source of customer dissatisfaction: An exploratory investigation. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 12(1), 32-41. doi 10.1002/cb.1403
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Abstract only. Full-text article is available only through licensed access provided by the publisher. Published in Journal of Consumer Behavior, 12(1), 32-41. doi 10.1002/cb.1403 Members of the USF System may access the full-text of the article through the authenticated link provided.