Complaint Likelihood (General)

What it measures

A seven-item scale measuring a consumer's general propensity to complain when dissatisfied with a product or service. Items capture active complaining intentions, willingness to complain without hesitation, likelihood of complaining based on past experience, and inclination toward service provider complaint — alongside two reverse-scored items reflecting reluctance to complain. The scale provides a comprehensive assessment of complaint propensity as a stable consumer disposition.

Representative items

• If there is a service failure, I will complain to the company.
• I do not hesitate to complain if I think it is warranted to do so.
• I am usually reluctant to complain about service regardless of how bad it is. (r)

Citation

Bodey, Kelli and Debra Grace (2007). Contrasting 'complainers' with 'non-complainers' on attitude toward complaining, propensity to complain, and key personality characteristics. European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1214–1240. [Applied by: Borah, Abhishek, Shrihari Prakhya, and Alok Sharma (2020). Leveraging the power of user-generated content to resolve airline service failures. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(5), 858–876.]