Desire to Vent About the Company

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the strength of a dissatisfied consumer's desire to express and release their frustrations about a company. Items capture the urge to vent, the desire to express frustrations, and the motivation to release pent-up feelings about a specific company. The scale operationalises venting as a distinct consumer motive — separate from constructive complaint behaviour — that drives emotional expression rather than problem-resolution seeking.

Representative items

• I want to vent about my experiences with the company.
• I want to express my frustrations about the company.
• I want to let out my feelings about the company.

Citation

Hydock, Chris, Zoey Chen, and Kurt Carlson (2020). Why unhappy customers are unlikely to share their opinions with brands. Journal of Marketing, 84(6), 95–112.