Service Complaint Behaviour

What it measures

Four items measure the extent to which a consumer reports having complained to a service provider about quality problems or poor treatment following a service failure.

Response format

7-point (1=definitely did not, 7=definitely did)

Scale items

• I complained to the service provider about the service quality.
• I asked the service provider to take care of the problem.
• I complained to the service provider about the way I was treated.
• I discussed the problem with the service provider.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Adapted from Swan and Oliver (1989), who used only a single-item measure. Alpha .903. This is a measure of past behaviour following a service failure, not of complaint intentions.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Bougie, R., Pieters, R., & Zeelenberg, M. (2003). Angry customers don't come back, they get back: The experience and behavioral implications of anger and dissatisfaction in services. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(4), 377–393.

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