Consumer (Non) Complaint Behavior: An Empirical Analysis of Senior Consumers in Germany

Authors

  • Norbert Meiners Private Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik Vechta/Diepholz
  • Elmar Reucher Private Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik Vechta/Diepholz
  • Hafiz T.A. Kahn University of West London
  • Lukas Spille Private Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik Vechta/Diepholz

Abstract

Since studies in the field of complaint research primarily look at the group of complainers, little is known about the group of non-complainers. For this reason, in addition to the complainers, the non-complainers should also be considered in the present study in order to help close the existing research gap. The focus of this study is on older people aged 60 and over, as this group of people has received little attention in research to date. Thus, this study contributes to the emerging research field of "Economics of Population Aging." The research question is: Why do men and women aged 60 and older (not) complain in dissatisfaction situations? Data collection for the study was conducted via a representative, ad hoc, online survey in January, 2020. In total, data was collected from 533 people, 229 of whom had had negative experiences when purchasing a product or service. This sample was then evaluated and analyzed. In particular, the phenomenon of "not complaining" was investigated in a data-based manner. Among other things, the study shows that certain characteristics can be attributed to non-complainers.

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Published

2021-12-17

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Vol. 34 (2021): The Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior

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