Complimenting Behavior - The Complimenter's Perspective

Abstract

Consumer complimenting behavior was first investigated by Kraft and Martin (2001). Shortly thereafter and following a similar protocol, their work was validated by Payne, Parry, Huff, Otto, and Hunt, 2002. Both studies elicited consumer complimenting stories, which were then coded by the researchers. The two studies reported here are based on responses to the coding scheme used by the above researchers, but coded by the consumer and not the researcher. The findings from the consumers' coding were not similar to the earlier findings of Kraft and Martin, and Payne et. al. Analysis of the two consumer coded studies revealed five dominant complimenting themes supported by a confirmatory structural equations analysis. Correspondence analysis and logistic regression were also used to better understand the richness of these five consumer complimenting themes.