An Empirical Investigation of Complaint Behavior Among Church Members

Abstract

Understanding how church members complain when dissatisfied is a topic that has been neglected in the marketing literature. Academicians have done a good job in looking at complaint behavior in retail, industrial, and service environments. However, one area that has not been investigated is how church members complain. Researchers have been slow to make use of modern marketing techniques in non-profit areas. This article develops a typology of complaint behavior response styles and identifies a set of variables useful in predicting complaint styles in a church environment. This type of research is needed in order to help these organizations be pro-active in the areas of loyalty, satisfaction, and retention of church members.