Consumer Satisfaction and Repatronage Intentions Following a Business Failure: The Importance of Perceived Control with an Organizational Complaint

The purpose of this study was to examine consumers' perceptions of control regarding complaints to organizations. Participants were 134 people recruited to write genuine letters of complaint to organizations that had recently failed them. Consumers' perceptions of their communicative control were examined as they related to satisfaction with organizational recovery efforts and intent to do business with organizations in the future. Results indicated that providing evidence that a person made an impact on an organization through his or her complaint led to increased satisfaction with an organizational response and higher intent to do business with an organization in the future.