An Empirical Study of the Causes Symptoms and Organisational Responses to Customer Rage Behaviour

Abstract

Customer Rage Behaviour (CRB) has started receiving enormous attention from both, newlineacademicians and practitioners in recent years (Surachartkumtonkun, McColl-Kennedy, and newlinePatterson 2014; Greer 2015). The prevailing competitive environment is forcing newlineorganisations to take CRB incidents seriously. All the three stages of CRB - before the CRB newlineincident, during the CRB incident, and after the CRB incident - have to be managed properly. newlineOrganisations can gain competitive advantage by effectively managing CRB incidents. newlineEffective management of CRB incidents helps organisations gain extraordinary profits, by newlineretaining existing customers. Effective management of CRB incidents can be considered a newlineunique differentiating strategy for an organisation to gain competitive advantage. Though newlineCRB and related issues can be a little complex to handle, organisations cannot afford to newlineoverlook them in the current fiercely competitive scenario. Doing so can hurt the newlineorganisation and its employees socially, psychologically, and financially. It affects all the newlinestakeholders (like front-end employees, organisation, customer and even other customers). newlineThese impacts are both short and long term (Surachartkumtonkun et al., 2014). newlineMcColl-Kennedy, Patterson, Smith, and Brady (2009) have done extensive study on newlineCRB incidents. They concluded that these incidents occur due to Customer Rage Emotions newline(CRE). CRE have been classified as Rancorous Rage Emotions, and Retaliatory Rage newlineEmotions. Customers who are inclined towards Rancorous Rage Emotions tend to be vocal. newlineThey try to use their voice as a weapon to intimidate front-end employees. On the other hand, newlinecustomers who tend to react aggressively by physically hurting front-end employees and/or newlineby damaging the organisation s property are said to be displaying what is known as newline Retaliatory Rage Emotions . Both types of customer adopt different ways to express their newlineaggression. McColl-Kennedy et al. (2009) have suggested five types of Customer Rage newlineExpressions (CRX) - verbal, physical, constructive,