Consumers often share their service experiences with others and, in doing so, may change their evaluation of the experience. In three studies, we analyze the influence of social sharing of consumption-related emotions on the sharer’s satisfaction with the consumption experience and related outcomes. Study 1 demonstrates that the sharing of negative emotions amplifies the sharer’s dissatisfaction. Study 2 shows that the specific nature of the negative emotion (anger vs. regret) and that of the recipient (friend vs. stranger) moderate this negative effect. Study 3 finds that the effects of sharing further depend on whether the recipient is viewed as a prospective customer or not. From a theoretical perspective, the findings contradict the claim that cathartic venting contributes to a person’s relief and well-being. In addition, the assertion that strong ties are better than weak ties does not always hold. The benefits of sharing depend on the specific emotion involved and the recipient’s interests. From a managerial perspective, the findings should help companies devise programs to compensate the negative consequences of service failures. For example, by offering customers the opportunity to express anger to strangers through their corporate websites or social media communities, managers may be able to reduce customer dissatisfaction and thus maintain the relationship. In addition, such opportunities may help the firm identify dissatisfied consumers and, in turn, apply service recovery strategies to retain them.

Brands have become the target of online collaborative attacks performed by networked consumers who share negative brand content, leading to the so-called online firestorms (OF). Its detrimental effects on reputation, sales, and stock market performance make the understanding of OF emergence a managerial priority as well as an interesting area for academic research. We adopt a novel perspective in the analysis by drawing on the appraisal theory of emotions to dig in the emotional nature of the phenomena. Specifically, our research analyzes the role of three specific negative brand emotions (sadness, dislike, and anger) in a model that encapsulates cognitive, emotional, and motivational drivers of the initiation of an OF. The findings obtained from a sample of 303 individuals exposed to a brand misconduct episode suggest that openly expressed feelings of anger, dislike, and sadness emerge in response to outrage appraisals associated to the episode. However, only anger and dislike provided the impetus for taking revenge on the brand in the form of an OF. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon since the role of emotions as a basis for explaining the act of initiating an OF has been overlooked. To practitioners, we offer some guidelines to monitor and manage the negative emotional content posted by individuals as mitigating them reduces the desire for revenge, which is the force behind their intentions to foster an OF.

Digitalization and social media are transforming company–consumer interactions, opening new communication avenues. Companies are thus adopting an omnichannel strategy to offer multiple media and channels for use before, during, and after purchase – that is, during the customer journey. The success of this journey requires both effective integration of the company’s offline and online channels and strong consistency in communication terms. In this context, offering a smooth transition between touchpoints along the consumer journey to optimize consumers’ experience requires appropriate omnichannel integration. However, little is known about how to assess customer journey, despite the implications therein for companies’ performance and consumer reactions. To fill this gap, the present paper proposes and validates indicators to measure the extent to which controlled touchpoints are really integrated and oriented toward the consumer and provide a satisfactory customer journey. Focusing on corporate website, brand pages on social network sites, apps, and physical stores as fully controlled touchpoints, we offer an instrument to assess integration and customer orientation, as well as avenues for further extension. Application of the indicators comprising the instrument reveals that integration is improving and customer-centric approach is gaining attention, but still has room for improvement. Theoretical and managerial contributions are discussed.

Purpose: This paper analyzes the effect of company response style and complaint source on silent observers' reactions to a service failure episode vented on Twitter.Design/methodology/approach: In a 2 × 2 experimental design, company response style (personalized vs automatic) and complaint source (ordinary Twitter user vs influencer) were manipulated to test the hypotheses.Findings: Complaint source moderates the effect of company response style on brand image, purchase intention and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Thus, the authors found that a personalized response to a complaint, compared to an automatic response, leads to a more favorable brand image as well as purchase intention and eWOM intention when the complainant is an ordinary Twitter user. However, the automatic response, compared to the personalized one, is better perceived when the complainant is an influencer. The authors also found that service failure response attribution and the emotions elicited during the firm–complainant interaction mediate the previous effects.Research limitations/implications: This paper deals with the company's initial reaction after a complaint is posted on Twitter; however, the complaint-handling process is longer, and both the customer and silent observers await a resolution. Future research could tackle subsequent stages of the process and different recovery strategies.Practical implications: The study offers meaningful insights regarding complaint handling on Twitter and how the effectiveness of the company response style depends on the complaint source. Marketers should offer adapted personalized responses to prompt positive behavioral intentions for ordinary Twitter users, who represent prospective consumers. However, a personalized response given to an influencer may be perceived more negatively, as silent observers may interpret that the company offers such a response just because the complaint comes from a well-known person who can reach many users and not because of an honest interest in serving consumers.Originality/value: This research focuses on the underresearched area of the impact of online complaints on silent observers, a large group of prospective consumers quietly exposed to complaints aired on Twitter. The underlying mechanisms are also identified.

Nowadays, co-creation is a significant trend in the hospitality industry. Through two experiments, this paper investigates the effects of low and high outcome quality resulting from co-creation on consumer satisfaction. In particular, we examine engagement and emotions as the underlying mechanisms that mediate the relationship between outcome quality and satisfaction. Our findings build upon a service-dominant logic framework and indicate that outcome quality influences customer satisfaction, with emotions acting as a mediator for low-quality outcomes and engagement as a mediator for high-quality outcomes. Interestingly, engagement operates in low outcome quality settings and partly compensates for a suboptimal result, highlighting the key role co-creation can play in the event of a failed encounter. This article contributes to co-creation literature as well as to the ongoing methodological debate on emotion measurement. In addition, it offers managerial insightful directions for hospitality companies.

In this article, the authors integrate the concept of fluency into the call centre service experience. Results (1) provide an easy-to-administer scale to measure call interaction fluency; (2) provide a holistic model by which fluency is linked to customer’s emotional response (anger), an evaluation of the interaction (interaction satisfaction), and the customer-company relationship (call aversion, trust, and satisfaction with the company); (3) highlight agents’ nationality and gender as well as customers’ age moderated the effect of call interaction fluency on interaction satisfaction; and (4) provide evidence of the role of the coping strategy used by customers depending on their initial emotional state; specifically, fluent interaction proved to be efficacious for both emotion-focused and problem-focused customers. Results reveal that fluency should be considered when designing training programmes for call centre employees.