Power as a predictor of industrial complaining styles in a buyer/seller relationship: the buyer’s perspective

With continued growth in the industrial market being an important issue, firms need to maintain and expand their existing customer base. Careful consideration and evaluation of customer complaints are essential to this concern. An industrial marketer must develop appropriate policies and procedures for responding to buyer complaints to reduce the probability that the industrial buyer will switch marketers or engage in complaint responses that may damage the marketer’s reputation. Identifies four complaining styles used by industrial buyers in response to a dissatisfying experience. Tests several marketer power bases as predictors of the four complaining styles.