Abstract:
Although the clothing retail industry spends valuable resources developing and distributing
products, it is becoming increasingly difficult to satisfy consumers. Consumers have high
expectations about the functional, expressive and symbolic value associated with clothing.
Product dissatisfaction could lead to redress-seeking behaviour and negative repurchase
behaviour. Consumers may directly complain to retailers (second parties) or third parties,
including newspapers and consumer protection organisations. They may also indirectly or
privately express dissatisfaction through traditional negative word-of-mouth or boycotting the
retailer. With the advent of the Internet, traditional word-of-mouth has evolved into electronic
word-of-mouth (eWOM), allowing consumers to interact with retailers anywhere.
Despite existing literature on consumer complaint behaviour in general and particularly complaint
behaviour about clothing products, limited research exists about the factors influencing South
African consumers' complaint intention due to clothing product failure. This study employed a
quantitative research approach using a cross-sectional survey design to describe the relationship
between selected product-specific variables, i.e., product cost, product durability, product
dissatisfaction, and the severity of the product failure; consumer-related variables, i.e.,
demographics; and consumer complaint intentions following perceptions of clothing product
performance failure.
Clothing consumers 19 years or older who reside across South Africa were the unit of analysis.
The data was collected with an online questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and
inferential statistics. Respondents had to indicate anticipated clothing product failures based on
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a product failure scenario. Items adapted from existing scales were used to measure perceptions
of clothing performance failures, consumer complaint intentions, and selected product-specific
variables, including product dissatisfaction, product failure severity, and price and durability
related to specific consumer complaint behavioural intentions. Respondents had to rate the
severity of the anticipated failure and their level of dissatisfaction. Respondents indicated the type
of complaint actions they would employ.
The results show that most respondents expect structural failures to be more pertinent than
aesthetic failures. The EFA resulted in four factors: electronic complaints (Factor 1), complaining
to the retailer and consumer protection organisation (Factor 2), switching intention (Factor 3), and
negative word-of-mouth (Factor 4). Electronic complaints (negative electronic word-of-mouth)
and complaints to the retailer and consumer protection organisation had the lowest mean scores,
indicating relatively weak complaint intentions. Switching intention had the highest mean score,
followed by negative word-of-mouth, indicating relatively pertinent complaint intentions.
Therefore, consumers who purchase much desired expensive clothing items would probably be
likely to switch brands or retailers or tell significant others about the product problem when a
product failure occurs. However, their intentions to contact the retailer or a consumer protection
organisation or to communicate to a broader consumer audience using negative electronic wordof-mouth are relatively weak.
Almost all of the respondents indicated they would be very to extremely dissatisfied with the
product failure, and most stated the failure would be very to extremely severe. Product price
seemed to play a more prominent role in the intentions to contact family/friends or the retailer
than product failure severity.
Separate univariate ANOVAs were done to compare the effect of the different independent
variables on the specific dependent variable. Age, population group, and the likelihood of
complaining to the retailer, the higher the product price significantly affected electronic complaint
intention (Factor 1). Age, population group, education, product failure severity, the likelihood of
telling friends or family, the higher the product price, and the likelihood of complaining to the
retailer, the higher the product price affected intention to complain to the retailer and consumer
protection organisations (Factor 2). Only product failure dissatisfaction and the likelihood of telling
friends or family the more durable the product significantly affected switching intention (Factor 3).
Age, product failure dissatisfaction, product failure severity, the likelihood of telling family and
friends, the higher the product price, and the likelihood of telling family and friends about the
problem, the more durable the product had a significant effect on negative word-of-mouth
intention (Factor 4)
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Dissatisfied consumers were more likely to engage in private complaint actions when clothing
product failure occurs. Respondents had a relatively strong intention to inform their family or
friends about their dissatisfaction by telling them in person (or by phoning them) and WhatsApping
them. Respondents were also more likely to switch brands and boycott the retailer. Respondents
had relatively weak electronic complaint intentions and intentions to complain to retailers and
consumer protection organisations. Electronic word-of-mouth and complaints to retailers or
consumer protection organisations are visible to retailers. Therefore, retailers should encourage
dissatisfied consumers to complain to them to build sustainable long-term relationships with
consumers, which are much more profitable in the long run.
This study has practical implications for retailers and manufacturers in providing products that
best meet consumers' expectations and establishing effective return policies and customer
complaint-handling programmes.