Effects of Other Customers’ Negative Behavior on Focal Customers’ Evaluation of Service Results

This study explores how negative behavior from other customers affects the focal customer’s evaluation of the service provider. The focal customer’s feelings toward the negative behavior are examined as a mediating variable. The study investigates how four factors (severity of the negative behavior, customer agreeableness, customer similarity, and the organization’s customer compatibility initiatives) influence those feelings, and their subsequent impact on the customer’s perception of service quality and overall satisfaction. Data were collected via Questionnaire survey. Data from 284 usable surveys reveal that severity of negative behavior, customer agreeableness, and the organization’s customer compatibility management efforts all significantly influence the focal customer’s feelings. These feelings, in turn, positively impact customer satisfaction with the organization.