Beyond Just Being Dissatisfied: How Angry and Helpless Customers React to Failures When Using Self-Service Technologies

Failures in the use of self-service technology are not only a source of dissatisfaction; often, they also trigger negative emotions of anger and helplessness. Drawing on the appraisal theories of emotion, I argue that these emotions have distinct effects on customers’ post-purchase reactions (customer loyalty, frequency of use), both directly and indirectly, by reducing customer satisfaction. I test and largely confirm these assumptions in an experimental study with 138 undergraduate students and in a representative field survey with 375 mobile phone users. My results indicate that technology-based ser-vice providers should provide instrumental support for customers who feel helpless and a combination of instrumental and emotional support for customers who are angry.