Engaging in complaint behaviour : An Indonesian perspective

This paper investigates the various factors affecting consumer complaint behaviour in Indonesia. The main objective is to determine the various demographic variables and to profile complainers and non‐complainers with regard to psychographic variables, attitudes towards businesses in general, product attributes and attribution of blame. It provides a comprehensive comparison with the other studies in the literature which were mainly conducted in Northern America and Europe. The research suggests that complainers in Indonesia had a higher level of income and education. Complainers tended to exhibit greater self‐confidence and individualistic characters. They were more willing to take risk and had a positive attitude toward complaining. Consumers were more likely to complain when the unsatisfactory product was expensive, and used frequently and over a long time. In addition, complainers were more inclined to make a complaint when they blamed sellers and manufacturers for their bad purchase experiences. It was also noted that both complainers and non‐complainers possessed poor attitudes towards businesses in general. Managerial implications are discussed.