Effects of Customer Participation Level on Customers´ Attributions, Emotions, and Behaviors in Case of Internet Service Failure

This study explores the impact of two factors that are prominent in the marketing literature: customer participation and service failure. We here conducted a empirical test to show how customers´ perceived level of participation influences their attribution tendency and emotional/behavioral responses toward service failure which they may encounter on internet. According to the results of analysis, customers whose perceived level of participation in service production and delivery is high showed external attribution tendency more, felt disappointment more, and wanted to complain, switch, and communicate negative WOM more than those with low participation perception. The results imply that strategies to blindly raise customer participation should be reconsidered. Internet-based service firms should organize their service procedures easily and simply to reduce customers time and efforts(physical input). They also should design their web sites more interestingly in order to provide pleasant experiences to customers. And they should be careful not to request unnecessary information provision from customers (informational input). In addition, service providers on internet should prepare devices with which customers can complain easily when they experience service failure.