"Calling Again...": Relationships Between Customer Repeat Calls, Hostility, and Service Quality

This study explored the effect of the number of repeat calls on customer and service provider's hostility and on service quality. 107 provider-customer dyads were analyzed. Two separate data sources were used: hostility was coded from audio tapes of service interactions; repeat calls and service quality were collected through telephone surveys. Repeat customer calls were positively related to both the customer's and the service provider's display of hostility. Customers' hostility was negatively related to service quality. This is the first study to examine the effect of repeat calls on hostility dynamics. Second, it extends knowledge on the effects of customer hostility on employee hostility and service outcomes.