Consumer complaining behavior in banking: the influence of brand image on brand forgiveness and negative word-of-mouth

Abstract

This study has established a conceptual model regarding the impacts of brand image, which consists of two subdimensions, corporate social responsibility (CSR) image and personnel image, and brand trust on brand forgiveness and consumer complaining behavior in retail banking. Through a quantitative analysis, the findings showed that favorable CSR image and personnel image positively influence brand forgiveness, reducing negative word-of-mouth in cases of service failures. However, brand forgiveness does not stop consumers from voicing their complaints directly to the firm. Consumers with lower brand trust, brand forgiveness, and brand image are more likely to voice their complaints to third parties.