Customer evaluations of service complaint experiences in the public sector

There is considerable evidence to suggest that the ability to recover effectively from service failures can contribute to a customer's overall evaluation of an organization. The theory of justice serves as a useful research framework to investigate customers' opinions of organizational complaints handling in the public sector. Three independent variables, namely interactional, procedural, and distributive justice are used to explain customer evaluations of service complaint experiences. Results indicate some significant relationships between the three justice dimensions, satisfaction with complaint handling and the relationship marketing variables of trust and commitment. Conclusions are drawn, limitations noted and directions for future research offered. © 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.