Dysfunctional Customer Behavior Severity: An Empirical Examination

Although many studies assume that customers monotonically act in both a functional and a good-mannered way during exchange, considerable anecdotal evidence suggests that customers routinely behave negatively and often disrupt otherwise functional encounters. However, to date, rigorous empirical evidence of this phenomenon is lacking. This study synthesizes extant literature from a broad range of areas and advances two alternative conceptions of the factors associated with dysfunctional customer behavior severity. That is, after controlling for a variety of factors, the authors suggest that psychological obstructionism, disaffection with service, and servicescape variables are significantly associated with the severity of deliberate dysfunctional customer acts. The results provide insights for researchers interested in the darker side of service dynamics and generate useful implications for services practitioners charged with reducing the severity and the frequency of episodes of deviant customer behavior.