Dysfunctional Customer Behavior: Conceptualization and Empirical Validation

Abstract

Dysfunctional customer behavior is endemic and prevalent across multiple service sectors. However, despite significant interest from practitioners and scholars, understanding of the concept of dysfunctional customer behavior and its measurement has been limited to date. Moreover, studies have not systematically explored the exact dimensionality of dysfunctional customer behavior, leaving its precise composition unclear. Across five studies, this investigation identifies a three-dimensional dysfunctional customer behavior construct comprising verbal abuse, disproportionate demand, and illegitimate complaint. The authors develop and validate a multi-dimensional scale to measure dysfunctional customer behavior.